Scripture records the children of Israel complaining at least fourteen times during their wilderness wandering (Ex. 5:1-22; 14:11-12; 15:22; 16:1-4; 17:1-4; 32:28; Num. 12:1-12; 14:1-10; 14:10; 16:1-40; 41-50; 20:1-5; 21:4-5).
Chapter twenty-one has the last recorded complaint in the wilderness. Israel, again, bemoans the wilderness and their food (Num. 21:4-5). The Lord, without warning, sent fiery serpents into the camp. As the snakes began to bite the people they cried out and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us” (Num. 21:7).
The Lord gave an answer for the snake-bitten people. Moses was to make a fiery serpent made of brass, place it on a pole, and have the people simply look at it and they would live. All they had to do was look upon the very thing that was killing them, and they would live.
Jesus referred to this event and said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:14-15). Something far worse than fiery serpents was killing us, and that was sin. For the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). The answer for our plight was Christ. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us and was lifted up from the earth (2 Cor. 5:21). The apostle Peter said, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pt. 2:24).
Beloved, we must look upon Him and live. Look upon Him who bore our sins, and live! Look upon Him who bore our guilt, and live! Look upon Him who carried our shame, and live! Look upon Him who died and was raised from the dead, and live! Look upon Him and live! Look and live!