When Looking Up Brings Healing
Numbers 21:8–9 ESV
"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live."
Numbers 21 is a chapter filled with victories, setbacks, and one of the clearest pictures of Jesus in the entire Old Testament. After years of wandering, Israel finally begins moving closer to the Promised Land. God gives them victories over their enemies, but in the middle of their journey the familiar pattern returns. The people become impatient. They begin complaining against God and against Moses, questioning why they had ever left Egypt and expressing their disgust for the manna God faithfully provided every day.
This time, God responds by allowing venomous serpents to enter the camp. Many people were bitten, and many died. Realizing the seriousness of their sin, the people confessed and asked Moses to pray for them.
God's answer is surprising.
He did not remove the snakes.
Instead, He told Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Anyone who had been bitten could simply look at the bronze serpent in faith and live.
That solution seems unusual, but it reveals something profound.
The healing was never found in the bronze serpent itself. It was found in trusting God's provision. Those who believed God's promise looked up and lived. Those who refused remained in their condition.
The same principle still applies today.
When life wounds us, our instinct is often to look everywhere except toward God. We look to success, relationships, entertainment, comfort, money, or our own abilities to heal what is broken inside of us. Some of those things may temporarily distract us, but none of them can ultimately heal the deepest wounds of the heart.
Only God can do that.
One thing I have noticed is that whatever I focus on tends to grow in my mind. If I continually focus on my fears, they become larger. If I replay my disappointments, bitterness begins to take root. If I dwell on my failures, shame starts defining my identity. But when I intentionally lift my eyes to Christ, my circumstances may not immediately change, yet my perspective always does.
The Israelites still had to make a choice. Looking at the bronze serpent probably felt too simple. Surely there had to be something more they could do. But God intentionally made the solution one of faith rather than human effort.
That is exactly how the gospel works.
We naturally want to contribute something to our salvation. We want to earn God's approval through better behavior, greater discipline, or religious activity. Yet the gospel invites us to stop striving and simply trust the One who has already provided the cure.
Jesus Himself made this connection in John 3. He said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
The bronze serpent was never the destination. It was always pointing forward to Christ.
On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the judgment that our sin deserved. Just as the Israelites looked in faith and were physically healed, we look to Christ in faith and receive spiritual life. Salvation has never been about what we accomplish. It has always been about trusting what God has already accomplished through His Son.
As I read Numbers 21, I am reminded that where I fix my eyes matters. There are countless voices competing for my attention every day. Fear wants my attention. Worry wants my attention. Anger, comparison, and discouragement all compete for the focus of my heart. But healing begins when I intentionally look to Jesus.
That does not mean every problem disappears overnight. The Israelites still had a wilderness to walk through after they were healed. We still face challenges, disappointments, and hardships. But we walk through them with our eyes fixed on the One who has already secured the ultimate victory.
So today, ask yourself where your attention has been. Have you been staring at the problem more than the Savior? Have you become so consumed with the circumstances around you that you have forgotten the faithfulness of the God who is with you? Lift your eyes again. The One who was lifted up on the cross is still the source of hope, healing, and life for everyone who trusts in Him.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for providing the healing we could never find on our own. Forgive us for the times we have looked everywhere except to You for hope and peace. Help us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, trusting that His finished work is enough for every need we face. Thank You that through His death and resurrection we have forgiveness, new life, and the promise of eternal hope. Teach us to walk by faith each day, looking to You above every circumstance. In Jesus' name, amen.