Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Poison and Passion


“Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (Numbers 21:9).  “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” (John 3:14,15). “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). 

The poisonous serpents had bitten
The people who spoke against God.
It was for their sin they were smitten,
By God’s righteous, judgmental rod. 

What remedy therefore remains
When sin has demanded a cost?  
The poison was now in their veins,
It seemed that all hope was then lost! 

We see in this bleak situation
The people admitted their sin. 
Repenting in great desperation,
We see then the healing begin! 

A serpent of brass represented
The judgment which then had occurred. 
God waited till they had repented,
To show them a cure by His Word. 

The serpent was placed on a pole,
And they were instructed to look. 
All those who then looked were made whole,
Which Moses wrote down in God’s Book.

Our Lord Jesus Christ thus declared
This type would in Him be fulfilled. 
For this is how much our God cared: 
For sinners His Son would be killed! 

How great is the passion of Christ,
Who loves us as much now as then,
Portraying Himself sacrificed
And spreading His wings as a hen! 

He sadly declares that He would
Protect those who turn Him away.
Give thanks to the Lord!  He is good,
Who loved us though we went astray! 

O Lord, we give thanks for Your passion
That sent You to be our Defense.   
How great is Your love that could fashion
Salvation at such an expense!

Lord, send us to show by Your grace
The poison of sin has a cure:
For those humbly seeking Your face,
The promise of healing is sure! 


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