Manna and The Brazen Serpent

Manna was a bread-like food miraculously provided by God to feed the Israelites in the wilderness.

And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.Exodus 16:35

Manna fell from heaven each morning, except on the Sabbath day.

And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.Exodus 16:22

Manna was small, round, white like coriander seed, and tasted like wafers made with honey.

And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.Numbers 11:7-8

Manna came down from heaven, just as Christ is the true bread from heaven.

Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.Exodus 16:4

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.John 6:35

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.John 6:38

Manna was a free gift from God to sustain life, just as Christ is the gift of God for eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.Romans 6:23

Manna had to be gathered and eaten daily, just as believers must daily feed on Christ.

This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.Exodus 16:16

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.John 6:57-58

Manna bred worms and stank if kept overnight, teaching total dependence on Christ day-by-day.

And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.Exodus 16:19-20

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.John 15:5-6

The Israelites were bitten by deadly snakes as God’s judgement on their rejection of His provision. We are under God’s judgment because we have rejected Him and His Son.

The brazen serpent was lifted up on a pole, just as Christ was lifted up on the cross.

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. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:14-16

Looking at the brazen serpent brought healing and life, just as believing in Christ brings eternal life.

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.John 3:15

The brazen serpent was made in the likeness of that which caused death (the serpents), just as Christ was made in the likeness of sinful flesh.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:Romans 8:3

The brazen serpent was God’s only provided remedy for the serpent bites, just as Christ is the only way of salvation.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.John 14:6

Looking to the brazen serpent required faith to be healed, just as salvation comes by faith in Christ.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Ephesians 2:8

God sends His wrath in response to our sin.

Jesus became the curse of sin to deliver us from the curse of sin.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:Galatians 3:13

When we see God move in mighty ways, we’re prone to forget quickly.

Complaining is the opposite of gratitude.

When we complain, we blame God for not giving us what we think is good.