** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <June 5, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
A Bronze Snake in the Wilderness
• READ: NUMBERS 21:4-9; JOHN 3:13-18
On the surface, this might seem like an odd story. While in the wilderness, the Israelites complained about the lack of bread and meat. They complained a lot, forgetting how the Lord rescued them from slavery in Egypt and how He was leading them to a Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. In response to their wicked attitudes, the Lord sent dangerous snakes that killed many of the people.
The people repented and asked Moses to intercede for them. The remedy? Under direction from the Lord, Moses made a bronze snake image, mounted it on a pole, and held it up before the people. All who had been bitten and looked on it were healed.
But why a bronze snake on a pole?
Think about it. It’s not that the pole or the snake had magic powers. It was about an act of faith. The snake mounted on a pole likely resembled a cross. Looking forward to Calvary, God commanded His people to look at the image. Those who looked up in faith were saved.
And saved from what? From the harm of the serpents who bit the people. This hearkens back to the Garden, where Adam and Eve were deceived by the deadly serpent, Satan—and when God promised to crush that serpent through Jesus, the Savior descended from Eve (Genesis 3:15).
Whatever ills the serpent can inflict—from the Garden of Eden until today— there is One who has overcome. The whole of the Old Testament points to the work of Jesus on the cross, the only way to forgiveness of sin and the only rescue from the death and brokenness sin causes.
It’s not the magic of humans like Moses. It’s the sacrificial work of the Son to provide a remedy to our sin. Just as the Israelites were saved in the wilderness when they looked up in faith, so too will we be saved when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. • Mike Hurley
• Why did God instruct Moses to affix a bronze snake to a pole?
• How was the Israelite response an act of faith?
• If you have questions about what it means to put your faith in Jesus, check out our "Know Jesus" page.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man [Jesus] must be lifted up. John 3:14 (CSB)
** Unlocked은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 원본으로 듣고 싶으신 분들은 홈페이지 Unlocked.org로 들어가시면 <June 1, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
God's Plan: More Than We Can Imagine
1 SAMUEL 2:1-10; EPHESIANS 3:20; HEBREWS 13:8
Have you ever asked God, “Lord, what is your plan for my life?” You’re not alone. Becoming a young adult can be overwhelming, especially with all the unknowns ahead.
A woman in the Bible named Hannah knew how it felt to face an unknown future. She didn’t know if God would give her a child. She prayed for years. Until one day God spoke through the priest Eli and answered her with a yes—she would have a son (1 Samuel 1:17).
Hannah was thrilled! But God’s plan for Hannah didn’t stop there. He worked through the details of her life in ways beyond what she imagined. As she thanked Him for her son, her prayer showed a glimpse of a much bigger picture already set in motion: “There is no one holy like the Lord...there is no Rock like our God....‘He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed’ ” (1 Samuel 2:2, 10).
Hannah’s prayer mentioned a king, but she couldn’t have known that one day her baby, Samuel, would grow up to anoint David to be king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:13). Not only that, but many years later, Jesus Christ, our Savior from sin and death, would be born from the lineage of David (Matthew 1:17). Even as far back as the Old Testament, we see pieces of God’s design for our salvation.
Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” As Christians, we don’t have to worry about the future—we can trust God with the details because He is working all things out according to His perfect kingdom plan (Romans 8:28-30). So when you wonder what God’s plan is for you, be assured of this. In Christ, it’s more than you could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20). • Kristine Brown
• When have you been unsure about your future?
• Hebrews 13:8 talks about Jesus being “the same yesterday and today and forever.” How does knowing this truth affect your hope for the future?
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
