Christ In Numbers
Christ in Numbers
Bro Brendan Leow | 17 May 2026 | Luke 24:27
Christ Revealed in the Scriptures
Luke 24:27
“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”
This is the key to reading the Old Testament rightly. The books of Moses are not merely ancient history, national records, laws, journeys, and rituals. They contain patterns, pictures, and shadows that point forward to Christ. The book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Old Testament, records Israel’s wilderness journey, their failures, their complaints, their unbelief, and also God’s continued mercy and provision. Yet within these events, Christ is seen.
The lesson explained the idea of type and antitype.
A “type” is like a mark made by a blow, impression, pattern, or mould. It is something that leaves behind a pattern.
An “antitype” is the reality that matches to that pattern.
A shadow tells us that someone is coming, but the shadow is not the person.
A blueprint gives the plan, but one cannot live inside a blueprint. The completed building is the reality.
In the same way, the Old Testament gives types and shadows, but Jesus Christ is the reality.
Hebrews 10:1
“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things…”
The law was a shadow. Christ is the substance. The Old Testament prepares us for what is to come, but Jesus is the fulfilment. Everything in Scripture is connected, and the events in Numbers help us see our need for Christ more clearly.
The Bronze Serpent: Looking to Christ in Obedience
The first picture of Christ in Numbers is the bronze serpent. In Numbers 21:4–9, the Israelites became discouraged and complained against God and Moses. They spoke against God’s provision, asking why they had been brought out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness. Because of their rebellion, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and many were bitten and died. The people then confessed that they had sinned and asked Moses to pray for them.
God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Whoever was bitten had to look at the bronze serpent, and he would live.
Numbers 21:8–9
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.’
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”
The instruction was simple, but it required faith and obedience. A person bitten by a serpent could not afford to delay, debate, analyse, or adopt a “see first” attitude. His life depended on his response. If God said, “Look and live,” then obedience was not optional.
This becomes a powerful picture of salvation in Christ. Jesus Himself later used this event to point to His own death.
John 3:14–15
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Just as the Israelites had to look to the bronze serpent to live, sinners must look to Christ to receive eternal life.
The bronze serpent was lifted up in the wilderness; Christ was lifted up on the cross.
The people could not save themselves from the serpent’s poison, and mankind cannot save itself from the poison of sin.
This teaches a serious lesson: obedience to God must not be delayed. When it comes to salvation, there is urgency. God’s call is not something to be postponed until a more convenient time.
2 Corinthians 6:2
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
This reminds us that salvation is not merely something to understand intellectually. It requires a response. The bitten Israelites had to look. Today, sinners must look to Christ in faith. Christ was lifted up so that we may have eternal life.
The Rock Giving Water: Christ Gives Life to the Spiritually Thirsty
The second picture is the rock that gave water. In Numbers 20, the Israelites again complained because there was no water. God instructed Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses, upset with the people, struck the rock instead.
Numbers 20:11
“Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.”
The people were physically thirsty, but the lesson moved from physical thirst to spiritual thirst. If a Christian does not live an active spiritual life, the soul becomes more and more thirsty. God’s Word is freely available, yet many still live spiritually dry because they do not truly thirst after God.
Psalm 42:1
“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”
This is not a casual desire. It is deep longing. Just as the body needs water to survive, the soul needs God. To thirst after God’s Word is not merely to read occasionally, but to recognise that God’s Word hydrates, strengthens, and gives life to the soul.
The image of water coming from a rock is also remarkable. Normally, water comes from rain, rivers, springs, or wells. For large volumes of water to come from a rock is not something ordinary. Yet this is the point: God can provide in ways that man does not expect. We may not immediately understand how God is working in our lives, but His power is not limited by what appears possible to us.
The wilderness reminds us that life can be difficult, dry, and uncertain. Yet God is able to provide. Present suffering is real, but it is not final.
Romans 8:18
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
This gives comfort to us. The difficulties of life are temporary when compared with the glory God has prepared. Heaven is beyond our imagination, and God’s promises are greater than present hardship.
In the midst of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty, we are called to pray and trust God.
Philippians 4:6–7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Christ is the true source of living water. He gives life to the spiritually thirsty. We who drinks deeply from God’s Word and walks closely with Christ will find strength even in the wilderness.
Moses the Intercessor: A Picture of Christ Our Intercessor
The third picture is Moses as an intercessor. In Numbers 14:11–20, Israel rebelled and refused to enter the land of Canaan. Although God had promised them the land, they were filled with fear and unbelief. God was angry with the people and was ready to destroy them, but Moses pleaded with God to spare them.
Numbers 14:18–19
“The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression…
Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy…”
Moses stood between God and the people. He appealed to the character of God — His mercy, longsuffering, and faithfulness. He did not plead because Israel deserved pardon. He pleaded because God is merciful.
Numbers 14:20
“Then the LORD said: ‘I have pardoned, according to your word.’”
Intercession means standing in between or pleading on behalf of someone else. Throughout the wilderness journey, the Israelites were often ungrateful, rebellious, and complaining. Yet Moses carried a deep sense of responsibility and love for the people. He pleaded for them even when they had sinned greatly.
This was also seen earlier in Exodus, when Israel sinned by worshipping the golden calf. Moses pleaded with God and even expressed willingness to bear the cost for the people.
Exodus 32:32
“Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”
Moses’ intercession points us forward to Christ. Moses interceded for Israel, but he was only a servant and himself imperfect. Christ is the perfect Intercessor.
Hebrews 7:25
“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Moses pleaded for the people because he loved them. Christ went further — He gave Himself for sinners.
He did not merely plead from a distance; He became the sacrifice.
The love of Moses for Israel was a shadow. The love of Christ for sinners is the reality.
This should move us to gratitude and holiness. If Christ now intercedes for His people, then they should not live carelessly. The right response is not to take grace lightly, but to pursue holiness and live faithfully before God.
Warnings of Unbelief: Fear Looks at the Problem, Faith Looks at God
The fourth lesson from Numbers is the warning against unbelief. In Numbers 13, the spies returned from the land of Canaan. They all saw the same land, the same people, the same cities, and the same challenges. Yet their responses were completely different.
Some focused only on the difficulties.
Numbers 13:31–33
“We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we…
There we saw the giants… and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight…”
But Joshua and Caleb responded with faith.
Numbers 14:6–9
“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us…
Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land…”
It was the exact same situation and the exact same land, but the response was different because the heart was different.
Unbelief focuses on the challenges. Faith focuses on God.
Unbelief says, “We cannot.”
Faith says, “If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us in.”
Because of Israel’s unbelief, God judged that generation.
Numbers 14:22–23
“Because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness… and have not heeded My voice,
they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers…”
This is a sobering warning. The Israelites had seen God’s glory, signs, deliverance, and provision, yet they still did not trust Him. Unbelief is not a small weakness. It dishonours God because it refuses to trust His power, goodness, and promise.
Even Believers Must Guard Against Fear and Weak Faith
The lesson also reminded us that even those who follow Christ can still struggle with fear and unbelief.
In Mark 4, the disciples were caught in a storm. They had seen Jesus perform miracles, yet when the storm came, they were afraid and doubted.
Mark 4:39–40
“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’
And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’”
The storm revealed the weakness of their faith. In the same way, life’s storms often reveal what is truly in the heart. Many struggle with fear, anxiety, insecurity, and the feeling of not being good enough. Some experience what is often called “imposter syndrome” — feeling as though they do not belong, or that they are not as capable as others think.
Yet God is with His people all along. What feels impossible to us is not impossible to Him. Even when things do not go according to our plans, God still has a plan. He can use the difficult road to lead us to a better path.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Believers are therefore called not to lean on their own understanding or be limited by their own fears.
Proverbs 3:5–6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Sometimes we look at life through our own limitations. We measure the situation by our own strength, wisdom, and resources. But faith looks beyond self and trusts God. The believer can have confidence that God is working even when the path is unclear.
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
This does not mean every situation will be easy or that every plan will unfold as we desire. It means God is sovereign, faithful, and able to work through all things for His purpose. Therefore, we can trust Him fully.
The Four Pictures in Numbers and Their Fulfilment in Christ
The lesson brought together four major pictures from Numbers.
The bronze serpent teaches us to look to Christ in obedience. Israel had to look and live; today, sinners must look to Christ and receive eternal life.
The rock giving water teaches us that Christ gives life. Just as water came from the rock to satisfy the thirsty people, Christ gives spiritual life and refreshment to the soul.
Moses the intercessor teaches us that Christ is our true and greater Intercessor. Moses pleaded for Israel, but Christ ever lives to intercede for His people.
The warnings of unbelief teach us to trust God fully. Israel feared the giants and forgot the greatness of God. Faith does not deny the challenge, but it sees God as greater than the challenge.
These are not merely stories from the wilderness. They are lessons for life. Numbers shows human weakness, complaint, fear, thirst, rebellion, and unbelief. But it also shows God’s provision, mercy, patience, and faithfulness. Most importantly, it points to Christ as the answer to man’s deepest need.
The Call to Respond
The path to God is only through Jesus Christ. God has done His part. He has revealed His Son, provided salvation, and given us His Word. The question is how we will respond.
The Israelites bitten by serpents had to look to the bronze serpent. The spiritually thirsty must come to the source of living water. The guilty need an intercessor. The fearful must learn to trust God. In every picture, the answer is Christ.
W need not only to understand Christ in Numbers, but to live in response to Him. Look to Christ in obedience. Thirst for God’s Word. Trust Christ as Intercessor. Walk by faith and not by fear.
God has not left His people without help. He has given Christ. He has given His Word. He has given hope. Therefore, we can live with confidence, not because life is easy, but because Christ is faithful. Through Him, we have salvation, strength for the wilderness, intercession before God, and the assurance that faith in God will not be in vain.
