THURSDAY October 9, 2025

Rest Through Belief

For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 4:3

What happened to Israel? Why did God, in His righteous anger, not allow many of the people of Israel to enter into His rest? In the book of Numbers, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they became discouraged and discontented, which caused them to rebel and complain:

...the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread” (Numbers 21:5).

God sent fiery serpents among them, and the people began to die. Moses, as their leader, began to intercede for the people. God instructed him:

“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 (Numbers 21:8-9).

All those who looked up at the pole with the bronze serpent, by faith, were healed. Symbolically speaking, this was a picture of Christ who was lifted up on the Cross. A person in need of salvation only has to look to Jesus on the Cross. That is how simple salvation is! It is placing your faith in the One who died for your sins.

Have you noticed the same symbol of a serpent on a pole on an ambulance? They took it from the Bible because it symbolizes healing. Although symbolic of Christ, it is a good reminder that we must look to Jesus to find rest in His finished work on the Cross for salvation––But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

“And I [Jesus], if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
~John 12:32~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!