THE SERPENT HUNG FROM HIS HANDS

April 28, 2002 am
MFBlume

Act 28:1-6  And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.  (2)  And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.  (3)  And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.  (4)  And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.  (5)  And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.  (6)  Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.


This serpent bit onto the hand of Paul.
The people there were called barbarians.
As the people showed great hospitality in burning a fire for the folks from the ship, during the cold and rain they passed through, Paul helped gather some wood.
The natives took this as an omen that Paul was a murderer.
Time ticked away.
Jesus Christ came for one purpose.
Where did sin originate?
We read the following about Jesus Christ.
John 3:14-15  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  (15)  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
In order to get the point I am trying to make, we must understand this picture about Moses and the serpent.
The origin of sin was the serpent's enticements to Eve, as the origin of the venom killing Israel was the serpent.
James 1:14-15  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  (15)  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
And the bible says Jesus became sin for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
So you can see why Jesus would say the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent. LOOKING TO something is a figure of speech the Bible uses to indicate TRUSTING IN, and BEING STRENGTHENED BY.
Hebrews 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Here we read we look to Jesus specifically with the work of the cross in mind, upon which He was lifted up.
Jesus took the sin, represented by the serpent, into Himself as He hung on the cross.
So hanging from those hands was the serpent!

Just as Paul saw a serpent leap from the fire and hang from his hand.

Satan knew he was doomed when he was cast out of heaven.
Let me interject here and note that during thursday night bible study, I planned on speaking about this detail of the serpent hanging from the hand.
Jesus swallowed the serpent of sin, and as He hung on the cross, that old serpent of sin was inside Him hanging from His hands.

And what did Paul do to the serpent hanging from his hands?
Act 28:5  And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
He shook it off!

Back into the fire from whence it came.

Praise God, Jesus shook that old serpent of sin off when He was removed from the cross and laid in a tomb.
Paul also called the Red Sea crossing a sort of baptism unto Moses.
1 Corinthians 10:1-2  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  (2)  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Recall that Pharaoh chased Moses and Israel as they left Egypt.
Exodus 14:21-23  And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.  (22)  And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.  (23)  And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
But look what happened...
Exodus 14:26-30  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.  (27)  And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  (28)  And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.  (29)  But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.  (30)  Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
As though Pharaoh were a dragon and his armies were like a flood, read Revelation 12.
Revelation 12:13-16  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  (14)  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.  (15)  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  (16)  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth .
The earth swallowed up the flood.
Exodus 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings , and brought you unto myself.
Exodus 15:12-13  Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them .  (13)  Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
And since this RED SEA experience was called a BAPTISM by Paul in 1 Cor 10, and since baptism is the emblem of getting into Jesus' death on the cross (Ro. 6:3) ....
God shook them off!

Christ shook off the serpent!

When you get baptized into Jesus Christ's death, you are baptized into His work shaking off sin!

And your sins are removed!

They incorrectly thought Paul was a god.
Paul was esteemed guilt-ridden.

Listen to what Isaiah foretold of the cross and the reason for Jesus' suffering.
Isaiah 53:3-5  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  (4)  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  (5)  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.