Look and Live

This story still amazes me today, in this picture Moses commanded everyone to look and the serpent and they would be healed of the snake bite they got because of their wickedness. Everyone that looked lived, but the people that didn't look well.... died. In numbers it reads,



Numbers 21:

7 ¶Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have  sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

So all they had to do is have faith that when they would look at the serpent they would be healed and in the Book of Mormon Alma talks about this in greater detail concerning what the people did.

Alma 33:

by Gary Kapp 

19 Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.

20 But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.

21 O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?

Now if it were me in that situation and someone said to me if I looked at that serpent I would be healed I would probably say well lets give it a shot it can't hurt.    

But because some people would not look they perished because they did not believe it says, they would not just simply look.  Why did they not just simply look ?  It is because they did not believe and trust in the Savior that he could heal him. They lacked the faith to even experiment.

Now the Lord commanded Moses to raise but a serpent because it is also symbolic of of the Savior being lifted up on the cross.  In Alma he talks about the serpents symbolism.


Alma 33 :

22 If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works.

23 And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen.

 Because of the what the Savior did for us we can be healed because he experienced all are pains, all are guilt, all are afflictions.  It caused Him to bleed from every pore.  If we will repent and follow him he can save us, and lift are burdens.  He also overcame death for everyone so that we can reunite with are bodies and live again.  This I am so grateful for, I know that he lives and that what he did is true,  He has helped me through everything looking back at it. Now that doesn't mean I still have struggles but I know He will help me.   


I hope All of us can continue to trust in the Savior , Jesus Christ.  So if a Prophet today says, just do this and you will be healed I hope everyone will look.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.