4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Numbers 21:4-9
The Sin
The Israelites are traveling through the wilderness after being delivered from Egypt. They grow impatient and complain about their hardships, specifically their lack of water, the manna God has provided, and their seemingly endless wandering. They speak against both God and Moses.
Gods Wrath
In response to their rebellion and lack of faith, God sends fiery serpents among them as a punishment. These serpents bite the people, and many die.
This must have been utterly terrifying. Imagine the scene: venomous snakes, empowered by God’s judgment, slithering relentlessly through the camp. They hide in the shadows, beneath tents and belongings, coiled and ready to strike at anyone who dares to move. The people cannot escape—they are surrounded, vulnerable, and helpless before the serpents’ deadly attacks.
In much the same way, Satan and his demons move among us today, unseen but no less real. Like the fiery serpents, they are relentless in their mission to harm and destroy. Their attacks are even more dangerous, striking at our hearts, minds, and souls. Yet unlike the Israelites who could see the serpents, we are often unaware of these spiritual enemies at work against us daily, seeking to separate us from God and lure us into sin. Just as the Israelites needed God’s provision through the bronze serpent to survive, we need Jesus, who was lifted up on the cross, to deliver us from the eternal sting of sin and death.
The People’s Repentance
The people recognized they were wrong. After enduring the terrifying consequences of their rebellion—the venomous serpents striking all around them—they finally saw the truth: their complaints against God and Moses were not just words of frustration but outright rebellion against the One who had faithfully provided for them. This moment of realization was profound. They came face-to-face with their own sin and its consequences, and in their desperation, they did something powerful—they humbled themselves. They confessed their sin, acknowledged their wrong, and pleaded for forgiveness.
Even more striking is what they asked for. They didn’t just cry out for the serpents to be removed; they turned to Moses, God’s appointed mediator, and begged him to intercede on their behalf. They understood they couldn’t approach God directly in their sinful state—they needed someone to stand in the gap. Moses, in compassion and obedience, prayed for the people, asking God to bring healing.
This moment holds a profound truth for us today. We too are surrounded by the consequences of sin in our lives and in the world around us. Like the Israelites, we often realize only too late the gravity of our rebellion against God—how we grumble, stray, and turn away from His goodness. But just as they did, we can take that vital step: recognizing our sin, humbling ourselves, and asking for forgiveness.
Yet we have an even greater Mediator than Moses—Jesus Christ. He not only intercedes for us before God but has already provided the ultimate healing through His sacrifice on the cross. Just as the Israelites had to look at the bronze serpent to be saved, we must look to Jesus, acknowledging our sin and trusting Him to forgive and heal us.
This story reminds us of the power of confession and repentance. It’s not just about recognizing our mistakes but bringing them to God, trusting in His mercy, and relying on Jesus as our Advocate. Let us never grow complacent in acknowledging our sins and seeking God’s forgiveness. His arms are always open, ready to restore and heal when we come to Him with repentant hearts.
God’s Provision
When God instructs Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole, the solution is unexpected—at least, it would have been to me. I would have expected God to simply take the serpents away entirely. Perhaps He could have removed their teeth, dulled their desire to bite, or taken away the potency of their venom. But God does none of those things. The serpents remain. People still get bitten, venom still courses through their veins, and death remains a real and imminent threat.
But God’s plan is different from what I would have expected. He doesn’t remove the danger; instead, He provides a way of healing—a way that requires faith and obedience. The people must take action to receive their healing. It isn’t enough to simply wish to be saved; they have to trust God’s command and look up at the bronze serpent. Only then are they healed.
This is profound because it teaches us something about the nature of God’s redemptive plan. Sometimes, God doesn’t remove the trials or the pain in our lives. He doesn’t always take away the “serpents” that threaten us. Instead, He provides a way through them—a way that requires us to act in faith, trusting that His provision is sufficient.
The bronze serpent wasn’t magical, nor did it heal anyone on its own. Healing came from God, but the act of looking at the serpent demonstrated obedience and trust in His word. In the same way, God calls us today to step out in faith. When we’re confronted with the consequences of sin—the “venom” of brokenness and death—we often want God to simply remove the struggles. But His plan is greater. He calls us to look to Jesus, lifted up on the cross, and trust in Him for healing and salvation.
This story reminds us that faith is active, not passive. Healing and restoration require us to respond to God’s call, even when His plan doesn’t align with our expectations. The Israelites had to lift their eyes to the serpent on the pole, and we are called to lift our eyes to Christ, trusting that His way—though unexpected at times—is the only way to true healing and eternal life.
Foreshadowing of Christ
In John 3:14-15, Jesus explicitly connects the bronze serpent in the wilderness to His crucifixion:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”
John 3:14-15
The bronze serpent is a powerful type and shadow of Christ. It symbolizes the curse of sin (as seen in Genesis 3:14-15) and death. Just as the serpent was lifted up on a pole, so Jesus would be “lifted up” on the cross, becoming the source of salvation for all who look to Him in faith.
The parallels are striking.
The Curse and the Cure: The serpent, a representation of the very thing that caused death (the fiery serpents), was transformed into a symbol of healing when lifted up. Similarly, Christ, though sinless, bore the penalty of our sin, becoming “sin” for us so that we might be made righteous.
Faith, Not Works: Healing for the Israelites did not come from the bronze serpent itself, an inanimate object, but from their faith in God’s promise and their obedience in looking to it. This act of faith foreshadows the way salvation through Christ works today. It is not earned through works but received by trusting in Him. While it does require action (look at it), the real act here is obedience and faith.
God’s Mercy in Judgment: Even in the midst of judgment, God provides a way of healing. He did not remove the serpents, dull their venom, or stop the bites; instead, He offered a solution that required faith and action. In the same way, God does not always remove the consequences of sin in this life but offers salvation and deliverance through His grace.
A Universal Need for Healing: The Israelites’ sin brought death, but God provided a way to overcome it. This mirrors humanity’s condition under sin and God’s ultimate provision of salvation through Jesus. Just as the Israelites had to look up to the serpent, all people are called to look to Christ, lifted up on the cross, for eternal life.
Ultimately, the bronze serpent highlights the simplicity of salvation. It required nothing more than faith-filled obedience: looking up to the serpent in the wilderness. Likewise, salvation through Jesus is not about striving or earning—it is about trusting and believing in the One who has already accomplished the work of redemption.
Beware Idolatry
While the bronze serpent served God’s purpose at the time, it later became an object of idolatry. In 2 Kings 18:4, King Hezekiah destroys the serpent (called Nehushtan) because the Israelites were worshiping it. This demonstrates the danger of turning symbols of God’s provision into idols, losing sight of the true source of salvation.
Beware of Idolatry. Good things, even those provided by God, can become idols if we lose focus on the Giver.
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