Text: Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:1-21
When we know what to look for, we can find Bible teachers everywhere.
For example, the next time you see an ambulance, look for the blue symbol of a snake wrapped around a pole. Perhaps, like many of us, snakes (and ambulances) give you the heebie jeebies and your eyes naturally want to look away. But pay attention, friend. That obscure little symbol is preaching the gospel.
Smack dab in the middle of the Exodus epic, we find a strange little story. As the Israelites moved from Egypt toward the Promised Land, they developed a chronic grumbling problem. Despite repeated warnings and punishment for complaining against God and Moses (Numbers 11:1, 14:2), God’s people continued to bellyache. God’s judgment for this sin is found in Numbers 21:6:
“Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.”
The fact that God takes sin so seriously makes me squirm like a snake myself. When I see that He won’t skip judgment for those offenses I’d call “inconsequential”—like grumbling—I squirm even more. But God’s judgment and mercy are inseparable. When you see judgment in His Word, or feel it in your own life, look deeper. Once flipped over, we see that God’s infinite mercy is on the other side of that coin.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered.’”
-Numbers 21:8-9
God delivered judgment, but then He delivered mercy. This wasn’t back-peddling or flip-flopping. It was His divine nature on full display. Because He is holy, He must deal with our sin. Because He is love, He chooses to offer us mercy.
When the grumbling Israelites looked to the bronze serpent held high on a pole, they were saved from the punishment they deserved. Mercifully, God used the emblem of His judgment to draw His people back to Himself. That’s good news for them that points to even better news for us.
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.”
-John 3:14-15
Don’t miss this—it’s too wonderful!
The Israelites looked to a snake on a pole for healing from poisonous venom.
We look to the Savior on the cross to heal us from the poison of sin.
They were given an injunction against immediate physical death.
We’re saved from spiritual death, and granted eternal life instead.
I doubt the Israelites wanted to fix their eyes on a bronze snake while actual snakes were striking at their heels. But God needed them to look hard at His judgment so they could receive His mercy.
Like the snake-bitten Israelites, we’re sinners deserving of God’s judgment. It’s tempting to look away from that truth. But, look! His mercy is easy to spot. God uses the cross, the emblem of His judgment, to draw us back to Himself.
Because of our sin, the cross was necessary. That’s judgment. Yet, from the cross, Jesus took the punishment we deserve, and in His mercy, He overcame the Snake and death once and for all (Hebrews 2:14). What mercy!
Look past God’s servant Moses, and see the God who delivers both righteous judgment and loving mercy. Look past the snake on the pole and see the Savior on the cross.
Erin Davis is an author, blogger, and speaker who loves to see women of all ages run to the deep well of God’s Word. When she’s not writing, you can find Erin chasing chickens and children on her small farm in the Midwest.
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55 thoughts on "Moses and the Bronze Serpent"
The real reason Israelites who died of the snake bites could not or would not look up to the bronzes snake in the wilderness was because they could not take their eyes of the snake bite….
Just like today many cannot or will not look up to the cross because we can’t or won’t take our eyes off our sin, ourselves, or our wounds and look to the CROSS- for healing and triumph over the snakebite of sin.
Romans ch6-7
Explains this issue:
There are 2 way to look at rightness (the rightness that saves and is accepted that give man acces to GOD):
1. Through the law (of good deeds and right living)
2. Through faith in the CROSS.
When men see righteousness through the law it produces death because all have sinned… and the harder you try to do what is right the stronger the craving for sin grows. (The law of sin in our members)
But when men see righteousness through faith it does not arouse the law of sin in our members ( the craving). And men can walk in triumph and victory of sin…. Sin has no dominion over you when you and I walk with our eyes fixed on the CROSS (a life long struggle).
We have a sinful nature that keeps wanting to keep our eyes on the snake bites of our sins, our wounds and ourselves INSTEAD Of the CROSS…
Excellent write up. Blessed.
The serpent was brass: solid, but not as solid as iron, as spoken of by Daniel when explaining Alexander the Great’s coming takeover, prophesied in Nebuchadnezar’s dream. Jesus was sinless, but yet he was a man, while the Father is iron. Man is evil, as Jesus said in the sermon on the mount. The serpent, Satan, made man fall to him, to evil. Jesus is the brass serpent therefore. Also, notice how Nehushtan is the name of the brass serpent, and Nehushta is the (curiously supplied) name of the mother (2 Kings 24:8) of Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin, an evil king, was the last king of Judah before the carrying away of the people into Babylon. The Baylonian captivity lasted 70 years before Cyrus allowed the return to rebuild the temple, all as prophesied by Jesus from the mouth of Isaiah. The Romans destroyed the temple, as Jesus himself prophesied, in 70 AD, necessitating the rebuilding of the Jewish religion. They didn’t need a temple for sacrifice anymore, however, and there was a new covenant, a new name for the faith springing up as the prophet said, because Jesus was the last sacrifice; the veil tearing upon the moment of his death, and his blood dripping from the cross, down through the broken asunder earth by the concomitant earthquake, and on to the Ark of the Covenant in Jeremiah’s grotto, according to Biblical archaeologist Ron Wyatt, who claims he subsequently had the blood analyzed in an Israeli lab and found it had only 24 chromosomes. During Jesus’ whole life, and even after his resurrection, which they knew about, the Pharisees held the temple in Babylonian-esque captivity on the behalf of the Romans. God destroyed the temple as before, necessitating the new covenant be followed, but just as beforehand when they had returned from Babylon, the Jews resisted–yet again–a return to God with their hearts. They had already done this when Moses came down with the ten commandments after miracles and wonder wrought on their behalf delivered them from slavery by the hand of God. They did it repeatedly in the time of the Judges. Solomon himself and much of his progeny did it. They did it in the time of the Maccabees, after their return from Babylon. They did it yet again after Jesus’ resurrection, despite Joseph of Arimathea’s and the resurrected sons of Simeon’s perfectly corroborating testimonies (at the mouth of two or three witnesses will all be eatablished). Even Israel himself wrestled with Jesus, giving him his name “strives with God”! Amen.
The Snake represented sin and Judgement the Rod or pole represented Righteousness and Mercy. The wages of sin is death thus Jesus took the punishment and died for us at the Cross, whoever believes in Him will not perish but have ever lasting life.❣️
Moses lifted up a Bronze Serpent. Be it a symbol of Judaism and medicine, we read that many looked on it and were saved. Jesus was baptized, filled with the Holy Ghost, and preached for three years of his ministry in Galilee, Samaria, and across the land of Judea. When the Son of Man was hung, he caused many to look at him as a sign of repentance. They too had been Saved! #OhWhatJoyisJesus
And I like to add to that that because of our sin God uses a cross which is the judgment you’re right and Jesus death on the cross for our sins and yet he uses the process of us picking up our cross daily to follow him which God uses to bring us back to himself.
You could also add that because of our sin God uses the cross judgment Jesus death on the cross for our sins and yet our process of picking up our cross to follow him is a way that God uses to bring us back to himself.
(If you’re pushing vaccines on anyone, you clearly do not love them nor know your research.) By vaccines, you then mean (and this list is non-exhaustive): Anthrax, Cholera, Diptheria, Hepatittis A & B, Human Pappilomavirus, Measles, Meningococcal, Mumps, Polio, Rabies, Rubella, Shingles, Smallpox, Tetanus, Tuberculosis, Typhoid Fever, Yellow Fever and, yes, Coronavirus-19. Love, according to you and your narrow
Interpretation of scripture, revokes all of these from use? Ah.
(All vaccines have basically been debunked for being poisonous.) Please cite a source. On Earth, this remains perfectly untrue. Nevermind that snake aren’t, technically, poisonous, but venomous; all a poison amounts to is an agent that causes harm. The best candidate for that right now ia no vaccine, but this delirious, if not deranged, commentary from the L, our scientifically-illiterate companion .
(They are man-made, not God-made.) And? Nevermind this logic makes little sense; if it makes any sense it could only to you, and not to virology. That said, every word we are exchanging is “man-made”—language is an intrinsically and uniquely human invention—as even implied in scripture: “And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field” (Genesis 2:19–20). If your plagiarized god bequeathed to the first man the power of language, the impulse to name, and saw this as good work, you have little ground to argue here that our other impulses to doctor, heal or vaccinate is not good simply because we, not your god directly, created them.
(God gave us antibodies.) As she did critical thinking, invention and inquiry: would that you make full use of them all, please. These are all words or concepts you’d at least spy in scripture; “antibody,” of course, ain’t there.
(Lucidereans made these kill shots.) Lucid who? As far as I recognize and Google informs, you and you alone know what this word even references as you, alone, invented it. “Lucidereans,” a man-made thing. God gave us light.
(God help us all we have a “for the greater good” pusher out here.) Now all lucidity to your prose escapes me. I can’t pretend to know what this sentence attempts to say or randomly quotes with no citation, and won’t.
(Help me control my anger, Jesus.) Now what Jesus got to do with this, L? He ain’t got nothing to do with your anger, babe. You ain’t even angry; your manic, you’re besides-yourself given you’ve clearly been manipulated outside of clear, logical thinkings toward mobthought. When all anyone (for reasons that truly exemplifies the divine in them) has ever urged you toward in the last three years is your own and community’s continued health. Ask Jesus ease that fear, babe, coddling all these biases and ignorances that limit you.
(And convict them who love the world system more than your natural one.) The “World” system? But I thought God was the World? “But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.” Isaiah 45:17. It is not you leave aside fear, shame and confusion, but educate yourself. It is time you actually read this scripture you hardly know. And it’s time for (just a wilddddd guess here, but I bet I’m right) panicked whiteness to go.
@rckylrnts
If you’re pushing vaccines on anyone, you clearly do not love them nor know your research. All vaccines have basically been debunked for being poisonous. They are man-made, not God-made. God gave us antibodies. Lucidereans made these kill shots. God help us all we have a “for the greater good” pusher out here. Help me control my anger, Jesus. And convict them who love the world system more than your natural one. Amen
You left out how they made the ROD into an idol 2KINGS 18 4-6 King Hoshea clave to YHWH and kept His 10 commandments………4th remember sABBAth, Saturday no buy, no sell, NO WORK, it’s a delight, keep it HOLY. The evil one uses sorceries/ pharmakia/ dr.s/ AMA/WHO to get people to “drink” of her cup full of wrath…….REV. 18:3
This was also a test of obedience- would they turn from their “grumbling” (read: protest…) & turn their will (their agency) to align w the Lord’s, as He directed them to “look upon” (take unto them) the semblance of the thing plaguing them. We do not know or need to know how He imbued that object such that it provided protection, even to those “bitten.” The Lord used the science they had available to them: Metallurgy. He again uses the science He has made available to us in our time. Was this not the vaccine of their day? Our nation in particular has an obedience problem, with a large percentage of the population vehemently declaring their right of choice as more important than and superior to the welfare of others. If we understand and appreciate in even the smallest ways the incredible sacrifice Jesus Christ made for all mankind, then we cannot claim to follow His teachings to “Love one another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU” if we are unwilling to make even a small sacrifice to benefit others.
Sometimes we assume Christian faith because of the impressively great things that God manifests but fail to see and acknowledge what’s behind these great things,JESUS,OUR SALVATION AND HOPE without whom we have no assurance of life.JOHN 3:36.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I love how similar a slimy snake is to the slimy world of sin and death. It’s so subtle and sneaky, and you don’t notice it at first, just like a low moving snake. Like our Pastor says, sin takes you further than you want to go, for longer than you want to stay, and costs you way more than you want to pay. Thankfully we do not only have a picture of a bronze snake in that desert, but we have the Son of God risen high above all deserts! We have Jesus who takes away the sin of the world!
Perfect analogy. Especially at the beginning of the Lenten season.
I needed this today as I have just had Two major surgeries to fix a 45 year problem. Time in the wilderness? I now understand that – especially the complaining part. But more especially – the redemption and healing part!
Thanks – !
J Corcovelos
In response to Jen’s comment:
That is very perceptive of you. That is, unfortunately, just what the Israelites did. 2 Kings 18:4 says this, “He [Hezekiah, a king of Judah] removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
https://www.bible.com/59/2ki.18.4.esv
The Israelites were very prone to take the methods through which God decided to display His salvation toward them and worship those methods instead of the God who did it. Unfortunately, how often do we do the same things? There are so many times when we look at the way someone is saved and say that they are only saved if they are baptized, or have been baptized by the Spirit, or do good works, or go to church. These things are well and good and can be signs of someone’s salvation, but they aren’t the things that save us. God and God alone saves us and we must learn to worship Him alone.
What you say is absolute Truth but I think you missed another very important message. The serpent was lifted up for healing not only for our sins but bodies as well. When Jesus quoted this, it was before the cross. Isaiah confirms this.
Really really needed this. I don’t even know why I needed it, but this truth is so beautiful!! I feel like people are always focusing on the feel good parts of God’s nature, but those feel good moments are just not as meaningful if you don’t consider Gods justice, judgment, and righteous wrath first. Praise God man
So thankful for God’s mercy!
Wow!! I’ve never read this before, and I’ve been in private Christian school and church my entire life. Numbers isn’t where I usually go to learn, if I’m being honest, but this is such a wake-up call. I discovered SRT less than a month ago, and it’s been one of the biggest blessings. Thank you, SRT, for your daily dose of Jesus!
Im obliged for the article.Really thank you! Great. http://hudhfgdfg434tgag.tumblr.com/
In my country it is not the ambulances that have a snake on a pole…it is (most of) doctors´s white coats. There is no way to avoid seeing it. So, no matter how hard we try, if we want a doctor to see us…the serpent is there in front of our eyes.
I call that mercy.
As when the cross, the message of the cross, pursue us till can´t help but see it and embrace it.
Thank you, Lord, for your -strange and powerful- Way of salvation.
I never could understand why God told Moses to make the bronze serpent for the people when they where so inclined to worship golden idols etc…. Still confuses me.
I too, wondered why this particular symbol and this is what I found-“This emblem – a brass serpent raised on a pole -The more you examine it, the stranger it appears: brass was the Levitical symbol of judgment; brass was the metal that was associated with fire (as the brazen altar, etc.). The serpent was symbolic of sin, introduced in the Garden of Eden.”-khouse.org
Two thoughts. First, the first verse really hit home “but the people became impatient because of the journey”. How many times do I become impatient because of the journey God has me on? Oh Lord, forgive my impatience. Secondly, there verses remind me of what has been said here multiple times: “take one look at your sins, then ten looks at the cross”. Or something along those lines. Thank you Lord, for becoming sin and paying the price.
Sarabeth that first verse also popped for me. Having gone through these stories of Moses & the Israelites I realize how much I can identify with them and I’m not even stuck in the wilderness per se. But yes, how often do I get impatient on this journey called life? How often do I begin to grumble and express discontentment with my circumstances and ultimately with God?
So much food for thought in that one line.
For all those who say they don’t identify with the Old Testament…this is why we must read it: for the gems of truth we can find there. First judgement….then Mercy! God is constantly looking for ways to bring us into relationship with Him….He gives us so many chances. And then when we are in relationship we still mess up…and he is right there offering us mercy. How can anyone deny how much He loves us! So simple and yet so amazing!
Thank you Lord for your mercy. Thank you for the snakes you use to lead us back to you.
http://Www.In-due-time.com
Growing up, I never understood why God instructed Moses to make this snake, especially since they had just made the golden calf as an idol. Wasn’t this similar? However, it was explained beautifully above: “But God needed them to look hard at His judgment so they could receive His mercy.” Thank you, SRT.
Thanks for joining us today, Beth! We love having you in our community!
xoxo-Kaitlin
I have looked at many explanations of the snake on the pole and this is the one that touches the truth of mercy and the heart of God more than any other. Thank you Erin, and I praise God for whatever fires He brought you through to teach you this deep truth.
The medical caduceus is two entwined snakes on a pole as well. Is the medical insignia. Love tying this to our devotion today. Healing!
Love this story and the symbolism.
(By the way, it’s *heels, not heals. C’mon, SRT, you’re good enough to catch that.)
This is one of my favorite Old Testament passages. I love the gospel implication here! I teach the kindergarden to 5th class at my church and we talk about the gospel implication of each lesson. This passage happened to be one of the lessons I taught right when we introduced “gospel implication” to them. To see it click for them…to see their eye light up when they realized that yes, the WHOLE of the bible does in fact point to Christ in every passage was so cool to see. This was by far my favorite lesson to teach them in my 4 years so far. It’s such a heavy passage and so beautiful at the same time.
I do have one question bout this passage that I’ve always wondered. What is the reason that God chooses to use a bronze snake to parallel Christ on the cross? Maybe it’s just me but I always think of snakes in the bible to represent evil or satan. It makes sense that He sent poisonous snakes to bite them, however I have trouble understanding why He choose to use a snake for them to turn their eye to and be healed. Does anyone have any more insight on this?
http://www.littlelightonahill.com
Hi Keri,
I don’t have a definite answer, but I took looking at the snake on the pole as a way to stare directly at their sins and to be healed by God. When we are actively aware/conscience of our sins (which can be hard to do – HELLO denial), God forgives. That was just my interpretation of the passages.
As for why He used a snake, I think it is because snakes are also a sign of rebirth, renewal (due to the molting of their skin) and protection just like Jesus.
Hmm, I never would have looked at it that way. Thanks Michelle!
I was wondering the same thing too!
Love this!! Never understood this passage in John until doing Bible Study Fellowship and studying Moses. LOVE! God is so …smart and long reaching in His plans. The symbolism and foreshadowing in His Word is unbelievable and beyond human ability! God is awesome!!!
Thanking God for His mercy! Loved this devotional!
this reminds me of a little chorus we sing at my church. i’m not sure where it came from or if it’s even online anywhere, but here’s the words:
“when i think about the cross,
when i think of Jesus,
i’m reminded of His love.
love that never leaves me.
who am i, that He should die
giving life so freely?
when i think about the cross
help me to believe Him.”
it’s so simple when you really think about it: look at the Cross, and you’ll see more Love than you can ever imagine.
The Israelites had to see that they were snake bitten by their own sin. Moses then turned their focus to where healing could be found. I see my sin but I turn my eyes toward Jesus. At the Cross is my healing, my restoration. And at the empty tomb is my eternal hope. Praising God for His mercy and love this morning!
So good! At first I was trying to understand why God would use a snake (so closely associated with sin and Satan) to be a picture of Jesus and his judgment and mercy, but then the Holy Spirit brought this verse to mind: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 – that’s exactly why it’s a snake! Today’s post was such an encouragement to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, and our righteousness. How awesome is God! =)
Oh bless you Jessica! Every time I have read this
Story I struggled to understand why the snake. Now it makes perfect sense! I am totally blown away. I already knew that the star of life we see on the ambulance had more to do with Ancient Greek mythology, but now I will never look at it as that again. The star of life came from God long before Greek mythology!
He who knew no sin, had to become sin so that we might have life!
Wow…. Just WOW
I’ve wondered about the reason for choosing the bronze snake, too, Jessica.
Very helpful interpretation from 2Cor 5:21. Thanks for sharing-
I’ve wondered about the reason for choosing the bronze snake, too, Jessica.
Very helpful interpretation from 2Cor 5:21. Thanks for sharing-
I have ALWAYS wondered the same thing, even teaching my class at church(see my post above)! Thanks for this! And thank you for being obedient to the Holy Spirit and sharing it here. God bless!
http://www.littlelightonahill.com
Thanks for sharing Jessica! That definitely helps my understanding a bit more.
“God needed them to look hard at His judgement so they could receive His mercy.”
This is so true. I think sometimes I take for granted what Jesus did on the cross and I lose sight of the severity of sin and how much it cost him, but it is necessary to see that to really understand and appreciate God’s mercy.
Because He is holy, He must deal with our sin. Because He is love, He chooses to offer us mercy. ”
I love this.. And understanding this story in a new way this morning. Focussing on the cross allows us to understand the judgement for our sins but also Gods infinite mercy.
You are perfect in all of your ways God!
The ambulance symbol is actually connected with the Rod of Asclepius: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_of_Asclepius
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Life
Rod_of_AsclepiusRod of Asclepius:
Sorry, the app on my iPhone seems to mangle my posts a bit…
But isn’t it wonderful that we instead can connect God’s mercy with it instead of some false greek God?
I loved today’s devotion. And now every time I see an ambulance with the symbol of a snake on it, it will remind me of the endless mercy God has for me!
I’ve never given any thought to that snake on an ambulance! WOW! God’s merciful, redeeming power.
Just wow! I’m sure I’ve read this story before and certainly read many times of Israel’s grumbles in the wilderness however never have I focused on the redeemer snake. Never have I realised that I need to look past it to see our redeemer. Blown away in awe and majesty at our amazing God this morning