Numbers 21: 4-9
As the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness, they grew impatient. They spoke against God and Moses, complaining about their lack of food and water, expressing discontent with God’s provision of manna. Their rebellion provokes divine judgment, and God sends ‘fiery serpents’ among them, whose bites result in widespread death.
This judgment speaks of the seriousness of sin because the Israelites’ complaints reflected a lack of trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty. However, God’s mercy shone through when, in response to the people’s repentance and Moses’ intercession, He instructed Moses to craft a bronze serpent and set it on a pole, declaring that it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live. Those who looked upon the bronze serpent in faith were healed, demonstrating God’s grace in providing a remedy for their affliction.
This narrative establishes a pattern of sin, judgment, repentance, and salvation that resonates deeply with the gospel message.
In John 3:14-15, Jesus Christ drew a direct parallel between the lifting up of the bronze serpent and His own crucifixion, stating that, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Just as the Israelites were afflicted by the deadly consequences of their sin, humanity is under the curse of sin, which leads to spiritual and eternal death as alluded to in Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death. The bronze serpent, raised on a pole, was the divinely appointed means of physical healing; in the same vein, Jesus Christ, lifted up on the cross, is the divinely appointed means for our salvation.
The act of looking to the serpent in faith parallels the act of believing in Christ, emphasizing that salvation comes not through human effort but through trusting in God’s provision. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). This highlights the centrality of faith and the sufficiency of God’s remedy for sin. Those who refused to look at the bronze snake perished; likewise, those who reject Christ remain under judgment, as explicitly stated in John 3:36 that he who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
Bronze in Scripture often signifies judgment or strength, and the serpent, while associated with sin and Satan, is repurposed by God as an instrument of redemption. This paradox mirrors Christ’s work on the cross, where He, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21). By taking upon Himself the curse of sin, Jesus transforms an instrument of death – the cross, a symbol of Roman execution – into the means of eternal life.
The singular focus on looking to the serpent for healing reflects the exclusivity of Christ as the only way to salvation, as explicitly asserted in the following scriptures:
- Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ (John 14:6).
- Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
- For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus …. (1 Timothy 2:5)
The bronze serpent was available to all who were bitten, regardless of their status or the severity of their condition, provided they looked in faith. Likewise, Christ’s sacrifice is offered to all humanity, Jew and Gentile alike, without distinction.
Just as the Israelites could not save themselves from the venom, we cannot save ourselves from sin. We are called to actively trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross, not merely as a historical event but as the source of our salvation. God’s promise of eternal life is sure for those who believe in Christ.
The cross reveals both the depth of human rebellion and the magnitude of God’s love, compelling gratitude and obedience.
Dear friend, this ancient story continues to remind us that salvation is found in Christ alone; the One who said, ‘And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself’ (John 12:32).
Ask God to:
- fill you with boldness to share the gospel with others.
- reveal to you any areas of rebellion, complaining, or unbelief in your heart.
- help you to fully trust in Jesus, who was lifted up on the cross for your salvation.
- strengthen your faith to believe that Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient for your redemption.
Soli Deo Gloria – to God alone be the glory! Rev. Luke Haisa
