THE BRONZE SERPENT

Bitten by a “poisonous snake” (Numbers 21:6), a “fiery serpent” (Number 21:6, ESV), the Hebrew pilgrim would certainly die an agonizing death. Imagine it! Without an antivenom,

the wound-site would become inflamed, infected, and eventually gangrenous. With the toxic venom coursing through their veins, the victim would become feverish, writhing in pain, and most certainly die.

Bluntly… they deserved God’s just justice.

Wandering in the Wilderness for most of four decades, God had miraculously met every need. But the ungrateful, impatient, foolish Nation “spoke against God and Moses: ‘Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!’ ” (Numbers 21:5).

Like a father who disciplines his son, God chastened His chosen people. He disciplined them by sending a plague of deadly snakes. Like a child who has been spanked, they had a swift attitude adjustment.

“The people then came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with theLord so that he will take the snakes away from us.’ And Moses interceded for the people” (Numbers 21:7). God heard Moses’ intercession.

The Divine remedy was most-interesting. “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” (Numbers 21:8, NLT).

Moses obeyed. With bronze, he fashioned a snake, attached it to a long pole, and lifted it up above the camp for all to see. “Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered” (Numbers 21:9).

When the snake-bitten Hebrew looked, what did he see? First, they saw the snake. It was an image of the slithering, hissing, deadly serpent, an agent of God’s justice… well-deserved justice! Surely, as the victim looked at the snake, he was reminded of his own wretched sinfulness… the sinfulness that precipitated God’s wrath.

But second, as the Hebrew looked to the bronze serpent, he saw God’s grace. Lifted high above the camp, the cross-shaped figure, was the only remedy for certain death. Looking at the image of God’s grace, the hopeful, faithful victim could find life… not because he deserved it, but by God’s gracious gift.

Today, we’re snake-bit! We’re guilty. Mankind deserve God’s just justice. But … “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 may have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”(John 3:14-16).

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).