Numbers 21:4-9. God sent snakes to punish the people who had sinned by speaking against Him and Moses.
He then said to Moses to make a bronze snake that was fastened to a pole. If any person who had been bitten by the snakes then looked at the bronze snake in obedience to God’s command, they would live.
The people of Israel were at it again, growing impatient and saying, “Why have you, Moses, brought us into the desert to die? We do not like the food God supplies.”
The people Moses was leading were again forgetting very quickly the miracles God had performed for them even though the cloud by day and the fire by night were still with them.
Jesus talks about this incident in John 3:14-15. Jesus also talks about being lifted up in John 8:28 and John 12:32. Do these passages have a double meaning: i.e. referring to both the Roman cross of death and a bronze snake on a pole that gave life to those that looked upon it?
Background Reading:
The Bronze Snake or Serpent
21:4 After this, they traveled from Mount Hor along the caravan route by way of the Sea of Reeds and went around the land of Edom. But when the people got impatient because it was a long route, 5 the people complained against the LORD and Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” they asked. “There’s no food and water, and we’re tired of this worthless bread.”
6 In response, the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people to bite them. As a result, many people of Israel died. 7 Then the people approached Moses and admitted, “We’ve sinned by speaking against the LORD and you. Pray to the LORD, that he’ll remove the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed in behalf of the people.
8 Then the LORD instructed Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent out of brass and fasten it to a pole. Anyone who has been bitten and who looks at it will live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and fastened it to a pole. If a person who had been bitten by a poisonous serpent looked to the serpent, he lived.
Numbers 21:4-9
Other slides in this module:
- Life of Moses – Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
- 300-year gap between Joseph and Moses
- First 40 years of the life of Moses
- Thutmose I, the Pharaoh or king of Egypt
- Miriam kept eye on Moses after he had been placed as a baby in a boat
- Second 40 years of the life of Moses
- God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush
- Moses was asked to take off his sandals by God
- The third 40 years of the life of Moses
- Aaron’s Staff becomes a Snake
- The ten plagues of Egypt
- 1st Plague – Blood
- 2nd Plague – Frogs
- 3rd Plague – Lice or Gnats
- 4th Plague – Dung beetles
- 5th Plague – Pestilence
- 6th Plague – Boils
- 7th plague – Nut – Egyptian Goddess of the Sky
- 8th Plague – Locust
- Ninth plague – Darkness
- Tenth plague – Firstborn die
- Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt
- Moses the friend of God
- Pillar of Cloud by Day
- Pillar of fire by night
- The Chariots of the Egyptian army
- Moses crosses the Red Sea
- Moses’ older sister Miriam sings a song
- Waters of Marah and Elim
- Manna means ‘What Is It?’
- Water from The Rock at Massah
- Moses at Mount Sinai
- The Ten Commandments or Ten Words of God
- The Three Annual Feasts of God
- The Feast of Passover
- Feast of Weeks or Pentecost
- Feast of Trumpets or Feast of Shofars
- The Golden Calf, the idol made by Aaron
- Moses with the New Stone Tablets
- 1st five of the Ten Commandments
- 2nd five of the Ten Commandments
- Ark of God
- The High Priest of Israel
- Tabernacle of God
- Aaron and Miriam oppose Moses
- Exploring Canaan by 12 spies
- 37 years in the wilderness
- Aaron’s Rod that budded
- Speak to the Rock “Give Water”
- Death of Aaron
- The Bronze Snake
- Balak Summons Balaam
- Six cities of Refuge for Israel
- Daughters of Zelophehad
- Moses Blesses the Tribes with Three Sermons
- Moses lived for 120 years
- Caleb was the son of Jephunneh
- Joshua – The Fall of Jericho
- Questions and Answers 1-16
- Questions and Answers 17-32
- Questions and Answers 33-49
- Time Line for Life of Moses
- Background Information – Life of Moses
- Next Module – Judges or rulers of Israel
- Resources – Life of Moses
- The Jewish Festival of Sukkot
- Yom Kippur, means “Day of Atonement”
- Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah (The Day of the Sounding of Shofar)