Snake On A Pole

Knowing or arguing about the times and dates will only cause people to miss the truths in this passage of Scripture. What we do know is that Satan cannot create anything for he can only adulterate what God has created. From the very beginning in Genesis we read of evil’s handy work, the voice of Satan using the serpent’s craftiness to cause Eve to question God’s Word. (Mathews, K. A. (1996). Genesis 1-11:26 (Vol. 1A, p. 234). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers; Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 19). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.; The Outline Bible; Genesis 3:1-20) The Apostle John gives us the identity of the source of evil in Genesis which laid down the foundation for us to live in a sin cursed world, “…I saw an angle coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and the holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan and bound him for a thousand years.” (Revelations 20:1-2)

Let us catch the truths of Numbers 21 and what Jesus did on the cross.

1.) Just as Satan through the serpent moved Eve to question God, the people of God became impatient and they spoke against God and His servant Moses. They questioned His provision, they were upset because they did not have the food they wanted and they detested the food He provided calling it miserable to eat.

2.) The Bible says the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people of which many were bitten and died. God had sent quail when they complained about not having meat to eat, of which made them sick and God sends venomous snakes punishing their sins.

3.) Once the sting of sin brings death, the people of God confess their sin and they went to Moses saying, “We sinned when we spoke against God and you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away.” The Bible says, Moses prayed for the people.” God told Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole…” The Bible says, “anyone who is bitten by a snake looked at the bronze snake, they lived.” Notice God did not answer the prayer of the people, He left the snakes among the people, letting us know the consequences of sin has a lingering affect, but looking to God will help us overcome the sting of death. This Biblical account includes four truths, judgement, repentance, forgiveness and deliverance. The major theological theme is the Lord’s provision to cover the sting of death and bring deliverance so man can overcome the cost of sin. The truth to grasp is not a magical formula for healing, but the serpent on a pole is only a symbol of salvation which would be offered by God and Christ alone.

The bronze serpent appears again in 2 Kings 18:4, “[Hezekiah] broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it.” Just as King Hezekiah had to reform the people of his day, the teachers of God’s Word need to reform what the world view has adulterated and teach the truths of what God was doing in placing a bronze serpent on a pole along with what Jesus was teaching about Himself dying for the sins of the world. Mankind is always being drawn into the worship of religious relics which rob people of Holy Spirit illumination – thus needing be reminded of what Jesus said, [The time] has now come when true worshipers will worship the Father in the [Holy] Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in Spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)