“So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” (Numbers 21:9, ESV)
Once again, the people grumbled against God and Moses stating that they loathed the food, the “manna,” that God had provided. Because of this, the Lord sent venomous serpents among the people, which bit many and caused death. Moses again interceded for the people and the Lord instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it in the camp so that anyone bitten could look to the bronze serpent and escape death caused by the venom. This action of looking at the serpent was response by faith. The person needed to believe that looking upon the bronze serpent would bring healing.
Jesus in His conversation with Nicodemus uses the imagery of Moses’ bronze serpent to describe His work on the cross.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15, ESV)
In this case, sin is the venom or poison that brings forth death to every person, for all have sinned. As those bitten by the venomous snakes exercised faith by looking to the bronze serpent for healing, man’s healing from the venom of sin comes from looking to Jesus by faith, trusting in His atoning sacrifice for sin on the cross. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
For us, who have believed, we should give thanks for Christ’s provision. We also should pray for those who have not believed. We should urge them to look to Jesus and His work on the cross for there is no other hope, there is no other remedy for sin.
Renewing the Heart 