Why is a bronze serpent used to save the israelites in. The rabbinic message is that the bronze serpent is meant to be understood as a symbol for the one god and a way for the individual to be. Moses does intercede, and god instructs him to make a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole. Near the end of their arduous 40 years in the desert, the israelites were traveling from mount hor around the land of edom, following the red sea.
So, getting back to moses and the bronze serpent in the book of numbers. God sends poisonous serpents as punishment, but provides a bronze serpent on a pole so that a person who had been bitten could look at the serpent of bronze and live. Bronze was a symbol of righteous judgment on the earth. Jesus indicated that this bronze serpent was a foreshadowing of him. So moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole.
Then the lord said to moses, make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole. Why is a bronze serpent used to save the israelites in numbers 21. He brought them into the wilderness, to the same mountain where he revealed himself to moses, so that he could instruct them in what he required of. Or could it be a reference to something learned from egypt, like possible hermetic disciplines. Jesus as the bronze serpent in the book of numbers the. David guzik commentary on numbers 21, where god sends fiery serpents. Erich fromm 19001980, in his highly acclaimed work psychoanalysis and religion, which is rather fascinating reading, by the way, astutely observed, religion is any system of thought and action shared by a group which gives the individual a frame of orientation and an object of devotion. And moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard. The bronze snake that god told moses to make as recorded in numbers 21. The meaning of this type, or sign of salvation, is explained in the book.
The old serpent was the cause of death, temporal and spiritual. This snake had become a sacred object of worship, but he saw that it had degenerated into idolatry. Mar 18, 2012 many of the israelites are killed by the snakes, and the people repent and plead with moses to intercede on their behalf. Numbers 2021, the bronze serpent west palm beach church of. A couple of additional lessons are taught in the bible. He brought them into the wilderness, to the same mountain where he revealed himself to moses, so that he could. God told moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Lifted up was a polite way of referring to crucifixion. Number 1500, or lifting up the bronze serpent answers. We trust in the lord our god, is he not the one whose high places and altars hezekiah has removed, saying to judah and jerusalem. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent. He prayed and god provided this unusual remedy of a bronze snake on a. Satans temptations are called his fiery darts, eph. The wrath of god is on this people for their sin of ingratitude and murmuring and rebellion.
God ordered moses to make the representation of a fiery serpent, which he did, in brass, and set it up on a very long pole, so that it might be seen from all parts of the camp, and every one that was stung with a fiery serpent was healed by looking up to this serpent of brass. Many of the israelites are killed by the snakes, and the people repent and plead with moses to intercede on their behalf. Moses did pray, and god commanded that moses make a bronze fiery serpent and place it on a pole. Moses made a serpent of brass nehoset, and set it on the standard. Gods instruction then is remarkablehe tells moses to make a bronze image of a serpent and set it up on a pole and to instruct the people to look upon it to be healed. Bronze serpent holman bible dictionary bible dictionary.
Examples of these identifications are in the book of isaiah where a reference is made to a serpent like dragon named leviathan isaiah 27. In numbers 21, the israelites experience victory over the canaanites but soon fall back into grumbling and complaining. Numbers 21 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. And moses made a serpent of brass, and put it on a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. So moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole. True meaning of the bronze serpent has interesting history. Everyone in israel that had been bitten would live if they would look to the serpent. It would come to be written the book of john, just as moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the son of man must be lifted up john 3. In later years, the israelites will view the bronze serpent as a holy relic of veneration and begin worshiping it. For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that. The new international commentary on the old testament. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze serpent, he would recover.
And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Jesus refers to the way moses made a bronze serpent and put it up on a pole in order to make one specific point to nicodemus. He is now leading them to the land he has promised them. Because it is such a radical explanation, many things have to be laid out first. Jesus said, as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. During the wilderness wanderings, on one of the many occasions that the children of israel were murmuring against gods provision, god sent deadly serpents as a judgment. Lifting up the bronze snake was a type that foreshadowed christs death on the cross.
The bronze serpent 8 then the lord said to moses, make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. Sep 14, 20 i will say this, if it is any consolation. The bronze serpent what does this story mean and how does it apply to my life. The bronze snake sermon by mark holdcroft, numbers 21. In chapter 6 of the book of romans we find that before becoming christians we were slaves to sin. As can be clearly seen in this passage, god himself commanded moses to make the bronze serpent, and he commanded any of the israelites who were stricken to gaze upon it. They dont worship it, but they are to look at it in order to live. We have sinned, for we have spoken against the lord and against you. Listen in as monte judah answers questions on faith, scripture, and our walk as believers. It continues the story of that journey begun in exodus, and describes briefly the experiences of the israelites for a period of thirtyeight years, from the end of their. Rather, when the people looked up and gave their hearts to their heavenly father they were healed mishnah rosh hashanah 3. Through moses, the lord has delivered them up out of slavery, redeeming them from their captivity. Certainly just looking at a bronze snake does not assuage a medical. In john chapter three jesus used a historical illustration to teach nicodemus about the importance of believing in his coming death.
Fiery serpents among the people numbers 21 bible commentary. Why hezekiah destroyed the bronze serpent and what it can. Nasb in verse 4, the people became impatient because of the journey. In that culture, this method of execution was so vile that it was often mentioned using substitute phrases. Bronze serpent media is a production moniker under which to produce audiovideo productions. To put some context around it, the people of israel had been in slavery in egypt. I have heard many sermons on this text, yet i still do not have a good grasp on its significance. I am going to eventually release a book that explains the full prophetic significance of the bronze serpent, but that will be a few years down the line. And the lord said to moses, make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.
You may remember that god had previously commanded moses to build a bronze altar and bronze wash basin for the tabernacle courtyard. Christ jesus, in the likeness of sinful flesh, was made sin for us 2corinthians 5. Jul 29, 2014 and moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of bronze, he lived. Lets take a few minutes to think about this unusual biblical story, see its significance to israel, and then learn from jesus interpretation and. Jun 26, 2017 the story of the copper serpent presents a wellknown theological difficulty, put by the sages and cited by rashi in his commentary on numbers 21. Check out these helpful resources biblical commentary childerns sermons hymn lists john 3. Impatience is a devastating sin that is the gateway to committing many other sins. For this reason, it will wisely be destroyed by righteous king hezekiah 2 kings 18. There are many books on prayer and there are many books on bible study. The son of manson of god, jesus christ how was jesus raised up like the serpent on the pole. Posted on january 31, 2017 december 1, 2019 by paul tautges the book of numbers contains the account of a strange event which took place during israels time of wandering in the wilderness. Look at the bronze serpent on the pole in the book of john, someone was compared to the bronze serpent.
Jun 16, 20 about 700 years after this incident in the wilderness, king hezekiah had to destroy this bronze serpent because it had become an object of idolatry to the israelites 2 kings 18. In the new testament numerous allusions to incidents in the book of numbers appear. This serpent was symbolic of the serpents god used to chastise the people for their unbelief. The means god chooses to rescue the people from his own curse is a picture of the curse itself. The book of numbers derives its name from the account of the two censuses taken of the hebrew people, one near the beginning and the other toward the end of the journey in the wilderness chaps. Verse 14 of numbers 21 mentions the book of the wars of the lord. The word nehoset can mean bronze an alloy of copper and tin, brass an alloy of copper and zinc or copper a metal in its own right. Most if not all of those sermons focused on the storys relation to the crucifixion of christ. In response to moses prayer for the people, god instructed moses to set up a bronze serpent on a pole, and everyone who looked upon it would live. In the hebrew bible, the book of genesis refers to a serpent who triggered the expulsion of adam and eve from the garden in eden. Dec 15, 2006 the bronze serpent story in numbers 21. It was moses that lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to christ. Bronze serpent media is founded by alfonzo rachel, one of the most unique voices in social political commentary.
The book of numbers contains the account of a strange event which took place during israels time of wandering in the wilderness. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live. Any of those bitten who looked upon the bronze serpent would live. The bronze serpent 6 the lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of israel died. Bible commentary on the book of numbers, chapter 21, by dr. Apr 05, 2009 pray to the lord, that he take away the serpents from us. The next reference we find in the bible to this serpent is in john 3. Sep 04, 2017 the story of the bronze serpent in the book of numbers 21. It is most often referred to as moses and the bronze serpent. Remember, though, that even those who are healed will not live to reach canaan. Sep, 2016 listen in as monte judah answers questions on faith, scripture, and our walk as believers. The son of man must be lifted up like the serpent resource by john piper. The bronze snake contributed by mark holdcroft on mar 9, 2007 message.
Then the lord said to moses, make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard. Bronze serpent i old testament i animated bible story for. The bronze serpent and the cross of christ burning hearts. For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Nothing more is known of the bronze serpent until it is mentioned again in 2 kings 18. So moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole.
The book ends with the israelites across the jordan outside the land of canaan, underscoring a chief theme of the pentateuch as a whole. Read numbers 21 commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. Bronze snake what the original bronze snake represents. In order for someone who was bitten to live, they have to be willing to look square in the face of their sin. What did the people who were bitten have to do in order to live. Why does a serpent represent what jesus did on the cross. As the people are going around the nation of edom, the people became impatient on the way 21.
The author of the book of wisdom understood the true bearing of those facts when he called the brazen serpent a. The people came to moses and said, we sinned when we spoke against the lord and against you. In what way does the brazen serpent point to christs. Throughout the wilderness wanderings of the israelites, god was constantly teaching them things about himself and about their own sinfulness. The bronze serpent is a symbol of both the sin of the people and the mercy of god. Why did god tell moses to make a bronze serpent on a stick. Surely god does not send poisonous snakes to punish human beings for their missteps. Book of numbers bible survey who was aaron in the bible.
Numbers 21 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Sep 09, 2018 about 700 years after this incident in the wilderness, king hezekiah had to destroy this bronze serpent because it had become an object of idolatry to the israelites 2 kings 18. The zo loft is a play on words using a shortened version of my name, alfonzo rachel or zo and my loft where i conduct my commentaries. And moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. The book of numbers interpreted and explained according to its spiritual or internal sense study the original hebrewgreek with qbible. Mainstream scholars suggest that the image of the fiery serpent served to function like that of a magical amulet.
The story of the bronze serpent in the book of numbers 21. There, in the account of king hezekiahs purging of the temple, the bible tells of the destruction of this symbol. Grand old holy tells the story from old testament, of israelites being punished for their relentless complaints and. Mar 09, 2007 8 then the lord said to moses, make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole. The serpent, a symbol of sin and judgment, was lifted up from the earth and put on a tree, which was a symbol of a curse galatians 3. The devil is the old serpent, a fiery serpent, hence he appears as a great red dragon.
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