Fiery Serpents Numbers 21:4-104And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And 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. 10And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth. (Numbers 21:4‑10)
IN hot desert lands there are poisonous snakes which spring quickly from the sand or rocks, and whose bite may cause death to people or animals. The great camp of Israel was passing over such a place: the sand was hard to walk in, and it is not strange they were very weary. But God was caring for them: He kept their feet from soreness and had kept away harmful snakes and insects (Deut. 8:44Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. (Deuteronomy 8:4) and 15). Yet the people complained bitterly because God had brought them from Egypt.
So to show them how helpless they were without His care, God sent serpents among them and many died from the poison bite. These are called “fiery serpents”, perhaps, because of the dreadful burning’ sting, or, they may have been the color of fire.
The people could not get rid of them, nor cure those bitten, and they begged Moses to ask God to take them away. They said, “We have sinned”.
God told Moses to make a serpent out of brass and put it up on a pole, and whoever was bitten should live, if he would look at the brass serpent.
Moses made the serpent, placed it on a pole and all who looked at that serpent of brass, were made well. We are not told if there were any who did not look. But we know everyone who believed what Moses told them to do, would look at once to be cured of the dreadful poison. If there were any in the tents, or too far away from the pole to see, their friends would quickly help them to a place to look.
There is a way we all are like the poor bitten people. It is because of sin, which has left us all with a sting worse than the serpents’, and makes us think and do wrong; and no one can cure or drive away.
In the New Testament we learn that God’s way to save from sin is by the death of Jesus on the cross. But we must each believe, or look, to Him for ourselves. So ask yourself,
Have I looked to the Lord Jesus for the salvation of my soul?
ML 10/24/1937