Numbers 21:7, commentary and pictures

Discouraged by the hardships of the way around Edom, the people spoke against the Lord and against Moses in unbelief and ingratitude, forgetting His daily care and protection, so He withdrew His restraining hand and let the fiery serpents they had been shielded from bite them until many were dying through the camp. Awakened to their condition, they came to Moses confessing they had sinned against the Lord and against him and asking him to pray that the serpents be taken away, and though they had falsely accused him he promptly interceded for them and was heard. In mercy God did not at once remove the serpents but provided healing by telling Moses to lift a bronze serpent on a pole with open proclamation that everyone bitten who looked in faith would live at once. There was no virtue in the bronze itself, for the cure was supernatural through trusting and obeying God's word, and the lifted serpent was a symbol of Christ lifted up as Sin-bearer, so that as looking healed the bitten, looking in faith to Jesus upon the cross brings life and eternal life, while refusing the remedy God provides leaves sinners to perish.

Sin, Judgment, and Confession

On the journey from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around Edom, the people grew discouraged because of the hardships of the way. In their discouragement they murmured and spoke against the LORD and against Moses in unbelief, rebellion, perversity, selfishness and discontent. Instead of remembering God's constant guidance and protection, they magnified their trials and forgot how much He was saving them from.

They had grown used to the cloud by day and fire by night and were unthankful for the bread from heaven, angels' food. With false accusations against Moses they forgot His daily care and miraculous preservation. They forgot His purpose to make them a pure, holy, intelligent people who would reveal His character as His representative theocracy and light-bearers to the world.

Christ with angels in the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, and the angel of the Lord with merciful and wonderful dealings, had been restraining poisonous fiery serpents, wild beasts and reptiles, and a thousand other dangers and evils from harming them without their knowing it. Because of their continual murmuring, complaints, ingratitude, stubbornness, impenitence and transgression, God withdrew His restraining hand and permitted the serpents to bite as they would have done all along. Suffering and dying spread through the camp and many died in deadly sting and dying anguish. This was to expose their ingratitude, test submission, correct selfishness, and lead them to recognize the dangers from which He had protected them.

The trouble called them to their senses and awakened their paralyzed thoughts to decide what course to pursue. It brought fear, terror, humility, repentance and dependence on God. They came to Moses, confessed and admitted they had sinned by speaking against the LORD and against Moses, humbling themselves before God. They asked Moses to pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from them.

Though they had falsely accused him, they now turned to Moses as the one who could intercede with God. He showed them their sin and reminded them of God's daily care and miraculous preservation. He promptly prayed and interceded for the people. The Lord heard him and answered with provision for healing.

Healing Through Looking to Christ

In great mercy the bitten were not left to perish but were given a way to live. The answer did not come in the way expected, by at once taking the serpents away, but by direction to raise a brass or bronze serpent on a pole or pillar. The provision was openly proclaimed by trumpet and by leading men of every tribe, that whosoever should look should live. All who had been bitten and looked in faith recovered health at once and lived.

Those who refused to look were not healed but perished. There was no virtue in the bronze itself, for the remedy was supernatural by God's power and wisdom in appointing it. Healing came through trusting and obeying every word God gave rather than reasoning away His command, for the announced promise had to be obeyed.

The serpent lifted up was a symbol of Christ, who came in the likeness of sinful flesh as the Sin-bearer and was lifted up. As looking brought healing and life to the bitten Israelites, so looking to Christ in faith brings healing and life to sinners. Looking to Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary is to live, unto healing, life and eternal life, for He alone saves from sin.

Refusing the remedy God provides leads to death, and refusing Christ's salvation leaves people lost in their sins. Refusing the truth God sends is refusing Christ. Satan works with all he can to divert attention, intercept the view, and keep souls from looking to the lifted Saviour.

The miraculous rescue of the dying gave the surrounding nations further evidence that God was with Israel and had power to save. The event stands as a warning not to tempt Christ, whom Israel tempted and were destroyed by serpents. Those who set aside God's commandments for human commandments are like those bitten by the wilderness serpent, and remain under its deadly effect unless they repent.

Their repentance in looking to the uplifted serpent in faith that they might live points forward to the same uplifted Saviour to be presented to people in all lands and in all places. This presentation will be in the coming time of confusion and trouble such as never was since there was a nation, that all who look may live.