Numbers 21:5-9

The story of Numbers 21:5-9 tells of the rebellion once again of Israel not only against Moses but more so against the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Israel. God had just given them victory over King Arad the Canaanite and after God had given them victory over the Canaanites they journeyed from Mt. Horeb by way of the Red sea to compass the land of Edom. But the soul of the people were discouraged because of the difficulty of the journey and they spoke against God and against Moses, Gods servant.

The people murmured against God and Moses for lack of bread and water, even after all the miraculous things that God has performed in the sight of Israel. Their soul had come to loathe this light bread they received every day called mana, the very thing that has sustained them through their wilderness sojourn. The fact that the word soul is used in the singular refers to Israel as a whole.

The result of their rebellion was that God sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people and many of the people of Israel died. The people therefore came to Moses and said that they have sinned in speaking against the LORD and against him and asked Moses to pray to God to remove the serpents from them.

This pictures the fact that we all have rebelled against God, just as it is written in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the righteousness of God; and that the consequence of this rebellion against God was death as spoken of in Romans 6:23, for the wages of sin is death.

To remedy Israel’s situation, God tells Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and that anyone who has been bitten, is to look upon the serpent on the pole and they would live. So, Moses makes a serpent of brass and sets on a pole and those Israelites that were bitten and looked upon it, lived.

This then is another shadow pointing to the cross. That our sin was imputed to the One nailed to the cross so that all who look upon Him and believe will be saved, and His righteousness is imputed to those who believe. 2 Cor 5:21.

The fiery serpent represents the sin that ultimately leads to eternal death. This sin was also placed upon Jesus who was nailed to the cross and therefore all that would look upon the Messiah and believe on his death, burial and resurrection, shall live, be saved from the consequence of sin which is eternal death in the lake of fire. If you have not done so, we urge you to put your faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah for your salvation while there is still breath in your lungs because the Bible is quite clear that tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us. Run, turn and look to Jesus for your salvation while you still can.