Bronze Serpent of Numbers 21

Just recently, I have been thinking about the passage in Numbers 21.4-9 where the children of Israel sinned against God by complaining - complained about Moses and God. God then disciplined them and struck them with a plague of serpents that bit the people. They then repent and ask for God's mercy and He tells Moses to make a 'fiery serpent' and put it on a pole. Moses obeys and makes a bronze serpent and mounts it on a pole. Any one who is bitten by a serpent only has to look at the bronze serpent on the pole and be healed and lived.

Have you ever thought about all the symbology that is associated with this serpent on the pole? Here is a list - no particular order, just some random musings...

1. Serpent - symbol of sin, evil, the curse.
2. Bronze - symbolizes judgment, fire - sin, evil judged.
3. Lifted up on a pole - Jesus lifted up on the Cross.
4. Wasn’t placed in the tabernacle - not associated w/ the Law (Ten Commandments in the Holy of Holies).
5. None can make their own bronze serpent but must accept the one made for them - can't make our own way to heaven but must accept God's way - Jesus.
6. Personal; none could be saved by having friend, family, or others look to bronze serpent for them - salvation is personal, no one can do it for you.
7. Those bitten had to look in faith; medically, nothing about a bronze serpent on a pole can heal, but it is simply looking by faith and accepting what God says - salvation is simply by faith, believing God at his Word.
8. Anyone can look - from the young child to the most elderly - salvation is for all.
9. The one thing that killed them became the one thing that saved them - Jesus became sin (the one things that kills us) and through Jesus we are saved.

What a rich illustration of what God did through Jesus at the Cross to secure our salvation! Jesus said in John 3.14-16...

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.