Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Numbers 21:4-10
5). The Brazen Serpent (Numbers 21:4).
Having defeated the king of Arad Israel continued its journey from Mount Hor by ‘the way to the Reed Sea', skirting the land of Edom. As they had been hoping to take the much easier King's Highway they were greatly discouraged at the hardship of the way, for it led through difficult territory where there was no water and no means of obtaining bread, and they only had the despised manna (compare Numbers 11:5). It was like being back in the wilderness again. This again caused them to hanker after Egypt (compare Numbers 20:3). Forgetting the glory of their recent victory they fell back into their old ways.
So Yahweh gave them a reminder of their time in the wilderness, by sending ‘fiery serpents' among them. Compare Deuteronomy 8:15 where fiery serpents were symbolic of the hardships of the wilderness. It was a reminder that if they wanted to go back to the trials of the wilderness period they could do so.
They were possibly called fiery serpents because their bite caused men's bodies to be ‘set on fire', or it may have been because they basked in the sun which shone on them and was seen as reflected in them.
In the Christian life victories are often followed by meeting up with ‘biting serpents'. The secret then is to look to Jesus as the crucified One. It is a continual lesson to us of how we must be continually dependent on Him.
Analysis.
a The people journey by Edom and are discouraged (Numbers 21:4).
b The people murmur against God and against Moses instead of looking to God (Numbers 21:5).
c Yahweh sends fiery serpents among them so that many die (Numbers 21:6).
d The people ask Moses to plead for forgiveness for them (Numbers 21:7 a).
d Moses pleads for forgiveness for the people (Numbers 21:7 b).
c Yahweh says that a fiery serpent is to be set up on a pole so that he who looks may live (Numbers 21:8).
b The brazen serpent is set up and the people who turn to God and look to it live (Numbers 21:9).
a The people journey to Oboth (Numbers 21:10)
‘And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way to the Reed Sea, to compass the land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.'
Their journey now took them through a parched region where they again had to depend totally on the manna, and this caused great discouragement. They themselves were parched and they were sick of the manna, ‘this light bread'. If only they could have used the King's Highway instead of this harsh and dreary route round the border of Edom. Did Yahweh not care?
‘And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water, and our soul loathes this light bread.” '
So in their usual vein they turned against God and against Moses. Why had Moses dragged them away from Egypt to die in the wilderness? Why did they have to put up with this pretended bread? Why had they no proper bread and water to satisfy them?
‘And Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.'
And the result was that they found themselves in a place seemingly filled with snakes. Many of the people were bitten, and many died. Yahweh was reminding them of what it had been like to travel through the wilderness (compare Deuteronomy 8:15). But they had never come across snakes as bad and as numerous as this before. It quickly brought them to their senses. Did it also remind them of the time when the rod of God had turned into a serpent before their eyes? (Exodus 4:3; Exodus 4:30; Exodus 7:7). That also had happened at a new beginning. But here were many rods of God come to chastise His people.
Or it may well be that this incident would take their minds back to Genesis 3:15. The serpent was bruising their heels. Yahweh had warned of what the serpent might do in the future, and here it was. It was a clear judgment from God.
‘And the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yahweh, and against you. Pray to Yahweh, that he take away the serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people.'
Either way this faced them up with what they were doing. They recognised their folly and admitted that they had sinned both against Yahweh and against Moses. Then they begged Moses to intercede on their behalf, and ask Yahweh to take the serpents away. And Moses did pray as they requested.
‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “Make you a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard, and it shall come about, that every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” '
Yahweh responded mercifully. Not only would He remove the snakes but He would cause many of those bitten to be healed. So He commanded Moses to set up an image of a fiery serpent and set it up on a pole. Then He promised that whoever then looked to that image would live.
Remarkable examples of bronze and copper serpents have been discovered in Canaan. At Timna, south of Hebron, where copper was mined, a gilded copper snake has been found. At Hazor a serpent standard has been discovered. And a bronze serpent was found at Gezer. Thus there are parallels to the fiery serpent of bronze (or copper). The thought here was that they were to look away from the serpents who crawled in the dust to the serpent provided by Yahweh, lifted up high before them. The serpents slithering in the dust spelled death. Yahweh offered life. But they had to look. Unless they looked to Yahweh's provision they would die. Some have seen the redness of the copper as symbolising the blood of sacrifice. But the lesson may more have been that in order to find life they must lift their eyes from the dust wherein death lies (compare Leviticus 11:20; Leviticus 11:23; Leviticus 11:31) and look to Yahweh the living God.
If the serpent into which Moses' rod had turned in the time in Egypt was in mind, and it was not something easily forgotten, indeed may well have been proverbial among the Israelites, then this copper serpent ‘frozen' on a pole might well have indicated how Yahweh could ‘freeze' serpents whenever He would (Exodus 4:4). It would indicate to the people without words that their deliverance could only come through the rod of God and His power over serpents. They would possibly remember how Yahweh's serpent had eaten up all the other serpents (Exodus 7:12). Thus it would enhance their faith and they would know from Whom their deliverance came.
‘And Moses made a serpent of bronze (or copper), and set it on the standard, and it came about, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of bronze (copper), he lived.'
And Moses did as he was commanded. He made the serpent of bronze/copper, set it on a pole, and lifted it up. Then whoever of those who had been bitten, who looked to the serpent, lived. They had taken their minds from earthly things to seek the heavenly. They had looked to the rod and mighty authority of Yahweh.
Jesus used this example as a picture of His being lifted up on the cross, so that whoever looked to Him and believed on Him would live and have eternal life (John 3:14). Men had been bitten by sin and were doomed, but He had come to give them new life.
‘And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in Oboth.'
Then the people continued their journey and encamped in Oboth. The name Oboth means ‘waterskins'. Perhaps there is a hint here of readiness for the plentiful water soon to come.
So we have here again the reminder that because God loves His people He chastens them. He will not allow us to permanently continue in known sins. If we murmur and complain against Him then we must expect ‘serpents', troubles of some kind, to come among us. But in the final analysis His aim is to make us turn to Him so that we may have and enjoy eternal life.