Numbers 21:4-9

F. INCIDENT OF THE BRASS SERPENT vv. 4-9
TEXT

Numbers 21:4. And 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. 5. And 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 loathed this light bread. 6. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died.

7. Therefore 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. 8. And 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. 9. And 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.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 21:4. From Mount Hor they traveled by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the heart of the people was very much disturbed because of the route. 5. 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, nor is there any water; and we detest this miserable bread. 6. Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people; and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died.

7. And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that He take the serpents away from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8. Then the Lord said unto Moses, Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live. 9. So Moses made a brass serpent and put it upon a pole. And it happened that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the brass serpent, he lived.

COMMENTARY

The journey of the Israelites now takes them through the long, narrow geological fault, known as the Arabah, which extends through the entire Jordan valley, and for a total of approximately 3,000 miles. Its northern extremity reaches north of Syria; its southern terminus is found deep within the African continent. Of variable width and depth, it includes the country of Edom. However, the western portion of the valley was all but desolate and uninhabited, and it is through this side the Israelites march. Their course will take them all the way to the northeastern tip of the Red Sea, which is the Gulf of Arabah at this point. It is rugged country all the way.
The trials of travel, as well as the great length added to their trip because of the stubbornness of the Edomites, doubtless incites this latest complaint of the people, and they take up the common refrain so often sung in the past: how much they had rather give up the present circumstance to return to their former state in Egypt. Their special criticism is turned upon the manna and a lack of water. Nowhere is it suggested that the people were actually without at least their barest necessities. The manna fell daily, and water had always been provided as needed.

Of the sending of the serpents, the Midrash has said, quoting the supposed words of the Lord: Let the serpent, who was punished for speaking slander (Genesis 3), come and exact punishment from those who speak slander. Let the serpent, to whom all foods taste alike, come and exact punishment from these ungrateful people for whom one food (manna) could have a variety of tastes, RCP, p. 161.

PC enters an unusual thought in reference to the serpents-' identity, claiming that, rather than being poisonous vipers, the term burning or fiery refers to an unusual colorationa brilliant and metallic lustre. The modifying word saraph seems to indicate such brilliance in two other uses (Ezekiel 1:7 and Isaiah 6:2); but, in reference to the serpents, such a position seems illogical. The snake bites cause death among the Israelites, and the bronze image is erected to prevent such death, which would hardly be sensible if the bite were harmless. When PC points out that certain very deadly snakes in Australia. are known as copper snakes, the point is irrelevant, since they are on the wrong continent. No such serpents have been positively identified in the Arabah.

With the camp in an uproar at this latest turn of events, the people once more turn to Moses; but this time it is in air of desperation and concern. They confess, We have sinned, and identify their sin as critical talk about the Lord. They ask for Moses-' direct intercession in their behalf. It is the first time they have asked for such a favor; on all other occasions of Moses-' intervention, it was his own unsolicited action. Their hope is clear; that the serpents may be removed.
It is doubtful that either Moses or the people quite expected the answer which the Lord gave. They would have been shocked at the erection of the image of a serpent for two reasons: God Himself had instructed them to make no graven image of any creature in the Decalogue; and, there would seem to be no connection whatever between a brass image and the relief they sought. Clearly, however, the remedy God suggests is a test, however elementary, of their faith. He who had prohibited image-making for the sake of idolatrous practices has ordered this action for quite another purpose, to show His great power even over the simple creatures of the dust. An unusual kind of faith would be required of the people of Israel if they were to be healed. They must look upon the bronze standard in the center of the camp. The command cannot be rationalized. It is purely a test of obedient faith, such as is common in the Word of God. Man responds to a command of God, not because he understands fully the relationship between carrying out the command and receiving the pardoning favor of God, but because he believes God means exactly what He says; He will punish the disobedient and show His favor unto the obedient. To look upon the serpent is enough. Anyone believing this will be cured of the poisonous bite.

How could anyone of that day, Moses included, have known the glorious symbolism which our Lord would make of this circumstance? Although an application of the lifted serpent in the wilderness to the redeeming cross of Calvary would hardly have occurred to the Christian without Jesus-' own words (John 3:14), His application is clear. Those whose shallow faith would not permit so much as a glimpse at the lifted serpent would suffer the consequences of their doubts, whereas those who believed Moses-' instructions and, in faith were to look at the standard erected by God's words would be cured. It is the exact relationship of Jesus Christ to the world. There is no salvation to that one who will not turn to the Son of God in obedient faith to seek His cleansing power. So the most detested of all creatures became a sign of the innocent Lamb of God, despised of the world, but offering Himself in behalf even of those who hated Him.

Later history shows that this brazen serpent had been kept by the people, and became an object of worship. In Hezekiah's day the practice of offering incense before the standard was ended when the good king ordered it to be broken in pieces (2 Kings 18:4). Typically, the people had turned a glorious historical symbol into an object of disgraceful paganistic practice.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

377.

Describe the Arabah.

378.

List the factors which contributed to the complaints of the people.

379.

Why would such complaints be unjustified?

380.

What is the meaning of the term fiery serpents?

381.

Discuss the possibility that Moses was referring to a specially colored snake, rather than to a venomous type.

382.

If Moses is referring to the color of the serpents, explain how the people died from their bite.

383.

What was the primary motive of the people in appealing to Moses to intercede for them unto the Lord?

384.

What is unusual about the fact of having a serpent serve as a means of saving the people from death?

385.

What relationship is there between looking at a snake's image and being cured of a poisonous bite?

386.

Show how Jesus used the figure of the brazen serpent in His teaching.

387.

What was the ultimate end of the brazen serpent?