1. The Sin of Israel in the Wilderness
The children of Israel journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. They spoke against God and against Moses, saying, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." Their sin was not merely complaining; it was open rebellion against God's provision and His appointed leader. They despised the manna, the bread of heaven, and accused God of bringing them to die.
2. The Judgment of Fiery Serpents
The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people. These serpents were called "fiery" either because of their burning venom or their appearance like flame. The serpents bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died. The judgment fit the sin. The people had spoken with a poisonous tongue against God, and now poisonous serpents brought death. The serpent is a symbol of the curse, of sin, and of Satan himself, who appeared as a serpent in the Garden of Eden. The judgment was just and severe.
3. The Confession and Intercession
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 away the serpents from us." This was genuine confession, not merely an attempt to escape punishment. They acknowledged their sin against God and against Moses. Moses, as a faithful mediator, prayed for the people. Moses did not gloat over their judgment but interceded for them, pointing forward to the greater Mediator who would pray for His enemies.
4. The Command to Make a Bronze Serpent
The Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole." The serpent was to be made of bronze. Bronze in Scripture often symbolizes judgment. The altar of burnt offering was bronze. The laver was bronze. Bronze speaks of the judgment of sin. The serpent was made in the likeness of the very creature that brought death. It was shaped like a serpent but had no venom. It was a serpent without the poison of sin.
5. The Lifting Up of the Serpent on a Pole
Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. The pole lifted the serpent up above the camp so that it could be seen by all. Anyone who was bitten only had to look up at the bronze serpent. The act of looking was simple, public, and required intentional effort. The serpent was not to be worshipped, touched, or venerated. It was a means of grace, not an object of superstition. Centuries later, when the people burned incense to the bronze serpent, Hezekiah broke it in pieces, calling it Nehushtan (a piece of bronze).
6. The Promise: Everyone Who Looks Shall Live
The Lord declared, "And it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." The promise was universal: anyone who was bitten could live. The condition was simple: look and live. There was no requirement to work, to earn, or to merit healing. The dying sinner needed only to turn his eyes upward toward the appointed remedy. Looking required faith—believing that God would keep His promise. Everyone who looked lived. Everyone who refused to look died.
7. Christ Explicitly Identifies Himself with the Bronze Serpent
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "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." Christ makes the connection direct and undeniable. As the serpent was lifted up on a pole, so Christ was lifted up on the cross. As the serpent bore the likeness of the thing that cursed Israel, so Christ was made in the likeness of sinful flesh and became a curse for us. As the serpent had no venom, so Christ had no sin. As looking at the serpent brought physical life, so believing in Christ brings eternal life.
8. Christ Was Made a Curse for Us
Paul explains the deep theology behind this type: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree')." The serpent was a symbol of the curse. When Moses lifted up the serpent, he lifted up the very image of judgment. When Christ was lifted up on the cross, He became the curse-bearing substitute. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. The bronze serpent bore the likeness of the deadly serpent; Christ bore the likeness of sinful flesh and the full weight of divine judgment.
9. The Simplicity of Salvation by Looking in Faith
The bronze serpent teaches that salvation is by faith alone, not by works. The dying Israelite did not have to fight the serpents, bind his wounds, offer a sacrifice, or walk a certain distance. He simply looked. Salvation is not by works of righteousness but by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. As the look of faith saved from physical death, so the look of faith saves from eternal death. "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."
10. The Bronze Serpent and the Universality of the Gospel
Anyone who was bitten could look and live. There was no restriction: rich or poor, young or old, Israelite or mixed multitude. The serpent was lifted high so that all could see. So Christ is lifted up for all who will believe. The gospel is for every sinner who has been bitten by the serpent of sin. Whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. The offer is universal, and the promise is certain. As the bronze serpent was the only remedy, so Christ is the only Savior.
Conclusion
The bronze serpent is a remarkable and unexpected type of Christ. The symbol of the curse becomes the instrument of healing. The likeness of sin becomes the means of salvation. Jesus took upon Himself the form of sinful flesh and became a curse for sinners so that everyone who looks to Him in faith might live. Have you been bitten by the serpent of sin? Then look to the lifted-up Savior. Look and live.