The Bronze Serpent

Posted on by Japanese Congregational Church

Numbers 21:4-9

4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5The 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 food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” 6Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” 9So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

If you are out in the wilderness and a poisonous snake bites you, do you know what to do? According to the Mayo Clinic, these are the things you should do (after calling 911):

  • Move far away from the snake.
  • Stay still and calm.
  • Remove any jewelry, watches or tight clothing before swelling starts.
  • Sit or lie down so that the bite is in a neutral, comfortable position.
  • Clean the bite with soap and water. Cover or wrap it loosely with a clean, dry bandage.

And these are the things to avoid doing:

  • Don’t tie off the bite area, called using a tourniquet, or apply ice.
  • Don’t cut the bite or try to remove the venom.
  • Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol.
  • Don’t take pain-relieving medicine, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve). Doing so can increase your risk of bleeding.
  • Don’t try to catch or trap the snake. Try to remember its color and shape so that you can describe it. If possible, take a picture of the snake from a safe distance. Knowing what kind of snake bit you can help with treatment.

Had the Israelites had smartphones and had access to the internet in the desert, they could have looked up what to do if bitten by the snakes. Or they could have done whatever was the then current belief on how to treat snake bites. But no one would have thought about making a bronze serpent and putting it upon a pole. On their own, no one would have thought that they would live if they would simply look up at the bronze serpent.

Those who did not believe and tried other methods died, while those who were bitten and looked up at the bronze serpent lived. Pretty soon, the word would spread and people who were bitten would not bother with other methods and would simply look at the bronze serpent – And live.

So, why doesn’t Amazon sell bronze serpents so people can put one in their backpack when they go hiking or camping in places where poisonous snakes are present? It is because it does not work as a remedy for getting bitten by a poisonous snake. It would be best if you followed the Mayo Clinic’s guidelines.

Why did it work for the Israelites in this chapter? It is because the LORD made it so. If the LORD says that if those who are bitten want to live, to look up at the bronze serpent, then that is what one should do. It is not an inherent character of a bronze serpent that can cure – It is the LORD who cures.

The Israelites forgot that the LORD was the one who was the healer. We read in 2 Kings 18:4 that King Hezekiah of Judah, who was one of the few righteous kings, destroyed the bronze serpent because people had been worshipping it and made offerings to it.

When I first read through the Gospel According to John, there were some parts that I could not fully understand, since I had no Old Testament knowledge. One of these was what Jesus said in John 3:14-15 “14. . . And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life . . . “

We all have been bitten by a poisonous snake called “sin”. There is nothing that we can do to avoid death. Trying to be good or doing good deeds will not cure us. The only way for us to be saved is to look at Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

From a human logic point of view, it may sound foolish. The other religions that say that we must do more good than bad to be saved might sound more reasonable or believable. But the Bible tells us that it is only through faith in Christ that will save us. Why is this the case? It is because that is what God decided.

This is a great illustration of mankind’s path to salvation. It is easy to remember and visualize. It would be good to keep this in our hip pocket so when the opportunity arises, we can use it when we are witnessing for the Lord.

And just like Jesus did when He was talking with Nicodemus, we can follow-up the illustration of Moses’ serpent with one of the most beloved verses in the Bible – John 3:16.

14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on November 10, 2024.)