Numbers 21:9: So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
Today’s verse is a foreshadowing of the Gospel. The fiery serpents, mentioned in Numbers 21:6, are symbols of sin. Our introduction to Satan himself is in the form of a serpent in the Garden of Eden. It is not an incidental fact that the serpent that Moses made was made of bronze. Bronze is a symbol of judgment in the Bible. Consequently, we see the symbol of sin, the serpent, being made of bronze – a sign of judgment, being put on a pole. Those that would look upon it after being bitten would live. Jesus referenced this verse in the Gospel of John in verse 3:14 saying, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up”.
I grew up in a very judgmental home. In fact, when I think of the majority of my relatives I’ve known during my life, being judgmental is a core component of our family system. I always hated being judged, and I still do. Before I became a Christian, my main problem with judgment was that I felt whatever I did was never enough – or always wrong. I would think I’ve done something right or well, but would come to learn that it would fall short of someone’s standards or expectations. Moreover, those standards and expectations seemed to vary from moment to moment and from person to person. I couldn’t win, and it felt so unfair. When I did do something wrong, I often found the judgments seemed overstated in light of the crime. In many situations, I didn’t even know I had committed a crime – yet was being judged!
In my years of being a Christian, I’m still mentally, emotionally, and spiritually processing the sovereign interaction of God’s judgment and God’s grace. An important hurdle for me in coming to appreciate God’s judgment was that there was a uniform standard of conduct to aspire to. God doesn’t change and neither do His statutes. God is good, and God is love – so it only stands to reason that His standards are rooted in goodness and love. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that there are consequences to disobedience to God’s desire for our conduct.
One of the great “features” of true Christianity is that the foundation of our relationship with God is rooted in our belief and faith in Jesus Christ and the works He has done and continues to do on our behalf. This is the grace of God and no clearer evidence of His awesome love for us. He has stayed true to His perfect holiness by judging our sin, yet He paid the only possible price that would both satisfy the Father’s judgment of our sin and allow us to comprehend His desire and ability to forgive us to the fullest extent. Our faith in this Divine-initiated transaction allows us to build an intimate relationship with Him. We can then freely and joyfully fellowship with Him without being crippled by the lingering effects of our sin. This is God’s will for us.
Today’s verse is an early example of God’s grace to those He loves. His people were sinning, they confessed, and they sought relief from the judgment of their sin. God did judge their sin, but He, out of His love and compassion for them, gave them a way to live despite their sin. If we’re honest, we’re not really all that different from the people of Israel. Thank God He isn’t any different either.