God promises, anyone who is bitten can look at it and live. The snake on the pole and their deliverance was from god. Jesus has just told him that he needs to be born again in order to enter the kingdom of god. But, it is likely, the dreadful judgments of god, executed upon the ten tribes, and the carrying them away captive for their superstition and idolatry, had been the means of mightily awakening both him and all the people, for the present, while these calamities were fresh before their. He told moses to make a snake out of a shiny metal called bronze. And god also said that whoever looks at that serpent of bronze, that person shall live. This is the classic twirly snake cut from a paper plate craft. On their showing repentance moses was bidden to put upon a lofty pole an image in bronze of such a serpent, which, according to ii kings xviii. Further, having grown up in rattlesnake country, i know that the last thing a person wants to do when snakes are around is to look up. Moses and the bronze snake arch book greg hyatt on. And as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up, john 3. The book of numbers is coming to terms with the fact that the old generation will not.
Lifting the snake high, on a wooden pole, and having the israelites looking at it for salvation from death, is a symbol of jesus being lifted up on the cross, and taking on the. A free bible version and commentary on the old testament book of numbers in easy english. I have heard many sermons on this text, yet i still do not have a good grasp on its significance. Moses was to put the bronze snake on a pole so all the people could see it. Hezekiah removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole. There is no indication that god intended it to ever be used again. So why would jesus refer back to a bronze snake lifted up by moses as an explanation of his life purpose. This is johns first of ten references to eternal life although he has already said in 1.
Enduring word bible commentary of the whole bible with. Last week we talked about the 12 men that went to the land of canaan. Pray that the lord will take the snakes away from us. Dec 15, 2006 the bronze serpent story in numbers 21. The meaning of this type, or sign of salvation, is explained in the book of wisdom in these.
God told moses to pick one man from each of the 12 tribes. Grand old holy tells the story from old testament, of israelites being punished for their relentless complaints and. The personal use discount applies for one of an item for you or your immediate family members where applicable. Look at the serpent of bronze on the signal staff and you will be healed. Grand old holy tells the story from old testament, of israelites being punished for their relentless complaints and lack of faith in god. Mar 15, 2015 moses serpentonapole shows up again in the old testament, at 2 kings 18. Lifting the snake high, on a wooden pole, and having the israelites looking at it for salvation from death, is a symbol of.
Just as moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the son of man must be lifted up. The sufferers, when they looked upon the image from any part of the camp, were healed of their sickness num. Most if not all of those sermons focused on the storys relation to the crucifixion of christ. Why does a serpent represent what jesus did on the cross. He prayed and god provided this unusual remedy of a bronze snake on a pole. Surely god does not send poisonous snakes to punish human beings for their missteps. The bronze serpent was gods method of deliverance during the incident recorded in number 21. David guzik commentary on numbers 21, where god sends fiery serpents among. And the people who were bitten look at the copper snake and they get well again.
He broke into pieces the bronze snake moses had made, for up to that time the israelites had been burning incense to it. Jesus said, as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. Numbers 21 to 36 free bible commentary in easy english. He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that moses had made, for until those days the people of israel had made offerings to it. Why is a bronze serpent used to save the israelites in. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the asherah poles. What did the people who were bitten have to do in order to live. Moses serpentonapole shows up again in the old testament, at 2 kings 18. The cross, like the bronze snake, is a symbol of both. If anyone was bitten by a poisonous snake, they could look at the bronze snake and be made well. The serpent, a symbol of sin and judgment, was lifted up from the earth and put on a tree, which was a symbol of a curse galatians 3. And moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard.
Look at the bronze serpent on the pole in the book of john, someone was compared to the bronze serpent. And as moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the son of man must be lifted up, john 3. God forgives the people and tells moses to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Jesus refers to the way moses made a bronze serpent and put it up on a pole in order to make one specific point to nicodemus. They ask him to pray that the lord will take the snakes away from us. How the bronze serpent of moses and the cross are connected. And as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. If somebody mentions snake stories in the bible, the first one that pops into most peoples minds is adam and eve in the garden of eden, getting tricked into disobeying god by a clever snake. Certainly just looking at a bronze snake does not assuage a medical. So they had to trust god, that he would deliver them, not that a snake image had any power. Moses does intercede, and god instructs him to make a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole. While he does not refer to it as nehushtan, jesus does mention the bronze serpent in john 3. Jan 27, 2014 god forgives the people and tells moses to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Sep 14, 20 a bronze image of a snake is, therefore, an appropriate artifact for the purposes involved.
In the biblical books of kings the nehushtan is the derogatory name given to the bronze serpent on a pole first described in the book of numbers which. He prayed and god provided this unusual remedy of a bronze snake on a. They confessed their sin to moses, and asked him to intercede for them. As a rostered lcms pastor, teacher, musician, or dce you receive a 20% discount on qualifying books, bibles, professional books, and the lutheran study bible, when purchased for personal use. The bronze snake god sometimes chooses to show his glory through some very strange people, you only have to look around at ourselves to figure that one out. God sends poisonous serpents as punishment, but provides a bronze serpent on a pole so that a person who had been bitten could look at the serpent of bronze and live. Many of the israelites who had been bitten by the snakes looked at the bronze snake on the pole and were made. So moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole. Israel looked at the bronze snake and remembered what they had done to provoke god, the death that they deserved as a result, and the way god had made for them to live. Additionally, the main point is then organized in an easy to follow outline that flows through the bible text. The armies of israel now begin to emerge out of the wilderness, and to come into a land inhabited, to enter upon action, and take possession of the frontiers of the land of promise. He removed the high places which none of his predecessors had had the courage to attempt. Of course, we couldnt find any bronze crayons, so our snakes were a little unbiblical.
The enduring word bible commentary is structured by each book of the bible. What requires further explanation is the technique of healing projected in the account of the bronze serpent. When you consider the type of nations that god could have chosen to be his. The cross does the same for usnot the empty crossthat is a different symbol. So god asked moses to make a serpent of bronze and to put it on a signal staff. True meaning of the bronze serpent has interesting history. Kids colored the snake first and then cut along the lines to make a snake. The mysterious account of the copper or bronze serpent num 21.
Then the lord said to moses, make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard. One way of understanding such eye contact is that it served as a signal. Many of the israelites are killed by the snakes, and the people repent and plead with moses to intercede on their behalf. The meaning of this type, or sign of salvation, is explained in the book of wisdom in these words, he that turned himself toward it was not saved by the thing that. In other words, an admission of sin and a response of hopeful faith, looking to the means god provided for deliverance, was how the israelites could be rescued from physical death in this. Here youll find current best sellers in books, new releases in books, deals in books, kindle ebooks, audible audiobooks, and so much more. If a poisonous snake has bitten you, dont worry, you can be healed. The bronze snake sermon by mark holdcroft, numbers 21. The old serpent was the cause of death, temporal and spiritual. We also made the bronze serpent to go with the lesson.
Eternal life is not only life forever, but abundant, joyous, life in the presence of god forever. Jesus indicated that this bronze serpent was a foreshadowing of him. Remember, though, that even those who are healed will not live to reach canaan. In what way does the brazen serpent point to christs. A bronze image of a snake is, therefore, an appropriate artifact for the purposes involved. Bronze serpent i old testament i animated bible story for. And having that memory of snakes and sin is not such a bad backdrop to this mornings story fr. Just as moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the son of man must be lifted up, john 3. A glorious campaign this chapter gives us the history of, especially in the latter part of it.
So they come to moses and admit, we sinned when we spoke against the lord and against you. The people came to moses and said, we sinned when we spoke against the lord and against you. He says to put it on a pole, and that anyone who is bitten should look at it. The bronze serpent the cursecure paradox erich fromm 19001980, in his highly acclaimed work psychoanalysis and religion, which is rather fascinating reading, by the way, astutely observed, religion is any system of thought and action shared by a group which gives the individual a frame of orientation and an object of devotion. The next reference we find in the bible to this serpent is in john 3.
So moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Study numbers 21 using matthew henrys bible commentary concise to better. As moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. To help your study time, each chapter has the main point extracted from the text. Numbers 21 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Check out these helpful resources biblical commentary childerns sermons hymn lists john 3. The bronze snake symbolises the israelites sintheir grumbling against god, their failure to trust him, their rejection of his provision for them and his will. One is healed by gazing at a symbolic and potent artifact. See more ideas about sunday school crafts, bible crafts and snake crafts. Moses does intercede, and god instructs him to make a serpent of bronze. In john chapter three jesus used a historical illustration to teach nicodemus about the importance of believing in his coming death. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. Whoever looked to the bronze snake would be healed and live which is why medical doctors often have a snake on a pole. The books homepage helps you explore earths biggest bookstore without ever leaving the comfort of your couch.
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