Snake On A Pole

I really am fascinated by the amazing parallels in the Bible between the Old and New Testaments. There are so many examples of people, places, events, or things in the Old Testament that are pictures of things to come, fulfilled in the New Testament. 

One such event is the story of a "snake on a pole". In the Old Testament, there is a scene described where the nation of Israel is grumbling and complaining. After all God had done for them through Moses - led them out of Egyptian slavery - miraculously gave them food (manna) - and protected them - the people of Israel started to complain and speak against God and Moses. 

“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness? There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!” (Numbers 21:4-5).

Wrong thing to do! Because they spoke against Him and against Moses, God decided to punish them severely. He sent poisonous snakes among them! Some Bible translations call them fiery serpents. Fiery serpents sure sounds more terrifying. Maybe they were called fiery because of the inflammation resulting from the bites, or maybe because of the judgment against them by God (many times fire signifies judgment in the Bible). Regardless, these poisonous serpents began biting the people, and whoever was bitten died. When the people realized what they were guilty of, they begged Moses to help.

“We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.”  (Numbers 21:6-7).

Moses prayed, and then God decided to provide a way out for them - a way of rescuing them - a way of healing them. He instructed Moses to do something very strange - probably something that didn't make much sense at the time. 

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”  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, they lived. (Numbers 21:8-9)

And sure enough, when anyone was bitten by a poisonous snake, they looked at the bronze snake and they lived! This cure was conditional, it was their choice to stare at the snake on a pole and trust that it would cure them, and it did!

Now the story could have just stopped there and it would have been an incredible story. As a matter of fact, it did stop there for a long, long time - until the Apostle John reflected on it. John realized something - that this whole serpent on a pole thing had double importance. First, it was obviously a miracle of healing, saving the people. But secondly, and more importantly, it was a prefigure, a model, of Jesus crucified on a cross! Maybe that's why God came up with this snake on a pole idea to begin with. 

John writes about it in the two verses that precede one of the most popular verses in the entire Bible - John 3:16 ( “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.") But take a look at the two verses that lead up to it - John 3:14-15. That's where John compares the story of the snake on a pole to belief in Jesus!

Here's what John writes: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:14-16). 

There are several parallels that John is making. First, just as the poisonous snakes bit the people, sin poisons us. Second, just as the people would die if they didn't look at the snake, believing that it would cure them, we will die in our sins if we don't believe in Jesus, who offers us life. Third, just as the snake was lifted up on a pole, Jesus was lifted up on a cross, for our sake. Fourth, just as the bronze snake was the one and only cure for the people, Jesus is the one and only cure for the sins of all people. Fifth, just as the people needed only to look at the bronze snake, we are saved, not by good works or deeds, but by grace. 

I'm sure you could come up with even more parallels in this story. What's important to remember though, is that this comparison of the Old Testament bronze snake story to Jesus on the cross is a legitimate comparison because the Apostle John teaches it as such.

So from now on, when you hear the story of the snake on a pole, let it remind you of Jesus and how he saves you. And may your eyes continue to look toward Him, for healing and for forgiveness. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

One more interesting thing.....the Bible mentions the snake on a pole in one other place. It occurs in 2 Kings 18:4. It's when King Hezekiah smashes it to pieces, hundreds of years later. By that time, it had become an object of idol worship. Perhaps they trusted the snake for healing instead of trusting in God Himself. King Hezekiah wanted to do right in the sight of God, so he got rid of all the false idols, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. "He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it." (2 Kings 18:4). 

It makes you wonder, would we do the same today if we had a piece of the actual cross, or the ark of the covenant, or a part of Noah's ark? Would we worship those things more than God Himself? (Romans 1:25). Maybe there's a good reason we don't have such things.

And finally, have you noticed the