Di – The Healing Snake 21: 1-9

The Healing Snake
21: 1-9

The healing snake DIG: What did it mean to “completely destroy” a city or people? Why did God approve of, even command, that the Israelites completely destroy whole cities? After destroying ‘Arad, why do the people complain (again) about the manna? How was the healing snake Moses put on a pole a type of Messiah and His ministry? Why and how does he provide relief from the snakes? 

REFLECT: What does ADONAI do when you need discipline? When you need relief? How does this compare to God’s actions in this passage? Despite their victory over ‘Arad, the people’s trust lacked endurance. What can you do to build endurance in trusting ADONAI? What use of this incident does Yeshua make? Have you taken advantage of the lifted up Healer and the Bread of Life? 

All who looked upon the healing snake lived.

‘Arad destroyed (21:1-3): Chapter 21 describes the first “official” encounter with the Canaanites on the battlefield. Isra’el’s victory against the Canaanite king at Hormah provided a glimpse of what should have happened in Isra’el’s first attack into Canaan (to see link click Cc – Defeat by the Canaanites and Amalekites). Then the king of ‘Arad, a Canaanite who lived in the Negev about twenty miles south of Hebron, heard that Isra’el was approaching by way of Atharim, so he attacked Isra’el and took some of them captive (21:1). The news of Isra’el’s march from Egypt to Kadesh had gone before them and the rulers of the city-states in Canaan weren’t going to give in to those intruders without a fight. Apparently Isra’el wasn’t initially prepared because some of them were taken prisoners.⁴¹³ But instead of proceeding without God’s presence or counsel as Isra’el had done in Isra’el’s first attack into Canaan, the leaders now consulted with Ha’Shem. Isra’el vowed to follow ADONAI in a holy war (see Deuteronomy Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh) and dedicated all the cities they captured to YHVH by utterly destroying them (see Leviticus Ff – Cherem). Isra’el made a cherem vow to ADONAI, “If you will hand these people over to me, I will completely destroy their cities” (21:2).

We need to remember that the Canaanites were not a highly unified war machine. Their cities were spread throughout the Promised Land, mainly in the valleys and the Jordan Valley. They were largely city-states, some walled, some not. When there was a common enemy, they tended to unify, but not all the time. Remember also that the term “Canaanite” was a generic term for the tribes of the descendants of Canaan. Hence, we find the names “Jebusites,” “Amorites,” “Girgashites,” and the “Hivites” all representing the larger term “Canaanite.”⁴¹⁴ The Canaanites did not unite and the Israelites defeated the king of ‘Arad. ADONAI listened to what Isra’el said and handed the Canaanites over to them, so they completely destroyed (cherem) them and their cities and named the place Hormah (Hebrew: chormah, meaning devoted, the implication is devoted to complete destruction) (21:3). The association of the victorious battle with Isra’el’s earlier defeat was made certain by the use of the name of this place. Therefore, one might hope that perhaps the wilderness generation had finally begun to develop a sense of trust and obedience to God, but the story that follows about the bronze snake quickly dashes those hopes.⁴¹⁵

The people complained (21:4-5): This passage has a geographical and logical connection to the account of the death of Aaron on Mount Hor (see Df – The Death of Aaron), and to the rebuff of Edom in not permitting Isra’el to pass through its territory even though they were right at the edge of the Promised Land (see De – The Resistance of Edom). There is no real connection indicated with the little account of the victory over the Canaanites of ‘Arad as seen above. These accounts are separate but contrasted for effect. The people had to travel on a detour because of the stubborn attitude of Edom. Each step they took south and east, rather than north and west, must have seemed unbearably tedious. They once again traveled the road to the Sea of Reeds to make a broad journey around Edom. Then they traveled from Mount Hor on the road toward the Sea of Reeds in order to go around the land of Edom; but the people knew there was a shorter way and, as a result, grew impatient because it was at least a two-hundred mile detour (21:4).⁴¹⁶

Typically, the people complained against Moses, and sometimes Aaron, but rarely did they complain directly against YHVH as they did here. The people spoke against God and against Moshe: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? To die in the desert? There’s no real food, there’s no water, and we’re sick of this miserable manna we’re eating” (21:5)! They, like their fathers before them, asked why they had not been left in Egypt and why they should be brought to this awful place to die. They dragged out the same old laundry list of complaints about the lack of food and water and the monotony of the manna. If the preceding story of the conquest of the Canaanite king was a hopeful glimpse of what Isra’el’s obedience could have been, then this complaint story is a tired old snapshot of what Isra’el’s disobedience had been all along (11:1-4, 14:2-4, 16:13-14, and 20:3-5).⁴¹⁷

The healing snake (6-9): Once more God’s people had rejected Him; again He brought judgment on their heads. The pattern of rebellion by the people followed by God’s judgment is well established in the book of Numbers. It is possible that the basic trigger that provoked the outrageous actions and words of Moshe in his rebellion against YHVH in 20:9-11 was precisely because he felt this pattern had been broken at that time. ADONAI had not brought His wrath against the people as Moses might have expected in 20:2-5. So, Moshe raged against them, and in the process he forgot who God was (and is). He confused the holy with the profane. For that moment it seemed like he didn’t believe that Ha’Shem would demonstrate His holiness to the people of Isra’el (20:12). But this time, God acted as Moses expected. He brought a new instrument of judgment on the people. This time it was snakes. In response, God sent poisonous snakes among the people; they bit the people, and many of Isra’el’s people died (21:6). They received a string instead of a blessing.

Nevertheless, there was a change of sorts in the people as they are described in this chapter. They continued to rebel (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God), but now they asked for forgiveness. They were sinners, but they were confessing their wickedness. The people came to Moshe and said: We have sinned by speaking against ADONAI (Psalm 51:3-4) and against you Moses. Pray to ADONAI that he rid us of these snakes (21:7a). In this act of repentance, we can see the seeds of renewal. In their desire for forgiveness, there was hope for their future. So Moshe prayed for the people (21:7b) as he had prayed for them before (for example 11:2). And YHVH answered, but in a most unusual way. In the case of the fire that came down out of heaven at the beginning of their troubles (11:1-3), the prayer of Moshe put the fire out. In this case, however, the snakes did not slither away, nor did they lose their fangs; the fiery snakes continued to plague the people with their horrible bites, and the people continued to grow ill and die.⁴¹⁸

And ADONAI answered Moshe: “Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who has been bitten looks (Hebrew: raah, the general word for looking) at it, he will live.” Obediently, he made the bronze snake (21:8-9a). The phrase a bronze snake is a wordplay since the words snake and bronze are closely related in Hebrew: nehash nehoshet. Several hundred years later in Isra’el’s history, King Hezekiah destroyed what was alleged to be the bronze snake. He removed the high places, smashed the standing-stones, cut down the Asherah and broke to pieces the bronze serpent that Moshe had made; because in those days the people of Isra’el were making offerings to it, calling it Nechushtan, sounding like the Hebrew for both bronze and snake (Second Kings 18:4).⁴¹⁹

We pray that this time all Isra’el will look to the real Healer lifted up on a crucifixion stake, affecting healing from the most poisonous snakebite of them all . . . sin (see the commentary on Romans Da – The Redemption of Isra’el). And put it on the pole (21:9b). It is fascinating that the Hebrew word translated pole (Hebrew: nes) is also the same word for miracle. Therefore, the complete answer to this mystery pole is found in John 3:13-15: No one has gone up into heaven; there is only the One who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life. Just as the pole in the wilderness was a miracle, so was the atonement of Messiah. ADONAI accepted the blood of one perfect Man in the place of sinners. But He did not keep the sacrifice dead! Three days later, Yeshua rose from the dead! This was, indeed, a great miracle! Hence, the pole (snake, cross, tree) became a miracle as it helped to bring about the perfect atonement accomplished by the Son of God for all who would put their trust in Him.⁴²⁰

If a snake had bitten someone, then, when he looked (Hebrew: hibit, meaning to pay close attention and emphasizes a fixed gaze) intently toward the bronze snake, he stayed alive (21:9c). There were two aspects of looking at work here. One was physical; health not heaven was involved. Many would die in the wilderness of the fiery venom of those snakes. But not all had to die. ADONAI would keep many alive if they would only do as He demanded. It is important to note that the bronze snake did not save anyone. But secondly, this look, that is what saved them, involved trust. Those who looked with a fixed gaze were healed.⁴²¹

The Talmud asks how a copper snake could control life and death (Rosh Ha’Shanah 29a). The answer given is that when the Israelites raised their eyes to Ha’Shem they were healed. There is, however, an even more ancient Jewish commentary on the story of the copper snake. I am referring to a passage from a Pseudepigraphic writing from the first half of the first century AD called The Wisdom of Solomon. The writer says this about the miracle of the healing copper snake. Only for a while were they thrown into disarray as a warning, possessing as they did a symbol of Your salvation to remind them of the commandment of Your Torah. For whoever turned towards it was saved, not by the sight beheld, but through You, the Savior of all (Rabbi J. H. Hertz, The Pentateuch and Haftarah, page 660).

Notice several things about this comment from The Wisdom of Solomon. First, it refers to granting eternal life and delivery from death. This is in keeping with the comments expressed in The Wisdom of Solomon when it refers to God as “the Savior.” Yeshua, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Messiah, is also called “The Savior.” After all, that is the literal meaning of His name, Yeshua. Thus, just as The Wisdom of Solomon was directing people to view God as the Savior when they thought of the copper snake, even more so does John 3:13-15 (above) do the same. The real Savior of the Israelites is the same One who spiritually saves all who trust Him from death and grants them the gift of eternal life.

We learn from Numbers 21:7 that the snake was not upraised until after Isra’el repented of their sin. In other words, the benefits gained from looking at the snake were not effective until the issue of sin was dealt with. This is the same way for the One who was lifted up in John 3:13-15. In order to receive the gift of eternal life through “looking” to Him, the issue of sin has to be taken care of first. In fact, that is the reason why He was lifted up on the cross . . . to die for sin.

Notice the irony of the whole story. The snake caused terror to the Israelites. It was the Snake of old who is behind such terror – Satan himself. But neither of those “snakes” could do anything apart from Divine permission. It was the Holy One Himself who was, and is, in control. Both “snakes” are merely pawns in the eternal plan of the Ancient of Days. And, in this plan He promised that although the snake would inflict a wound upon the people, it would be a perfect descendant of Adam – the Messiah – who would inflict upon the snake in the garden the devastating blow. The Seed of the woman, the Messiah, will crush the head of the evil one (Genesis 3:15). Instead of the Israelite people looking at a snake and remembering all the terror he caused, ADONAI arranged it so that the uplifted snake would cause their thoughts to be directed towards Him, the Savior of all who would believe (John 3:16). In doing so, they would see the One who was promised to inflict the deathblow upon all “snakes,” the Son of Man Himself, Yeshua Messiah.⁴²²

If I asked you if you were a sinner, what would you say? Romans 3:23 says: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That includes you and me, doesn’t it? Most people feel that being good gets you into heaven and being bad keeps you out. That simply is not true; we all have sinned. What would you say sin is? I think we can agree that we are both sinners; now let’s define sin. Some have said, “I’m not perfect,” or “I have made some mistakes.” But what do you think the Bible means by sin? Well, the Bible says that everyone practicing sin breaks God’s law – indeed, sin is lawlessness (First John 3:4). Have you ever disobeyed your parents? Have you ever misused the name of God? Have you ever told a lie? This is what sin is. It’s breaking God’s law. And any time you break a law there is a penalty. If you run a stop sign, the penalty is a fine. If you rob a bank, the penalty is jail. What is the penalty for breaking God’s law?

The Bible teaches us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). The wages of work is money, but the wages of sin is death. In other words, what I earn – the penalty, the punishment of sin – is death. Death is separation. The Bible speaks of two kinds of death that are two kinds of separation. The first death is separation of the body and the soul. If I were to die right now my body would fall to the floor, but my soul, the real me, would go somewhere else. But the Bible speaks of another death, one it calls the second death. This is separation of the soul from God. Now, the penalty of sin is death, spiritual death, and separation from the LORD. To put it simply – hell. All this is really bad news. But there is good news.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We were spiritually dead and unable to make the first move toward God because we inherited Adam’s sin nature that rebelled and separated us from Him. So, God made the first move toward us by sending His one and only Son to die in our place for the payment for our sins. We stand before the Son of God, guilty of sin, and facing a death penalty. But Yeshua, as judge (John 5:27), comes down from behind the seat of judgment, takes off His judicial robe and stands beside us. It is there that He says to us, “I will take your place. I will die for you.” And if you were the only person in the world, He still would have died for you. The penalty for sin is death, but Messiah died and paid for sin so we do not have to go to hell.

It is not what you do for God that saves you, it is what God has already done for you.
You don’t get to heaven by what you do; you get to heaven by what you believe.

What is it that you need to believe in, to trust in, to have faith in, to be saved?

Do you have your Passport to eternity?

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son who died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 and First Corinthians 15:3b-4). If you believe this, you are saved.

Nothing else matters.

Salvation = faith + nothing (not baptism, not good works, nothing means nothing). Without
faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that
He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Now is the day of
salvation (Hebrews 11:6 and Second Corinthians 6:2c).

Would you like to be saved right now?

Pray this simple prayer in faith. But before you do, I want you to remember that saying a prayer does not save you, trusting in Jesus Christ does. God, I admit that I have sinned. I believe Yeshua Messiah died for my sins and I want to trust Him to save me right now. Lord, please come into my heart and make me a new person. I accept your gift of salvation.

If you were to die right now, where would you go?

Why should God let you into His heaven?

That’s right, because Yeshua died to pay for your sins.⁴²³

If you prayed that prayer in faith see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What
God Does for Us at the Moment of Faith.