Wednesday 20th September
Read Numbers 21:4-9
“They travelled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go round Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’
6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people.
8 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.’ 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, they lived.” (NIVUK)
Why a snake on a pole?
Because a snake on a pole foreshadows the greatest victory over sin and judgment in history. When Jesus was lifted up on a pole, and people looked to Him, life was granted in full. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’” (John 3:14-15) (NIVUK).
Why must the ‘Son of Man’ be lifted up? Because “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting-place will be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10) (NIVUK). The Hebrew for ‘stand as a banner’ is a rather rare phrase, translated ‘up on a pole’ in Numbers. Isaiah sees this snake on a pole bringing life from judgment and finds both the Messiah (Root of Jesse) and the Suffering Servant brought together. “See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (Isaiah 52:13) (NIVUK). The lifted up ‘Son of Man’ will both judge the world and save it. The nations will be restored.
It is why, in the final week of His life, when the Gentiles came seeking Jesus (rallying to Him), that He drew together all these threads and knew that His time had finally come. ‘That day’ was finally near. “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’” (John 12:32) (NIVUK).
Why a snake on a pole indeed…
