Snakes: Biting and Bronzed

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Snakes Biting and Bronzed

• Num 21.4-9 2 Kgs 18.3-6

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John 3.14-15

• And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
  wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
  so that whoever believes in him may have eternal
  life.

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Where the Story Begins . . . .

• Num 20.21 Since Edom refused to give Israel
  passage through their territory, so Israel turned
  away from them.

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Death All Around

• Num 20.1b . . . and they stayed at Kadesh.
  Miriam died there and was buried there.
• Num 20.28b . . . and Aaron died there on the top
  of the mountain (Mt. Hor) . . . .

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Impatient Num 21.4

• They journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the
  Sea of Reeds to go around the land of Edom. So
  the mood of the people became short (shortness of
  breath/impatient).

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The Complaint Num 21.5

• The people spoke against God and against Moses,
  "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die
  in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no
  water! We hate this miserable food!

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The Punishment Num 21.6

• So Yahweh sent seraph snakes against the people.
  They bit the people, so many from among the
  Israelites died.

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Repentance Intercession Num 21.7

• The people came to Moses and said, "We have
  sinned when we spoke against Yahweh and you.
  Intercede with Yahweh to take away the snakes
  from us!" So Moses interceded for the people.

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Requirement Num 21.8

• Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Make a seraph and put
  it on a pole! It will happen that when anyone who
  has been bitten and looks at it will live."

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Healing Num 21.9

• Moses made a copper snake and put it on a pole.
  When anyone was bitten by a snake and gazed at
  the copper snake, that one lived.

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Snakes A Dangerous Metaphor

• Egyptian snakes were worn to protect one from
  snake bites
• Canaanite symbol of life fertility?
• Midianite A Midianite sanctuary in Timnah.

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The Obedience Factor

• The Repentance Intercession was not enough for
  the healing Obedience

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The Belief Factor

• Num 21.8, 9 uses two different words to depict
  the look-factor look and gaze!
• Wenham like a sacrifice, seeing is equal to
  hand on the sacrifice?
• Zohar when one looks at the image, one prays to
  God in recognition of his or her sins?

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Hezekiah 2 Kgs 18.3

• He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, just
  as David his father.

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Purging 2 Kgs 18.4

• He removed the high places and smashed the
  pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke
  in pieces the copper snake which Moses had made,
  for until that time the children of Israel
  offered incense to it. It was call Nehushtan.

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Nehushtan Dangerous Metaphor gone bad

• What once was just a tool . . . that spoke of
  seeing and obeying, now has become a cult object.

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Trust 2 Kgs 18.5

• In Yahweh the God of Israel, he trusted after
  him, there was none like him among all the kings
  of Judah, or before him.

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Keeping 2 Kgs 18.6

• He held fast to Yahweh he did not depart from
  following him he kept the commandments that
  Yahweh commanded Moses.

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Trust Obedience

• Looking to God, trusting God in times of crisis
• Learning to obey God

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John 3.14-15

• And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
  wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
  so that whoever believes in him may have eternal
  life.

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