Understanding Numbers 21:8-9: Look and Live

Context of the Bronze Serpent in Numbers 21

This law-like command to make a bronze serpent comes not as part of Israel’s formal legal code, but in the middle of a real-life crisis that reveals God’s pattern of judgment, mercy, and the need for faith.

After complaining against God and Moses during their wilderness journey, the people were punished with venomous serpents, a direct consequence of their rebellion. When they repented, God removed the snakes and gave a specific way to be saved: look at the bronze serpent on a pole. This act of looking required trust in God’s instructions, not merely a glance.

The story shows that God meets us in our failure, but his rescue always calls for a response of faith - trusting what he says, even when it seems unusual or too simple.

The Bronze Serpent: From Divine Symbol to Idol and Gospel Foreshadowing

This single act of looking at a bronze serpent on a pole carries layers of meaning that unfold across centuries - from a real-time rescue in the wilderness to a shocking idol later destroyed, and ultimately to Jesus’ own explanation of his mission.

The bronze serpent was a tangible response to a physical crisis: venomous snakes sent as judgment for Israel’s rebellion. God’s instruction to make a 'fiery serpent' (Hebrew *saraph*) and set it on a pole provided a way for bitten people to live - but only if they looked. This wasn’t magic. It was a test of faith in God’s appointed method. The Hebrew word *nathan* (‘set’ or ‘put’) emphasizes divine appointment - this was no ordinary object, but one placed by God’s command.

Centuries later, the symbol became corrupted. By the time of King Hezekiah, the people had turned it into an idol called *Nehushtan* - burning incense to it instead of trusting the God it represented (2 Kings 18:4). This shows how even God-ordained signs can be twisted into superstition when the heart forgets their true meaning. Yet Jesus, in John 3:14-15, reclaims the symbol: 'And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.' Here, the serpent - once a reminder of sin and judgment - becomes a picture of Christ bearing our curse on the cross.

The original law reflects a principle seen in ancient Near Eastern cultures: visible symbols for divine healing. But unlike pagan rituals focused on power or manipulation, Israel’s remedy required humble faith. The object wasn’t powerful in itself - it pointed beyond itself to God’s mercy.

Jesus reclaims the bronze serpent not as a relic, but as a sign of his own lifting up - the only cure for the deadly poison of sin.

Jesus’ words transform this ancient event into a gospel promise. Just as looking at the bronze serpent brought physical life, looking to Christ in faith brings spiritual life. The next section will explore how this theme of 'looking to live' runs through Scripture, shaping how we understand salvation by grace.

How the Bronze Serpent Points to Jesus and the End of the Law

The story of the bronze serpent is not merely an ancient miracle - it illustrates how salvation works through Jesus, whom God lifted up for all to see.

Jesus Himself explained this in John 3:14-15: 'And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.' Just as the Israelites had to look at the bronze serpent to live, we must look to Christ on the cross to be saved - not by works, but by faith.

Christ didn’t cancel the law’s message - He fulfilled it by becoming the ultimate remedy for sin.

This shifts everything. The law, including God’s command about the bronze serpent, showed the problem (sin) and pointed to God’s solution, but couldn’t fix the heart. In Christ, the symbol becomes reality: He took the curse of sin upon Himself. Paul says in Galatians 3:13, 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.' He didn’t abolish the law’s purpose - He completed it. So no, Christians don’t follow the bronze serpent law today, because its true meaning has been fulfilled in Jesus. Now, salvation comes not by obeying old signs, but by believing in the One who died and rose for us - preparing the way for the final restoration of all things.

The Bronze Serpent in Israel’s Story: From Symbol to Idol to Gospel Sign

Now that we’ve seen how the bronze serpent pointed to Christ, we can trace its full journey through Scripture - from God’s appointed sign, to forbidden idol, to Jesus’ own explanation of salvation.

Centuries after Moses, the bronze serpent became a snare. The people began to burn incense to it, treating it as a magical object rather than a reminder of God’s mercy (2 Kings 18:4). King Hezekiah, in his faithfulness to purify Judah’s worship, destroyed it, calling it 'Nehushtan' - a piece of brass - because the people had forgotten the God it represented.

This moment reveals a deep human tendency: we turn good things into gods. The serpent, made by divine command, became an idol not because it was evil in itself, but because hearts grew dull. Yet Jesus reclaimed this very symbol, not as an object to venerate, but as a picture of His own crucifixion: 'And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life' (John 3:14-15). Just as the Israelites looked to live, we look to Christ - not to an image, but to the reality of His sacrifice. The law showed our need. The serpent pointed forward. Christ fulfills it all.

So what’s the heart principle? It’s this: salvation has always been by grace through faith, not by ritual or religious objects. We don’t need relics - we need a relationship. A modern example? Think of someone relying on church attendance, Bible reading, or moral effort as their 'bronze serpent' - something they trust in instead of Christ Himself. The real cure for sin’s poison is not a thing, but a person.

The bronze serpent was never meant to be worshipped - it was meant to point us to look away from ourselves and toward God’s provision.

Today, we ‘look’ to Jesus by trusting Him alone. That simple act of faith - turning to Him in our need - is still how we live. And this theme of divine lifting up - first the serpent, then the Savior - prepares us to see how God’s plan unfolds from judgment to mercy, from law to gospel, and ultimately to the restoration of all things.

Application