Numbers 2021, the bronze serpent west palm beach church of. Looking at a bronze serpent on a pole cannot remove deadly venom. Bronze snake what the original bronze snake represents. Book of numbers overview insight for living ministries. And moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard.
The bronze serpent for the eighth time on their wilderness journey, the children of israel murmured and. Jan 31, 2017 the book of numbers contains the account of a strange event which took place during israels time of wandering in the wilderness. Book of numbers bible survey who was aaron in the bible. As the people are going around the nation of edom, the people became impatient on the way 21. As it does for the rest of the pentateuch, universal jewish and christian tradition attributes the authorship of the book of numbers to moses. The israelites are traveling through the wilderness and they start complaining about the very manna that god has been providing miraculously to feed them in the desert. The book of numbers derives its name from the account of the two censuses taken of the hebrew people, one near the beginning and the other toward the end of the journey in the wilderness chaps.
The death of miriam opens the chapter as an ominous reminder about the falling of this generation in the wilderness for their rebellion. For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. In a pastors sketches solid ground christian books, 1. Jan 27, 2006 the symbol of physicians comes from the book of numbers. The meaning of this type, or sign of salvation, is explained in the book of wisdom. The bronze serpent 5 and spoke against god and against moses. And moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. But i have still much looking at the bronze serpent to do if i am to continue my healing. Play this really fun bible game to help your kids learn the truth from this story that jesus is the only one who can save us. Why did god tell moses to make a bronze serpent on a stick.
When you consider the type of nations that god could have chosen to be his people, you wonder why he chose the nation of israel initially. Why did moses use a serpent, the symbol for satan, as an instrument of. The same was true of israel in the book of numbers. The bronze snake that god told moses to make as recorded in numbers 21. They dont worship it, but they are to look at it in order to live. What is the difference between the ceremonial law, the moral law, and the judicial law in the old testament. Numbers 21 commentary matthew henry commentary on the.
A key phrase of the book, all who were able to go forth to war, appears 14 times in chapter one. Christian bible study resources, dictionary, concordance and search tools. If you need help in becoming a christian here is a free gift for you. Near the end of their arduous 40 years in the desert, the israelites were traveling from mount hor around the land of edom, following the red sea. There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food. It continues the story of that journey begun in exodus, and describes briefly the experiences of the israelites for a. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Impatience is a devastating sin that is the gateway to committing many other sins. Dec 15, 2006 the bronze serpent story in numbers 21.
He has moses make a bronze serpent, the symbol of death, and raise it up on a pole. The story of the bronze serpent in the book of numbers 21. This is the exact same place where the israelites have been hanging out since god freed them from slavery back in exodus. Theyve been in this same spot for about a year and now theyre getting ready to start out on their journey to this land flowing with milk and honey that god keeps talking about. I have heard many sermons on this text, yet i still do not have a good grasp on its significance. Throughout the wilderness wanderings of the israelites, god was constantly teaching them things about himself and about their own sinfulness. When moses prayed for the people, god instructed him to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so the people could be healed numbers 21. In john chapter three jesus used a historical illustration to teach nicodemus about the importance of believing in his coming death. Jesus uses the bronze serpent as an illustration of himself when talking to nicodemus. Teaching children about bible miracles the bronze serpent. Numbers 21 rsvce the bronze serpent when the bible gateway. The book of numbers begins with preparations for the israelites to leave.
But he saw that people had begun to look to it as a good luck charm. The meaning of this type, or sign of salvation, is explained in the book of. Moses made a serpent of bronze the removing of a pest by means of a bronze image of it finds parallels in ancient europe. The title for the book of numbers is most accurate in the. Most if not all of those sermons focused on the storys relation to the crucifixion of christ. Numbers 2021, the bronze serpent west palm beach church. I cringe when i read about pet snakes coming out of toilets or. In other words, the faith that saved the people in numbers 21 was a faith that motivated them to look at the bronze serpent. Bronze serpent why is a bronze serpent used to save the israelites in numbers 21. An important passage in light of the new testament is numbers 21. Today lets focus on a bible miracle from the book of numbers.
However, bronze is a metal associated with judgment in the bible, because bronze must be made by passing through the fires of judgment. Verse 14 of numbers 21 mentions the book of the wars of the lord. The book ends with the israelites across the jordan outside the land of canaan, underscoring a chief theme of the pentateuch as a whole. Jesus said, as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. Ring around the rosie sermon by thomas shirk, numbers 21. Here is a podcast where two new testament phd candidates explain how and why this book is dishonest, factually wrong, and. It is most often referred to as moses and the bronze serpent. Why hezekiah destroyed the bronze serpent and what it can. He is also seen in a variety of other ways including the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, the smitten rock, the star of jacob, and in the tabernacle. Jan 27, 2014 so jesus uses the episode of the bronze serpent to explain more precisely what he means by being born again. Fiery serpents among the people numbers 21 bible commentary. Mar 16, 2016 1st reading on tuesday of week 5 of lent isserp talbronz num. God sometimes chooses to show his glory through some very strange people, you only have to look around at ourselves to figure that one out. Sep 09, 2018 about 700 years after this incident in the wilderness, king hezekiah had to destroy this bronze serpent because it had become an object of idolatry to the israelites 2 kings 18.
Several of the the jewish commentators have tried to explain its appearance here by invoking the tale of the garden of eden. Jan 02, 2020 book of numbers bible survey who was aaron in the bible. Moses is the central figure within the book, and in at least two instances numbers mentions him recording events by the lords commands numbers 33. Book of numbers quiz brown bible flashcards quizlet. Numbers 2021, the bronze serpent in our last lesson we saw a turning moment in the book of numbers. He concludes this from the link of the hebrew seraph to the egyptian uraeus serpent. Numbers 21 revised standard version catholic edition rsvce the bronze serpent.
The book of numbers contains the account of a strange event which took place during israels time of wandering in the wilderness. Where is the story of the bronze serpent presented. In typology, the theme of numbers is service and walk. Jul 03, 2019 today lets focus on a bible miracle from the book of numbers. Jesus as the bronze serpent in the book of numbers the. Now, the serpent has some wellknown associations in the bible. God told moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. The bible story of the bronze serpent found in numbers 21. Sep 04, 2017 the story of the bronze serpent in the book of numbers 21. The book of numbers interpreted and explained according to its spiritual or internal sense study the original hebrewgreek with qbible. Numbers 21 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole.
He brought them into the wilderness, to the same mountain where he revealed himself to moses, so that he could. In the same way, the faith that saves you in john 3 is the faith that motivates you to believe in jesus and to trust his words. So moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole. Sep, 2016 the bronze serpent bible story kids on the move duration. Lets take a few minutes to think about this unusual biblical story, see its significance to israel, and then learn from jesus interpretation and application in the gospel of john. The bronze snake sermon by mark holdcroft, numbers 21.
Nebo, in jordan, there is a tall sculpture that commemorates the bronze serpent. However, the lord provides a means to save the people. The story begins with the israelites marching around the borders of. The bronze serpent and the cross of christ burning hearts. God ordered moses to make the representation of a fiery serpent, which he did, in brass, and set it up on a very long pole, so that it might be seen from all parts of the camp, and every one that was stung with a fiery serpent was healed by looking up to this serpent of brass. In later years, the israelites will view the bronze serpent as a holy relic of veneration and begin worshiping it. Jacob milgrom argues that the bronze or copper snake that moses put on the pole was a winged serpent. In the biblical books of kings the nehushtan is the derogatory name given to the bronze serpent on a pole first described in the book of numbers which god told. Sin came into the world through the serpent, satan, and now here in numbers the people are suffering the consequences of sin, namely death. In the book of numbers jesus christ, the messiah, is foreshadowed primarily by the serpent made of bronze. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Mainstream scholars suggest that the image of the fiery serpent served to function like that of a magical amulet.
Why is a bronze serpent used to save the israelites in. Why is a bronze serpent used to save the israelites in numbers 21. Additionally, the isaiah 30 passage describes these flying fiery serpents as the beasts of the negeb, the same location for the fiery serpents of numbers 21. Everyone in israel that had been bitten would live if they would look to the serpent. The symbol of physicians comes from the book of numbers. The metal sculpture, by giovanni fantoni, features a serpent twisted around a pole. So he attacked the israelites and took some of them as prisoners.
At th time of exodus, the population of israel was most likely. Home content index books of the bible numbers bronze serpent. Let us return to the book of numbers, and to the bizarre symbol of the bronze serpent. For this reason, it will wisely be destroyed by righteous king hezekiah 2 kings 18. This is the serpent mentioned in the book of numbers, in a story about israels wilderness wanderings.
The people began to worship the bronze serpent as an idol. The jews themselves say it was not the sight of the brazen serpent that cured. The book of numbers records the wilderness journeyings of the children of israel. The account of the bronze serpent is the last of the complaint stories in the book of numbers. The bronze serpent what does this story mean and how does it apply to my life. Why does a serpent represent what jesus did on the cross.
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