The account of the bronze serpent is found in Numbers 21:4–9. As the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness, they became discouraged and spoke against God and Moses, complaining about their condition and the manna provided to them. In response, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and many were bitten and died (Numbers 21:5–6).
The people came to Moses, confessed their sin, and asked for intercession. Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord instructed him to make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. “And it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8). Moses obeyed, made a bronze serpent, and raised it on a pole. Those who looked at it in faith were healed (Numbers 21:9).
The bronze serpent served as a symbol of both judgment and healing. It represented the curse of sin but also the mercy of God in providing a means of salvation.
In the New Testament, Jesus referred to this event in His conversation with Nicodemus. He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14–15). This comparison shows that just as the Israelites were saved by looking upon the lifted serpent in faith, sinners are saved by looking to Christ crucified.
Later in Israel’s history, the bronze serpent became an object of idolatry. King Hezekiah broke it into pieces and called it “Nehushtan,” meaning “a bronze thing,” because the people had begun burning incense to it (2 Kings 18:4).
The bronze serpent teaches the seriousness of sin, the necessity of faith, and the power of God to heal and save. It ultimately points to Christ, who bore the curse of sin and offers life to all who believe in Him.
