As the Israelites continued their journey, they encountered the Canaanite king of Arad in the Negev desert. Seeing them approach his territory, he gathered his army, attacked, and even took some of them captive. True to their pattern throughout the wilderness, the Israelites turned to God only after exhausting every other option and attempting to resolve the crisis on their own. God responded to their plea, granting them victory, but as was often the case, once the danger had passed, they quickly returned to their old ways.
They set out from Mount Hor, taking the route toward the Red Sea to go around Edom. But along the way, the people grew impatient. Frustrated and weary, they spoke out against God and Moses, asking why they had been brought out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness. They complained there was no bread, no water, and voiced their disgust for the miserable food they were given.
Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. – Numbers 21:6 (NIV)
Calling Blessings as Curses
The Lord sent venomous snakes among the Israelites as a direct consequence of their rebellion and ingratitude. The people had become venomous themselves—not in body, but in attitude and spirit. Their words were filled with bitterness, their hearts turned against God, and their impatience grew into open rebellion. As a punishment, God sent real venom to match their venomous hearts. The snakes were not merely a random plague; they were a deliberate response, meant to confront the people with the seriousness of their sin and to bring about repentance. Some were even killed, showing that sin against God is not without consequences.
What the Israelites did at this point was worse than their previous grumblings. In the past, their complaints had been directed mostly at Moses or Aaron, but this time, they spoke directly against God. After having witnessed His mighty hand in Egypt, His provision in the desert, and His protection time and time again, they now turned their scorn toward Him. They despised the heavenly manna as if it were a curse rather than a blessing. Their complaint revealed a deep spiritual blindness: they were calling the very provision of God worthless. If they considered the manna a curse, what would they say when God sent the curse of the poisonous snakes among them?
Are we, too, calling God’s blessings a curse simply because they don’t suit our desires? When what He gives doesn’t align with our desires, do we dismiss His gifts as burdens? This dangerous attitude not only dishonours God but can bring real consequences upon us. Sometimes, God removes people or things from our lives that were leading us away from Him, and instead of recognising His mercy, we interpret it as loneliness or misfortune.
The Israelites longed for the end goal without valuing the journey God had prepared for them. In the same way, many today want the benefits of salvation without the walk of obedience. Some even see salvation itself as a kind of bondage, yearning for the freedom they once had in sin. But in truth, it is not God’s blessing that is the curse; it is our unwillingness to receive it with gratitude that turns blessings into a curse.
The Need for an Intercessor
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. – Numbers 21:7 (NIV)
The Israelites asked Moses to pray to God because they were desperate for immediate relief from the deadly snake bites. In their panic, they turned to the one they had previously criticised, pleading with him to intercede for them. But they were not truly seeking a restored relationship with God—they just wanted their suffering to stop. This highlights the difference between temporary and permanent relief. Many people cry out to God in moments of crisis, but as soon as the suffering eases, they return to their old ways. True healing comes not from avoiding discomfort, but from knowing God and understanding His purpose for our lives.
Seeking only temporary relief often indicates an unwillingness to change. Those who plan to return to their sin typically look for a quick fix rather than lasting transformation. But God desires something far greater for us. Instead of praying just for the pain to go away, we should be praying to find the path that leads us closer to Him. A sincere desire to know Him and walk in His ways leads to lasting peace, not just momentary escape.
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.” 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. Numbers 21:8-9 (NIV)
The bronze snake that God instructed Moses to make was unlike any pagan symbol. It was not an object of worship, but a tool of grace, given by God for a specific purpose. Unlike the golden calf, which the Israelites had crafted to replace God and credited with their deliverance, the bronze snake was commanded by God, and He remained the source of the healing. It was an act of faith: those who believed and obeyed by looking upon it were healed. However, in time, the people turned this symbol into an idol, worshipping it rather than honouring its intended purpose (2 Kings 18:4). Yet God’s original instruction was clear—they were to look at it, not bow to it or offer sacrifices. The healing came not from the object itself but from the faith it represented.
The Significance of the Bronze Snake
The bronze serpent, though an image of evil, became a means of healing through God’s mercy. This powerful symbol was not just a random choice, but a deliberate reflection of the Israelites’ own behaviour. The people had acted like snakes, spreading venom through their complaints and words, attacking God’s goodness. To confront their sin, God sent real venomous snakes, forcing them to face the consequences of their actions. When they looked at the bronze serpent, they were reminded of their rebellion and the poison within them.
Just as the Israelites were healed by looking at the serpent, we are offered spiritual healing today by looking to Jesus on the cross. The cross, like the serpent, calls us to confront our sin and recognise the venom within us. It’s not enough to glance casually at Christ’s sacrifice; we must truly see the cost of our sin in His suffering and death. Just as the Israelites had to face the reality of their affliction, we must confront the weight of our sin through the suffering of Christ.
Many people struggle to believe they can be holy because of the sin, shame, and spiritual failure within them. Yet, the message of the cross tells us that Jesus took all of mankind’s sin upon Himself and died in our place. The very thing that should have condemned us was nailed to the cross with Him. Jesus became sin for us so that through faith in Him, we could be made whole. Like the bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness, Jesus was lifted up for our healing, not just from physical affliction, but from the deeper venom of sin that poisons our souls.
The bronze serpent symbolised the very evil that had afflicted the Israelites, but it became a tool of God’s mercy. Similarly, Jesus, who bore the weight of the world’s sin, became the means of our spiritual healing and eternal life. The healing and salvation offered by Christ are not unlike the healing that came through the bronze serpent: both require faith, both involve recognising our sin, and both offer the promise of restoration. Just as the Israelites’ physical healing depended on looking to the serpent, our spiritual healing and salvation depend on looking to Christ on the cross in faith.
Discussion Questions
- Why did the LORD send venomous snakes among His own people?
- How was this act of rebellion worse than the Israelites’ previous complaints?
- Why do people sometimes view the journey of salvation as a burden rather than a blessing?
- Why are they asking Moses to pray to God rather than asking themselves for forgiveness?
- How is the bronze snake different from other pagan symbols?
- Why did Jesus reference this incident while talking about His Sacrifice?
Map
The Jordan Valley 
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