Numbers 21:8–9—“And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 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.” 

After murmuring against God, Israel in the wilderness was judged by fiery serpents whose bites brought death. Yet in mercy, the Lord provided a remedy. He commanded Moses to lift up a serpent of brass upon a pole, declaring that whoever looked upon it would live. The cure was not earned, but received by a simple, obedient gaze.

This event reveals both the seriousness of sin and the compassion of God. Israel’s rebellion deserved judgment, yet God made a way of deliverance. The remedy seemed unusual, even foolish by human reasoning, yet it was entirely sufficient because it was appointed by God. Life was not found in human effort, but in trusting God’s provision.

Jesus drew upon this event in Israel’s history to point His hearers clearly to Himself. In John 3:14–15, Jesus declares, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Just as the serpent was lifted up to deliver from certain death, so Christ was lifted up on the cross to bring salvation to the soul. He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might live through Him.

We are all bitten by sin and under its deadly curse. Yet God has provided a Saviour. We are not called to achieve, but to look in faith. Fix your gaze upon Christ crucified. In Him alone there is life. Look and live.