The Bronze Serpent

The Israelites travelled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, going around the land of Edom. It was a hard journey, and the people became deeply discouraged along the way.

In their discouragement, the people spoke against God and against Moses. They said Moses had brought them up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness. They complained that there was no bread and no water, and they said they hated this food.

Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among the people. The snakes bit them, and many people of Israel died. It was a fearful judgement.

So the people came to Moses and said they had sinned by speaking against the Lord and against him. They asked Moses to pray to the Lord that the snakes would be taken away. Moses prayed for the people.

The Lord told Moses to make a venomous snake and set it on a pole. God said that anyone who was bitten and looked at it would live. Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the pole. When a bitten person looked at the bronze serpent, that person lived.