Tag Archives: Moses and serpent

Moses and the Fiery Saraphs

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This coming Sunday is the 4th Sunday in Lent. With the dialogue with Nicodemus over, the verses become a monologue by Jesus in which he makes a reference to a well known story from the Book of Numbers – well known to the first century audience, but perhaps not to you. The setting for the reference is that the tribes have transited the wilderness and are near the Promised Land. Moses sends out 12 spies to reconnoiter the land. Ten return giving reports of dire warning and the message to turn back. Two recognize the peril but also note the fertility of the land – and point out that God is ever on their side. The people turn back, condemned to wander in the wilderness and the grumbling begins (actually continues!): Continue reading →

The Middle

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This coming Sunday is the 4th Sunday in Lent in Lectionary Cycle B. Our gospel selection is akin to walking into the middle of a conversation – and indeed it is. Although Nicodemus has faded from the scene, at least by mention and name, this gospel is part of that dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Jews. John 3:1-21 is often taken as a single pericope by scholars, that is, studied and considered together. Continue reading →

The fiery serpents

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The first reading today is from the Book of Numbers 21:4-9:

With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.” Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

The Book of Numbers is the title of the book in English, but the Hebrew title is, more commonly, bemiḏbar, “in the wilderness [of]”). “In the wilderness” describes the contents of the book much better than “numbers,” which is derived from the censuses described in later chapters. Our passage occurs after God has assigned them to wander in the desert for a generation because of their rebellion against the leadership of God. They seem to have to fight their way through the wilderness.  Continue reading →

Everyone who believes: lifted up

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Christ on CrossLifted up to Eternal Life. This section of the Gospel concludes with an impressive statement of the purpose of the death of Jesus. Jesus recalls the incident wherein, when fiery serpents bit the Israelites, Moses was told to make a snake of bronze and set it on a pole (Num. 21). Whoever looked at the bronze snake was healed. And, just as that snake was “lifted up” in the wilderness, so, Jesus says, “so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Continue reading →

Whoever believes: lifted up

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Christ on CrossLifted up to Eternal Life. This section of the Gospel concludes with an impressive statement of the purpose of the death of Jesus. Jesus recalls the incident wherein, when fiery serpents bit the Israelites, Moses was told to make a snake of bronze and set it on a pole (Num. 21). Whoever looked at the bronze snake was healed. And, just as that snake was “lifted up” in the wilderness, so, Jesus says, “so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Continue reading →