Snakes! Why Did It Have To Be Snakes?

Decades ago a smart, tough action character, played by Harrison Ford, captivated cinema-goers. In these stories, Indiana Jones was charismatic as he got himself in and out of messes, fighting evil through his archeological adventures. In the first of the series, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” we learned of Dr. Jones’s Achilles heel: snakes. When he dropped his torch into the deep “Well of Souls” the floor of the ancient, broad human-made pit seemed to be moving. As he sharpened his focus he saw it was a slithering carpet of serpents. The adventurer, who seemed fearless against all, as it turns out, hated snakes. This may have been the one point at which movie viewers found him relatable. Few can crack a bull whip-like him, but many have a thing about snakes.

When my son was in his primary grades, he had a thing about snakes, but it was the opposite thing. He had developed a fascination with reptiles. When we went to the community library he found his way quickly to the science and animal section to see what reptile books he might borrow. He knew that among the reptiles there were almost thirty Crocodilian species, over 350 species of turtles and tortoises, 11,000 species of lizards and snakes. And he knew there was a subgroup of reptiles with only one species. At a Houston Zoo learning circle, the kids gathered around, and the teacher was hinting about a creature from New Zealand that had a third primitive “eye” on top of his head, and in his little voice, Andrew shouted out, “A tuatara!” I was surprised and delighted! He knew about this one that looks entirely lizard-like but is from a distinct lineage from all lizards.

For Andrew, his curiosity about these animals translated even to his willingness to touch snakes at the Camp Allen Discovery Program learning time. Many of us, would pass on such an invitation. Even though many species are not venomous vipers or large constrictors, people do not care for snakes. Serpents are not wild about us either. A rattlesnake expels venom through its fangs only for eating or for protection. If such a viper bites another animal that is not its food, but out of defensive protection, it risks starving to death. If it was ready for its one meal in the two-week eating cycle, it might not have enough venom to get nourishment in time. Sympathetic yet?

Our Old Testament lesson this Sunday has features of rather primitive theology as it lays out for us the story of the children of Israel, out in the wilderness, contending with snake bites. Many died from the bites. The aspect of the story that may bother us is the feature the snakes were sent by God in response to the complaints the people made about the conditions and risks of their trek. Now, complaints against Moses and Aaron, the murmuring incidents recorded in chapters 11, 14, and 16 of Numbers, are serious. This rebellion is all the more serious because it is also a complaint against God. The effect of their rebellion is the visitation of fiery serpents: the bites leave the victims with burning pain. The remedy proscribed by God is to make a bronze fiery serpent and put it on a pole, and lift it so that people can look upon it when they suffer a snake bite. Looking up at it, allows the afflicted person to live.

The children of Israel, led by Moses were making their way from the Red Sea crossing around the land of Edom, but the people became impatient on the way, as you can see in this passage:

The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
—Numbers 21:5-9

These modern minds of ours are bothered by such a literal and deadly divine response to sin. I believe our focus is more positively placed upon the people’s recognition of their serious sin, their repentance, and the Lord’s provision of a remedy. The image of the snake was to be a symbol of the curse experienced. The lifting up of the symbol on a pole was the way the curse would be drawn away from the people—if they looked to it. This was a sign of faith. Much later, in the time of the southern kingdom of Judah that bronze symbol became an object of worship and had to be removed (2 Kings 18:4). John 3:14-15 records Jesus, alluding to it as an illustration of his own mission. Jesus would become the curse (the one who took upon himself all the sin of the world) and be lifted up so the people who looked by faith to him would live.

Reptiles get a bad rap; they always have. Even in Genesis, as Nicky Gumbel whimsically likes to say, “The man blamed the woman, the woman blamed the snake, and the snake did not have a leg to stand on.” I feel our lesson in all of this is to move away from rebellion against God, whenever we recognize it. We do well to realize that by grace we are reconciled to God. When Christ was lifted upon the cross it began a sequence through the centuries. Even these two thousand years later, we look up to the one whom God made to be sin, “so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21) This is our story; it is how we, so acquainted with rebellion, are brought to be reconciled to the Holy One, healed, and cherished now and to the ages of ages.