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What Is the Meaning of the Bronze Snake in Numbers 21?
The bronze snake in Numbers 21 was God’s strange but simple cure for the Israelites who were dying from snakebites in the wilderness: anyone who looked at it lived. Centuries later, Jesus said this story pointed to him. Just as Moses lifted up the snake, Jesus would be lifted up on the cross so that everyone who looks to him in faith can be saved from the deadly bite of sin.
A Strange Cure in the Wilderness
The Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land, but they were tired of the journey and started grumbling against God and Moses. They complained about the food God was providing and even accused him of bringing them out of Egypt to die. In response, God sent venomous snakes into the camp, and many people were bitten and died. The people realized their sin, asked Moses to pray, and God gave an unexpected answer.
Numbers 21:8-9 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.
That command must have sounded confusing. Snakes had been a symbol of evil ever since the Garden of Eden, and God had just told his people not to make carved images. Now he was telling Moses to make a snake and lift it up for everyone to see. The cure didn’t require a medicine, a ritual, or a sacrifice from the people. It just required simple faith: look and live.
A Picture of the Cross
This story might have stayed a strange footnote in Israel’s history if Jesus hadn’t brought it up. One night, a religious leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions. In the middle of their conversation, just before the famous words of John 3:16, Jesus pointed back to Numbers 21.
John 3:14-15 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
The bronze snake was a foreshadowing of the cross. The Israelites were dying from snakebites, and we are dying from sin. They were saved by looking at a symbol of the very thing that was killing them, and we are saved by looking to Jesus, who took our sin on himself. Being “lifted up” wasn’t about praising Jesus in worship; it was about his body being lifted up on a cross. The apostle Paul put it this way:
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
We can’t cure ourselves any more than those Israelites could. The only thing we can do is look to the one who can save us. If you’d like to learn more about putting your faith in Jesus, check out How can I become a Christian?
When a Symbol Becomes an Idol
There’s one more twist in case you missed it. The bronze snake stayed with the Israelites for centuries. Eventually, the people stopped seeing it as a reminder of God’s mercy and started worshiping it. When King Hezekiah led a revival in Judah, he had to deal with it.
2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
It’s a sobering reminder of how easily good things can become idols. A gift from God, a tradition, or even a religious symbol can slowly take the place of God himself. Every generation needs to keep coming back to the simple message behind the symbol: we are saved by looking to Jesus in faith, not by anything we can hold in our hands.
The Takeaway
The bronze snake in Numbers 21 was a picture of the cross. Just as the Israelites lived by looking at the snake on the pole, we find life by looking to Jesus in faith. And like Hezekiah, we need to make sure no symbol or tradition takes the place of the Savior it points to.
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What Is the Story of Balaam and the Donkey?
The story of Balaam and the donkey is about a pagan prophet who was hired to curse Israel just before they entered the Promised Land. On the way, God used Balaam’s donkey to stop him and get his attention. Balaam ended up blessing Israel instead of cursing them. The story shows that God will do whatever it takes to get our attention, that no one can reverse his blessing, and that the enemy often attacks through temptation instead of open opposition.
God Will Get Our Attention
As Israel camped near Moab, King Balak grew terrified of them. So he hired Balaam, a well-known sorcerer, to put a curse on Israel. God told Balaam not to go, but Balaam kept looking for a way to collect the king’s reward. Eventually he set out on his donkey, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to block him. The donkey saw the angel and refused to move, so Balaam beat her three times. Then God opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam why he was beating her.
Numbers 22:31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
It’s a funny story, but it carries a serious point. Balaam was so focused on what he wanted that he was the last one on the road to see what God was doing. God is fighting for our attention, too, and sometimes he uses unusual circumstances, interruptions, or even closed doors to stop us before we walk into danger.
No One Can Reverse God’s Blessing
When Balaam finally arrived, Balak took him to high places overlooking Israel’s camp and waited for the curse. But every time Balaam opened his mouth, a blessing came out instead. Balak was furious, but Balaam explained that he had no power to override God.
Numbers 23:19-20 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
God had promised Abraham that he would make his descendants into a great nation and bless those who blessed them. A pagan king and a hired sorcerer couldn’t undo that promise. It’s a great comfort for anyone who belongs to God: his promises don’t depend on what other people say about you or try to do to you.
A Star Out of Jacob
In his final message, Balaam saw much further into the future than he realized. He described a coming king who would rise from Israel and conquer their enemies.
Numbers 24:17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.
Jewish and Christian readers have long seen this as a prophecy of the Messiah. It echoes Jacob’s promise in Genesis 49:10 that the scepter would not depart from Judah, and it points ahead to Jesus, the King from the line of Judah whose birth was marked by a star. God even used a reluctant pagan prophet to announce his plan to save the world.
When the Enemy Changes Tactics
Unfortunately, Balaam’s story doesn’t end there. Since he couldn’t curse Israel with words, he helped Moab trip them up another way. Numbers 31:16 tells us he advised them to lure the Israelites into sexual immorality and idol worship, and it worked. The New Testament remembers him for exactly that.
Revelation 2:14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.
The enemy rarely gives up; he just changes strategies. When open attacks don’t work, he tries to pull God’s people away through compromise and the slow drift of culture. That’s why we need to stay alert, not just to obvious opposition but to the subtle temptations that can lead us away from God.
The Takeaway
The story of Balaam and the donkey reminds us that God will do whatever it takes to get our attention, that no one can reverse his blessing, and that the enemy often works through quiet compromise. Stay alert, and trust the God who keeps his promises.
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How Can I Know If God Is Speaking to Me?
You can know if God is speaking to you by testing what you sense against three things: the Bible, the counsel of mature believers, and the condition of your own heart. The story of young Samuel shows how God speaks and how easy it is to miss his voice at first. God never contradicts his Word, he often confirms his leading through other people, and he speaks most clearly to people who are willing to listen and obey.
Samuel Didn’t Recognize God’s Voice
Samuel grew up serving in the tabernacle under Eli the priest. One night, while he was lying down, he heard someone call his name. Assuming it was Eli, he ran to him, but Eli said he hadn’t called. It happened again, and then a third time. The Bible says Samuel didn’t yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him. Finally Eli figured out what was happening.
1 Samuel 3:8-10 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Samuel was faithful and sincere, yet he still needed help to recognize God’s voice. That should encourage us. Hearing from God isn’t about being extra spiritual or having dramatic experiences. Like Samuel, we learn to recognize his voice over time, and God gives us some practical ways to test what we’re hearing.
Test One: Does It Match the Bible?
The first and most important test is Scripture. God has already spoken clearly in his Word, and he won’t contradict himself. If a thought, feeling, or “word from God” goes against what the Bible teaches, it isn’t from him, no matter how strongly we feel it.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
That’s why reading and studying the Bible matters so much. The better you know God’s Word, the easier it is to recognize his voice and spot the counterfeits. Many of our questions about God’s will are already answered on its pages. You can learn more about how Scripture works in our lives in What Does It Mean That God’s Word Is Sharper Than a Two-Edged Sword?
Test Two: Do Wise Believers Agree?
Samuel didn’t figure it out alone. Eli, an older and more experienced believer, helped him understand what was happening and told him how to respond. God often works the same way today, using trusted followers of Jesus to confirm, clarify, or correct what we think we’re hearing.
Proverbs 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
When you sense God leading you toward a big decision, talk to people who love Jesus and love you enough to be honest. If mature believers consistently raise concerns, it’s worth slowing down. And if you hear yourself saying, “God told me, so I don’t need anyone’s advice,” that’s usually a red flag.
Test Three: Is Your Heart Ready to Listen?
Samuel’s response is a model for all of us: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” He didn’t say, “Listen, Lord, for your servant is speaking.” Sometimes we claim to want God’s direction when we’ve already decided what we want him to say. Jesus describes the kind of relationship he wants with us.
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
Sheep learn their shepherd’s voice by spending time with him and following where he leads. If you want to hear God more clearly, ask yourself honestly whether you’re ready to obey whatever he says. A humble, submitted heart is the best place to hear from God.
The Takeaway
How can you know if God is speaking to you? Test what you hear against the Bible, invite wise believers to weigh in, and check your own heart. Like Samuel, learn to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” and follow where he leads.
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What Can We Learn from Elijah and the Widow?
The story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17 teaches us that God doesn’t always spare us from hard times, but he always provides what we need. During a severe drought, God fed Elijah through ravens and then through a poor widow whose flour and oil never ran out. When tragedy struck her family, God showed up again. The story reminds us that every new challenge is another chance to see God’s faithfulness.
God Has a Purpose in Lean Times
Elijah was a faithful prophet in a faithless time. When King Ahab led Israel into Baal worship, Elijah announced that God would withhold rain from the land. That drought was God’s judgment on Israel, but Elijah still had to live through it. God sent him to hide by a brook, where ravens brought him food.
1 Kings 17:5-7 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
Notice that even God’s faithful prophet wasn’t spared from the drought. Then the brook he depended on dried up. Following God doesn’t mean we avoid every hardship. Sometimes he allows lean seasons to get our attention, deepen our dependence on him, or move us to the next place he has for us. To learn more about this fiery prophet, read Who Was Elijah the Prophet?
God Often Provides Through Other People
Next, God sent Elijah to Zarephath, a town in pagan territory, and told him a widow would feed him. When he arrived, she was gathering sticks to cook one last meal for herself and her son before they died. Elijah asked her to make him a small loaf first and promised that God would keep her supplies from running out. It took real faith for her to say yes.
1 Kings 17:15-16 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
God could have dropped food from the sky, but instead he provided for Elijah through a poor widow, and he provided for her through Elijah. That’s often how God works. He meets our needs through the generosity of others, and he invites us to be part of how he meets theirs. That can be humbling, but it builds a community of trust and gratitude.
When Hard Times Return
After months of daily miracles, tragedy struck. The widow’s son got sick and died, and her grief came out as an accusation.
1 Kings 17:17-18 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”
It’s surprisingly easy to start taking God’s provision for granted, and then to feel betrayed when a new trial comes. Elijah was confused too. He carried the boy upstairs and cried out, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow?” But his questions came from a place of faith. He stretched himself over the boy three times and prayed for God to restore his life. It’s okay to bring honest questions to God, as long as we keep bringing them to him.
Each Challenge Is a New Chance to Trust
God heard Elijah’s prayer, and the boy came back to life. Elijah carried him downstairs and gave him back to his mother. Her response shows how her faith had grown through the whole experience.
1 Kings 17:24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”
She had already seen God provide flour and oil every day, but this new crisis gave her an even deeper confidence in God’s word. Our challenges can do the same thing for us. Each new trial is an opportunity to see a new side of God’s faithfulness and to trust him more than we did before.
The Takeaway
The story of Elijah and the widow shows that God has a purpose in lean times, often provides through other people, welcomes our honest questions, and uses every new challenge to deepen our trust in him. We can count on him to provide on the roller coaster of everyday life.
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What Does Elisha and the Angel Army Teach Us About Prayer?
The story of Elisha and the angel army in 2 Kings 6 teaches us three lessons about prayer. Prayer trains us to respond to impossible situations with peace instead of fear. Prayer opens our eyes to a spiritual reality that is more real than what we can see. And prayer submits us to a God who can resolve our problems in ways we would never expect.
Prayer Trains Us for Peace
The king of Aram was at war with Israel, but every time he planned an ambush, Elisha warned Israel’s king. Frustrated, the king of Aram sent an army at night to surround the city where Elisha was staying. The next morning, Elisha’s servant stepped outside and panicked.
2 Kings 6:15-16 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
The servant and the prophet were looking at the same army, but they responded in completely different ways. Elisha’s calm didn’t come from nowhere. It came from a lifetime of walking with God in prayer. Prayer shouldn’t be the last thing we try in a crisis; it should be the regular habit that prepares us for one. Paul describes the peace that comes from that kind of prayer life in Philippians 4:6-7, where he says God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds.
Prayer Opens Our Eyes
Elisha didn’t ask God to remove the army. He asked God to open his servant’s eyes.
2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
The servant had been seeing only half the picture. The physical army was real, but God’s army was bigger. The same is true for us. The Bible teaches that there’s a spiritual battle going on behind the scenes of our lives, and it’s more real than what we can see with our eyes.
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
That doesn’t mean we should live in fear of the unseen world. It means we can face our battles with confidence, knowing God is greater than every enemy. Paul tells us to prepare by putting on the armor of God and praying on all occasions. For more on this topic, see Is There an Unseen World of Spirits?
Prayer Submits Us to God’s Ways
The story ends with a twist. Elisha prayed again, and God struck the enemy soldiers with blindness. Elisha led them right into the capital city of Samaria, and then God opened their eyes. Israel’s king was ready to kill them all, but Elisha had another idea.
2 Kings 6:22-23 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
Instead of a battle, there was a banquet, and the raids stopped. No one would have predicted that ending. When we pray, we’re not just asking God to do what we want. We’re submitting to a God who can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, however he wants. His answers often surprise us, and they’re usually better than what we had in mind. You can read more about this in What Does the Bible Say About the Power of Prayer?
The Takeaway
The story of Elisha and the angel army reminds us that prayer trains us for peace, opens our eyes to God’s unseen power, and submits us to his surprising ways. When you feel surrounded, ask God to open your eyes and trust him with the outcome.
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What Is the Meaning of Ezekiel and the Dry Bones?
Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 is a picture of God bringing his people back to life when they felt hopeless and spiritually dead. The bones represented Israel in exile, cut off and without hope. God promised to restore them, give them new hearts, and put his Spirit in them. The vision shows that God’s heart is renewal, that our part is to admit our need, and that God himself does the real work of bringing us to life.
A Valley of Hopeless Bones
Ezekiel was a prophet living in exile in Babylon after Jerusalem had been destroyed. God’s people had lost their land, their temple, and their hope. In a vision, God took Ezekiel to a valley full of dry bones and asked him a strange question: “Son of man, can these bones live?” Then God explained what the bones represented.
Ezekiel 37:11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’”
Maybe you’ve felt that way, too: dried up, hopeless, and cut off from God. The good news of Ezekiel 37 is that God doesn’t leave his people in the valley. He told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, and as he did, they rattled together, grew tendons and flesh, and finally came to life when God’s breath entered them.
God’s Heart Is Renewal
In the chapter right before the vision, God explains why he would restore his people. Israel had been disobedient, and their exile was the consequence. But God’s goal wasn’t to destroy them; it was to renew them and show the world who he is.
Ezekiel 36:23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.
God’s restoration of his people wasn’t ultimately about them; it was about displaying the greatness of his name to a watching world. The same is true when God renews us. Every life he restores becomes a testimony that points others to him.
Our Part Is to Admit Our Need
Renewal starts with honesty. As long as we think we’re doing fine on our own, we won’t see our need for God. The prophet Isaiah describes the kind of person God draws near to.
Isaiah 57:15 For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
The word “contrite” describes someone who is genuinely sorry for their sin and humble before God. That’s our part in spiritual renewal: to stop pretending and admit we’re as dry and helpless as those bones. God is often at work opening our eyes so we don’t keep going our own self-satisfied way.
God Does the Real Work
Dry bones can’t bring themselves back to life, and neither can we. In Ezekiel 36, God promised to do the heart surgery himself.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
That promise is fulfilled through Jesus. Through his death and resurrection, God gives new life to everyone who trusts him, and he puts his Holy Spirit inside us. Jesus said that whoever hears his word and believes “has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). If you’d like to learn more about putting your faith in Jesus, check out How can I become a Christian?
The Takeaway
Ezekiel and the dry bones show that God’s heart is to renew broken people. When we admit our need, God does what we can’t: he gives us new hearts, puts his Spirit in us, and brings us from death to life through Jesus.
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