Dake - The Ultimate Study Bible

Commentary Notes

Egypt wasn't the only nation to suffer plagues at the hand of the Lord. Israel, too, merited such judgment on occasion. After complaining again about the difficult life in the wilderness (including the manna which God provided!),

. . . the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 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. (Numbers 21:6-9)

This note on page 180 of The Dake Annotated Reference Bible is typical of the insightful analysis Finis Dake brings to such passages:

Ninefold Type of Christ (Num. 21:9)

  1. The serpent itself was a symbol of sin; Christ was made sin for us that we might be made free from sin (2 Cor. 5:21).
  2. The serpent was lifted up on a pole; Christ was lifted up on a cross (Jn. 3:14-15).
  3. The sick of Israel received healing by looking on the brass serpent; others have received healing by looking to Christ (Mt. 8:17; Jn. 3:14-15; 1 Pet. 2:24; Isa. 53).
  4. As the Israelites who looked on the serpent continued to live, so those who truly look to Christ will live eternally (Jn. 3:14-15).
  5. God provided no other remedy for the Israelites at this time; so Christ is the only remedy for those who wish salvation (Jn. 3:14-16; Acts 3:16; 4:12; Rom. 10:9-10).
  6. As the Israelites had to have faith in the brass serpent as the remedy for their sin and sickness, so men today must have faith in Christ (Jn. 3:14-16; Eph. 2:8-9).
  7. As God's power was the invisible force in the remedy of the brass serpent, so it is with salvation through Christ (Mt. 1:21; Rom. 1:16; Col. 2:12-13).
  8. As the serpent on the pole brought peace and reconcilation with God, so Christ did on the cross (Col. 1:20-21).
  9. As confession of sin and prayer were necessary for Israel to receive the benefits of the remedy of the brass serpent, so they are necessary to obtain the benefits of Christ and the cross (Jn. 3:14-16; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Jn. 1:9).

     

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