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. Numbers 21:8-9
Not
exactly. While worshipping idols was a problem
during this time, this bronze snake on a pole was not an idol because God told
them to use it.
Here’s
what happened. After more and more
grumbling amongst the Israelites, God sent a bunch of venomous snakes to bite
the people. They asked for forgiveness
and God said to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. If the people looked at it they were healed.
Looking
at the bronze snake on a pole, healed them of the poison. It acted as a sort of precursor to Jesus
taking on our sins (caused by a snake in the garden) while lifted up on a
cross. If the people look to Jesus to
take away their sins (a poison leading to death), they would be healed.
It
wasn’t an idol, but a prophetic sign of Jesus healing Satan’s original sin.