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[ Note: This week's Torah (Chukat) includes three amazing pictures of the coming of the Messiah of Israel: 1) the mysterious Red Heifer sacrifice, 2) the Striking of the Rock at Meribah, and 3) the image of the Copper Serpent on a pole. It is certainly one of the most fruitful portions of Torah to share with your Jewish friends... ]
The third great picture of the Messiah given in this amazing Torah portion (Chukat) concerns the image of the Copper Snake (nechash nechoshet). Upon leaving Mount Hor to go around the land of Edom, the people grew impatient and another rebellion brewed. Consequently, the LORD sent "burning serpents" (ha-nechashim ha-seraphim) that bit the people and many Israelites died (the verb saraf means to burn). The people confessed their sin and appealed to Moses for help, who then interceded on their behalf.
The LORD instructed Moses to make a figure of a snake (nechash nechoshet) and mount it on a pole so that "everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."
Yeshua referred to this episode when He spoke to Nicodemus about the way of salvation. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). Humanity as a whole has been "bitten by the snake" and needs to be delivered from its venom. Just as the image made in the likeness of the destroying snake was lifted up for Israel's healing, so the One made in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3) was to be lifted up as the Healer of the world. Bless His Holy Name.
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