Puzzling Pole
And YHWH said to Mosheh, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole. And it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Mosheh made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole. And it came to be, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:8-9 ISR
This Today’s Word is authored by Henru Pieters, founder of Hebraic Roots Teaching Institute in South Africa.
Pole – What does John 3:14 and Exodus 17:15 have to do with Numbers 21:9? Can you see the connection between the words pole, banner and cross? Because of strange translations these words seem to be far removed from one another, but in Hebrew they all originate from one word. The Hebrew nes (pronounced as nace) is translated as pole in Numbers 21:8-9 and the first occurrence is in Exodus 17:15 as Nissi which means my banner, and is then used by Mosheh as a characteristic of YHWH. Mosheh only attributes this characteristic to YHWH after the victory by Yehoshua over Amalek, the victory of life over death.
Hebrew words can be traced back to a parent word which normally is a verb depicting everyday action in the Hebrew culture. The word nes comes from the verb nasas which means to gleam from afar, to see a sign from far off. Every tribe of Israel had their own banner with a symbol where with they would identify themselves. If you were travelling through the ancient land of Israel you would be able to see the banner of a certain tribe hanging at the entrance of one of their cities.
The verb nasas is related to the verb nasa’ which means to lift up and is used in a wide variety of ways. The verb nasas only appears in the TaNaKh (“Old Testament”) twice, in Zechariah 9:16 and Isaiah 10:18.
Making the connection between Numbers 21:9 and John 3:14 becomes clear when you realize that the pole or banner that Mosheh lifted up in the wilderness was a sign of life and salvation for the dying. The sign of the crucifixion means nothing to those who have not realized that they are dying and in need of life. All the people who looked upon the snake that Mosheh lifted up were those who sinned and had been bitten by the fiery serpents. If all people have sinned according to Romans 3:23, then all are in need of life and all need to look upon the death of the Messiah.
Tehillim (Psalms) 60:4 says, “You have given a banner (nes) to those who fear You, That it might be lifted up (lehitnoses) because of the truth. Selah.”
A beautiful play on words in this Psalm that you can only see in Hebrew. Banner is nes and the words “might be lifted up” is lehitnoses and they are placed right next to each other reading like nes lehitnoses.
Topical Index: pole, nes, banner, nasa’, nasas, Numbers 21:9, John 3:14, Psalms 60:4
On a hill far away,
stood an old rugged cross..
the emblem of suffering and shame.
~ But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed ~ (Isaiah 53.5)
~ I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn ~
(Zechariah 12.10)
~ And when I AM lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Myself ~ (john 12.32)
~ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His resting place will be glorious ~ (Isaiah 11.10)
~ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life ~ (John 3.15)
~ But these are written, that you might believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His Name ~ (John 20.31)
~ For God did not send the Son into the world that He would condemn the world, but that He would give life to the world through Him ~ (John 3.17)
~ Whosoever will, let him take the free gift of the water of life ~ (Revelation 22:17)
~ Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost ~ (Isaiah 55.1)
~ Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest ~ (Matthew 11.28)
~ The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Let everyone who hears this say, “Come!” Let everyone who is thirsty come! Let anyone who wants the water of life take it as a gift! ~ (Revelation 22.17)
“Whosoever heareth,” shout, shout the sound!
Spread the blessed tidings all the world around;
Spread the joyful news wherever man is found:
“Whosoever will may come.”
“Whosoever will, whosoever will,”
Send the proclamation over vale and hill;
’Tis a loving Father calls the wand’rer home:
“Whosoever will may come.”
Whosoever cometh need not delay,
Now the Door is open, enter while you may;
Jesus is the true, the only Living Way:
“Whosoever will may come.”
“Whosoever will,” the promise secure,
“Whosoever will,” forever must endure;
“Whosoever will,” ’tis life forevermore:
“Whosoever will may come.”
This Today’s Word makes it more clearer for me that the pole is all about victory not forgiveness of sins; even though it could be puzzling when you read his connection to Romans 3:23.
“This Today’s Word makes it more clearer for me that the pole is all about victory not forgiveness of sins; even though it could be puzzling when you read his connection to Romans 3:23.”
Hi Benny,
I’ve always found Paul to be a bit puzzling, for example in the passages to which you refer
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Paul seems to be saying that if I have faith in Jesus Christ
I’ll be justified by God’s grace and saved from my sins
But Jesus thought he was the Messiah and the Hebrew word “mashiach” does not mean “savior”
The mashiach is the one who is to be “anointed” as King in the End of Days
And Jesus was talking to Jews who believed he was the Messiah
Paul was persecuting the followers of Jesus and collaborating with the Roman oppressors
Until Paul had what some experts would now call a “psychotic” experience
Of course Paul experienced his encounter with Jesus as a mystical one
Which had a great beneficial impact on himself and others
But when it comes to the meaning of faith and theology itself
I much prefer Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel to Paul 🙂
Numbers 21:9 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, he lived.
Exodus 17:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.
John 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up
Hmmm
Looks to me like Moses puts the snake on a pole to protect and save his people
In a sense, Moses holds up a “sign of the cross,” because the snake is the Hebrew letter T
Moses builds an alter and says the Lord is my Banner
John connects Jesus with the snake and the cross and the banner
And suggests that the Son of Man should be held up as our model
Shalom Skip,
I just want to correct you on this statement.
“This Today’s Word is authored by Henru Pieters, founder of Hebraic Roots Teaching Institute in South Africa.”
I am unfortunately not the founder of the Hebraic Roots Teaching Institute, Professor Liebenberg is the founder. I am working to build the Hebrew department in the Institute.
Many blessings with your work and hope to see you again in August.
Shalom