The bronze serpent
Numbers 21:4-9
In the desert, the people lost patience and spoke against God and against Moses. Poisonous serpents came. Moses prayed for the people, and the Lord told him to make a bronze serpent: whoever looked at it lived. Numbers 21:4-9
The story, in plain words
The people of Israel set out from Mount Hor toward the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. On the way, the people lost patience. Numbers 21:4
They spoke against God and against Moses. They demanded to know why they had been brought out of Egypt to die in the desert. Numbers 21:5
They complained that there was no bread and no water, and they said they were sick of that food. Numbers 21:5
So the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people. The serpents bit the people, and many of them died. Numbers 21:6 Then the people came to Moses and admitted their…
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See the mapWhat the Bible says
Numbers 21:4-9
4And they marched from mount Hor, by the way that leadeth to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom. And the people began to be weary of their journey and labour: 5And speaking against God and Moses, they said: Why didst thou bring us out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, nor have we any waters: our soul now loatheth this very light food. 6Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them. 7Upon which they came to Moses, and said: We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray that he may take away these serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live. 9Moses therefore made a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: which when they that were bitten looked upon, they were healed.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
To talk about together
- The people complained, even though God had brought them out of Egypt. Why do you think it is sometimes so hard for us to be thankful?
- Moses prayed for the same people who had spoken against him. What does that tell you about Moses?
- For the child: when you do something wrong, who do you ask for help?