Topical Bible: Deserts: Infested With Serpents

◄ Deserts: Infested With Serpents ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical narrative, deserts are often depicted as harsh and inhospitable environments, frequently associated with trials, testing, and divine encounters. One of the notable features of these arid landscapes is the presence of serpents, which serve as both literal and symbolic elements within the Scriptures.

Biblical References:

1. The Wilderness Journey of the Israelites:
The most prominent mention of serpents in the desert occurs during the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. In Numbers 21:6, the Lord sends fiery serpents among the people as a consequence of their complaints against God and Moses: "So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died." This event underscores the dangers present in the desert and serves as a divine instrument of judgment and a call to repentance.

2. Symbolism and Redemption:
The incident with the fiery serpents also carries a deeper symbolic meaning. In response to the people's plea for deliverance, God instructs Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Numbers 21:8-9 records, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and if anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze serpent, he lived." This act of looking upon the bronze serpent for healing prefigures the redemptive work of Christ, as referenced in John 3:14-15, where Jesus compares His crucifixion to the lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness.

3. The Serpent as a Symbol of Evil:
Throughout the Bible, the serpent is often a symbol of evil and deception, beginning with the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5). In the desert context, the presence of serpents can be seen as a representation of the spiritual adversities and temptations that believers may face. The wilderness, therefore, becomes a place of testing and reliance on God's provision and protection.

4. Protection and Provision:
Despite the dangers posed by serpents and other threats in the desert, the Bible emphasizes God's protective care over His people. Deuteronomy 8:15 highlights God's deliverance: "He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of the rock of flint." This passage reflects God's ability to sustain and protect His people even in the most perilous environments.

5. Spiritual Lessons:
The presence of serpents in the desert serves as a reminder of the spiritual vigilance required of believers. Just as the Israelites were called to trust in God's provision and look to the bronze serpent for healing, Christians are called to look to Christ for salvation and deliverance from sin. The desert, with its serpents, becomes a metaphor for the spiritual journey, where faith is tested, and reliance on God is paramount.

In summary, the biblical depiction of deserts infested with serpents highlights both the physical dangers and the spiritual lessons inherent in the wilderness experience. Through these narratives, the Scriptures convey themes of judgment, redemption, and divine protection, inviting believers to trust in God's sovereignty and grace amidst life's trials.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 8:15
Who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought you forth water out of the rock of flint;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Personality of Power.
... It was infested with venomous serpents and scorpions ... all that great and terrible
wilderness," "a waste howling wilderness," and "a land of deserts and pits ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on power/the personality of power.htm

the Legendary History of Egypt
... the impious ones who haunt the solitary places and the deserts," disavowed his ... Beyond
the sycamore were lands of terror, infested by serpents and ferocious ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm

Book vii. This is the Seventh Book of Our Treatise against the ...
... forests, an explorer of African deserts aware of ... progress of my argument is infested
with ambuscades ... Moses' serpent swallowed the magic serpents and returned ...
/.../hilary/the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/book vii this is the.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... prestige which the name of Babylon still possessed, from the deserts of the ... as nothing
more imposing than large bushes.* Muddy rivers, infested with crocodiles ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm