THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Regarding the passage about the Bronze Serpent, it is affirmed that God did not fashion death, nor does He take pleasure in the demise of the living, as noted in Scripture (Prem. 1:13). He created all things to endure, and each element in creation has the potential for salvation (v. 14). However, humanity's fall began with Adam, who, in his prideful disobedience, disregarded the Divine command and transgressed against the Creator, leading to corruption. Consequently, human nature was cursed, and our lineage faced condemnation. We, unfortunate beings, despite being formed in incorruption, are ultimately like fleeting shadows or the grass of the field—as we briefly emerge into existence, we swiftly descend back into the earth.
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Thus, the saints have mourned our plight, with David lamenting, “Man is like vanity” (Psalm 143:4), and Isaiah declaring, “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field” (Isaiah 40:6). Our situation has reached such dire straits that even the greatest of spiritual leaders struggled to find a fitting comparison. Yet, those who find themselves in this state are not forsaken by the Creator; rather, He has bestowed upon them His care, revealing His grace through Christ, who liberates from death and decay. This truth is known by many, even if few speak of it, and it is evident in the Old Testament. In the book of Numbers we observe: they journeyed from Mount Hor through the Red Sea to traverse Edom’s territory. Along the way, the people grew weary and spoke against God and Moses, lamenting their exodus from Egypt only to perish in the wilderness, claiming they lacked food and water—all while loathing the manna provided. In response, the Lord sent venomous serpents, resulting in significant loss of life among the Israelites. The people then approached Moses, confessing their sin against God and asking him to pray for their deliverance from the serpents. Moses interceded, and the Lord instructed him to create a serpent of brass and lift it on a pole; those who were bitten could gaze upon it and live. Thus, Moses fashioned a bronze serpent and set it on a pole, and anyone bitten who looked upon it was healed (Numbers 21:4-9).
The Israelites, once enslaved in Egypt, bore the heavy burden of servitude until God miraculously liberated them through numerous signs: transforming water into blood, unleashing plagues of frogs and flies, and sending hail as though waging war against Egypt. Darkness befell the land, and the death of the firstborn was a lament for those who persisted in oppressing the Israelites, whom God had wondrously rescued. Crossing the sea on dry ground, they witnessed their captors' destruction. God provided them with heavenly bread, sending manna, and unexpectedly supplied streams of water from rock, for He is all-powerful, lavishly providing for His faithful. Unfortunately, those who experienced such magnificent blessings tarnished their own honor through petty grievances when faced with minor hardships, failing to recall God’s past mercies. They succumbed to ill-temper, readily frightened, and carelessly disregarded the knowledge of their honored status before God. They deemed the heavenly bread worthless, bemoaning their lack of water, oblivious to God’s limitless capabilities as the One who can turn rocks into springs. Through unwarranted complaints, they faced consequences in the form of serpent bites. In their anguish and recognition of their faults, they began to weep, confessing their wrongs, and pleading with Moses to ask for God’s mercy. Moses, humbled, interceded for them, and following divine guidance, he crafted a bronze serpent, raising it high, instructing the afflicted to look upon it to receive healing. But what profound significance lies within this act? It deserves deep reflection, for those with discerning minds seek more than the surface meaning; they uncover hidden truths within the symbolic gestures. Thus, we consider these matters, transitioning from the prototype to the ultimate truth. In seeking more gratifying than beneficial gifts from God and dismissing virtuous pursuits, we provoke grief in our Benefactor and offend our Creator in numerous ways. Consequently, we suffer the bites of metaphorical serpents—representations of mental anguish stemming from sin that lead us into the bindings of death. The foremost of these poisonous beings is the fallen serpent, Satan, whose venom caused the first man, Adam, to perish in the beginning. This corruption extends to us, his descendants, yet there is hope. We look to the serpent—symbolically, to Christ. How can He, who is inherently good and the embodiment of goodness, be likened to a serpent? It is due to His incarnation; He became like us in our frailty, experiencing the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3) and being numbered among transgressors (Is. 53:12). Our malice does not stem from God’s creation, but from our own choice, as elucidated by Christ: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:11). Thus, the serpent signifies Christ, who assumed the likeness of sin not to partake in evil but to cleanse us through the Holy Spirit and guide us toward righteousness. The serpent was lifted up on a pole, just as Christ was destined to be exalted upon the Holy Cross—an assertion He made to the Jews, stating, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that it is I” (John 8:28). This mystery is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, as He Himself articulates, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14). The bronze serpent represents the clarity and resonance of the Divine and Gospel message. It is proclaimed far and wide; no one is unaware of the divine truths that Christ articulated. In all heavenly realms, the mystery He fulfilled is heralded, where every knee bows and every voice confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phlp. 2:10-11). Amen.