Definition: And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse from Numbers 21:9. It’s a really dramatic and memorable story about a plague outbreak in Egypt! Here's what it means in simpler terms: The Basic Story: When God told Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery, he instructed him to build a massive golden calf statue of himself. God was furious with Pharaoh because he wasn’t honoring Him. As punishment, He sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. During the escape, Moses made a deal with the Egyptian god Apophis (a serpent god). He asked Apophis to create a “serpent” – a magical symbol – that would be visible to the Egyptians. He instructed the Egyptian craftsman to make it of brass and place it on a pole. What Happened Next? The key part is this: If anyone who looked at this serpent saw it, they would quickly become poisoned. It’s like a warning – if you see something that looks evil or dangerous, it's better to avoid it! Why was this important? This story illustrates God's power and His ability to punish those who disobey Him. It shows that even seemingly harmless things can have deadly consequences when they are used in defiance of God. In a nutshell: God sent a serpent (a symbol of evil) to be visible to the Egyptians, and this sight would quickly kill anyone who looked at it. --- Do you want me to: Explain another part of this verse? Give you a different example of a story with a serpent figure?