The answer is: Moses

Numbers 21:7-8 - In response to the Israelites' complaints and the resulting snake plague, Moses interceded with God who instructed him to create a bronze serpent. This act foreshadows Christ's crucifixion, as noted in John 3:14-15, where Jesus references the bronze serpent as a symbol of salvation for believers.

Moses, a towering figure of leadership in the Israelite exodus, stepped up in a time of crises when snakebites struck the complaining people. You might find it intriguing that his plea reflected the deep relationship he maintained with the Divine. By turning to God in prayer during their grumbling, Moses serves as an archetype of a mediator—a theme found throughout the Bible.

In Numbers 21, the outcome of Moses' prayer highlights something extraordinary: the bronze serpent. Instead of genuflecting solely to the woes, God provided an unconventional solution. Moses constructed a bronze serpent and raised it high. Those who looked upon this symboled their faith, exemplifying the belief that faith can have rehabilitation power—even Powerful analog to human maladies today.

It's noteworthy that Jesus picked up on this motif in John 3. His reference to the bronze serpent is not merely a historical echo, but a potent identifier of salvation in humanity’s narrative. The serpent raised up not only becomes a precursor to the ideal for healing pain but signifies looking anew at sin and hope.

Fun fact: The image of a serpent on a pole is not only found in this context! It’s even common in modern medicine, represented in logos like the Caduceus and the Rod of Asclepius. Such curiosities remind us how faith’s tangled stories resonate in times contemporary to our lives—our struggles, triumphs, and understandings of redemption for all.