We have been looking at how the people of Israel responded to God sending snakes into their camp as they traveled toward their Promised Land because of their rebellion. Moses makes a brass snake and sets it up on a pole in their midst and the people were asked to look up at it for healing. Why?

God now expects a personal response to him. God enacted a national judgment on Israel because of their rebellion but is now going to reward a personal response to him. Israel was to become an ambassador to the rest of the world (Ex 19:6). Israel would be an example of how God punishes and rewards nations but more importantly, God is now showing them that a personal response to God supersedes a national response to Him. Their individual response to the raised serpent on a pole would set the example for how individuals are to respond to Jesus Christ raised up on the cross. Can you now see why Jesus used this as a example to compare himself being raised up on the cross?

Warning! The cross can also become like Hezekiah looked at Nehushtan: it is just a thing. People often revere the cross but not necessarily the one on the cross: Jesus himself. People look at this as a way of coexisting with those of other religions. I’m sure you have seen the coexist sticker before. It has the cross with the other religion symbols. You can have the cross in this sticker, but you can’t have Jesus Christ within this sticker because he is the only way to God (Ac 4:12). It makes being good equal to being righteous; that way no one is offended. Yet what makes one feel good does not make it true. There is only one truth and that is found within Jesus Christ himself (Jn 14:6). Succumbing to such a trivialization of Christianity to other religions takes away the power offered to us through our relationship with Jesus Christ (Ep 1:19-19).

We must recognize that Christ bore our sins (past, present, and future) on the cross for several reasons:

1.      He appeased the wrath of God. Isaiah 53:11c says, “and he [Messiah] will bear their iniquities.” Also, Romans 5:8-9 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

2.      He shed his blood to atone for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10 says, “This is how God showed his love among is: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

3.      Through him we can confess our sins and he will cleanse us because his blood has already been shed. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

4.      His act allows God to now declare us righteous—not because of us—but because of Jesus Christ. Romans 3:21-22 says, “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.”

5.      We can now have an eternal inheritance with Christ—something we could obtain no other way.

The good news is that it doesn’t end there! Christ rose from the grave defeating Death and Sheol (Hades/Hell). 1 Corinthians 15:55 says, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” We no longer go to Sheol upon death but go directly to be with Christ for eternity (2Co 5:8). The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:2, “Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Also, he tells us in Romans 6:4, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

And what is our reward? Hearing our Lord and Savior say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” He’s Waiting! Just for you. He’s calling out to you. What is your answer? I trust you say “yes” to him today.

(Note: all scripture references are from NIV Bible version)

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We now come to the third usage of Nehushtan: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him” (Jn 3:14-15).

Now, let’s do a comparison between Nehushtan and Christ’s crucifixion.

First, what was God’s wrath directed toward in each situation? His wrath was against the Israelites rebellion in the wilderness. His wrath was against the sin of all mankind when Christ was on the cross.

Second, what was the instrument God used to absolve his wrath in each situation? He used the poisonous snakes as a means of absolving his wrath for the Israelites in the wilderness. He used the sacrifice of Christ, his sinless son, as a means of absolving his wrath against us.

Third, what was the method required for healing in each situation? Faith was needed for the Israelites in the wilderness to be healed from their snakebite wounds and death. Also, faith is needed for us to be released from our doom of a second (or spiritual) death.

Fourth, who received God’s healing in each situation? For each, it was an individual act. Only those of the Israelites who looked up at the snake on the pole were healed. They had to obey God and face their sin. No one could do it for anyone else, no matter how much they may have loved them or wanted them to look. Everyone had to do that for themselves. The same is true for us today. Accepting Christ’s act of paying for our sins on the cross is an individual decision. No one can do it for you.

If these complaining Israelites had only known how close they were to reaching their Promised Land, they might have held their criticism. They were less than two years away from entering the land they had waited for for almost forty years. They let their frustration get the better of them rather than remembering God’s promises to them. Yet are we not similar in that we do the same? Sometimes we miss out on God’s blessing because we become impatient rather than relying upon His faithfulness.

The Israelites had selective remembrance of what happened to their parents. So, how had God responded to these Israelites’ parents when they refused to enter the Promised Land 38 years prior? God responded to the peoples’ rebellion upon the spies returning from Canaan and Moses pleading for them: “The LORD replied, ‘I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it’” (Nu 14:20-23).

What were these ten times and how did God respond to their rebellion? Six times God was merciful with the Israelites’ rebellion:

1. Israel became trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. The people complained that Moses had led them out of bondage to just have them destroyed. God was merciful and helped them by parting the water so they could travel through the Red Sea on dry ground (Ex 14:10-31).

2. Water at Marah was bitter and undrinkable, so the people complained even though days earlier God had saved them from destruction by the hand of Pharaoh. God instructed Moses what to do to make the water sweet and drinkable (Ex 15:22-25).

3. Israelites were hungry in Wilderness of Sin and God sent quails and manna to feed them (Ex 16:1-18).

4. Some Israelites left manna until morning going against what God commanded, and God had the manna spoil (Ex 16:19-20).

5. Some Israelites looked to gather manna on the Sabbath against what God commanded, and God reprimanded them (Ex 16:27-29).

6. No water at Rephidim and God provided water from the Rock (Ex 17:1-7).

God then started imposing national judgment:

7. People made and worshipped a golden calf. 3000 Israelites were slain by the sword (Ex 32:1-27).

8. Israelites complained at Taberah. God had many Israelites burned by fire from the Lord (Nu 11:1-3).

9. Israelites complained about not having meat to eat at Kibroth-Hattaavah. God sent quail but then also a plague (Nu 11:4-6; 31-34).

10. Most Israelites believed the bad report of the 10 spies saying the Promised Land couldn’t be conquered, and God said that those above the age of 20 would not enter the Promised Land (Nu 13:1-33; 14:1-45).

If we look at the location where each of these rebellions occurred, the first six occurred before they reached Mt. Sinai and the others were after they reached Sinai. It seems God was merciful with their rebellion and explained things to them before their encounter with Him at Mt. Sinai. Yet, after their encounter with Him, he started instituting judgment for their rebellion (sin). They were now his people, his ambassadors (Ex 19:6), and they needed to learn to act accordingly.

It seems even after 38 years of having to wait to get to Canaan, their Promised Land, lessons were not learned. God had provided everything for them for 38 years, but they were not grateful. It was not this generation who had been in Egypt, yet they still vocalized the same complaints their fathers and mothers had voiced. Rather than learning from their present, they clung to what they had heard about earthly satisfaction of their past, ignoring the hardships that occurred when they had what they were longing for. They, unfortunately, did not focus on the supernatural blessings God had provided to their fathers and mothers, as well as to themselves. They took for granted their current blessings and took those as normal, mundane. Yet do we not do the same? We focus on what is the here and now rather than the supernatural blessings of now and a guaranteed future of even more blessings to come.

I think the plague of poisonous snakes was the first individual salvation God provided to the Israelites once they had been judged. Therefore, this is a very appropriate one for Jesus to relate to Nicodemus about his crucifixion as our response to him is also an individual act.

We’ll explore this further next time. I hope you join me.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the past post, we came to understand why Jesus came to Earth when he did. This now leads us to try and understand a mysterious paradox. The very thing that was causing their suffering was what was placed on the pole for them to look up to for healing. This seems strange, doesn’t it?

Yet this is similar to other requirements God implemented:

The purification requirement for someone who became defiled by blood was to shed blood of an animal for a sacrifice (for example, after menstruation or giving birth, a woman was considered unclean for a time and had to make a blood sacrifice).

The purification requirement for someone who became defiled by a dead body was to mix the ashes from a dead heifer with water for cleansing. Also, the making of the ashes of the red heifer for this cleansing made those who made these ashes unclean, although the use of these ashes once made caused the person on whom the ashes were placed to become clean.

It also is a representation of God’s wrath – he sent the serpents as a punishment for the Israelites’ rebellion and blasphemy.

This brings us to the second usage: “He [Hezekiah] did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan)” (2Ki 18:3-4).

Hezekiah called the brass snake Nehushtan meaning “only a thing of brass.” Why did he call it by this name and have it destroyed? The people burned incense to it. You may be asking, “What is bad about that?” Incense represents prayers (Rv 5:8). A special blend of incense was made for the tabernacle/temple (Ex 30:34-38) because they were to pray only to God.

Burning incense to this brass serpent on a pole was indicating they were praying to it (a symbol of the wrath of God); likely for healing. This shows the people were trying to take God out of their needs and relying on their own effort (their incense). Also, Satan had them deluded that the power of healing was achievable without God.

Hezekiah called it “just a piece of brass” meaning it had no power to heal. Hezekiah had it destroyed because they were not praying to God but to a representation of His wrath against rebellion (sin).

Yet, despite the effort of Hezekiah, the effects of the people’s sin lingered on for several generations. The power over Satan and the power over sin is not easily won. It takes not only a physical act of removal but a change of heart and desire.

The great-great grandson of Hezekiah (Jehoiakim) married a woman named Nehushta (2Ki 24:8). It is likely her name was derived from Nehushtan because the meaning of her name is copper or bronze. This occurred over 100 years after Hezekiah destroyed Nehushtan.

So the idea of Nehushtan bringing life still prevailed even though the shrine was destroyed a long time earlier, and this woman was likely named Nehushta because of this event with the bronze snake Moses placed on a pole even though her name was really glorifying rebellion and not life. The power of sin is eradicated only when one’s view of sin changes.

What about you? Do you have God’s view of sin or one that you have created? If we are really searching for truth, then we need God’s view to permeate ours.

Next time, we’ll see how Jesus compared his death to that of Nehushtan.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The “cure” God told Moses to construct for the people who were bitten by poisonous snakes was to construct a brass serpent and place it on a pole for the people to look at. One thing to realize is that it took a lot of time for Moses to construct such a brass serpent on a pole. Their salvation from when the solution was announced to when it was implemented took time. It was not immediate.

Moses first had to make the mold: craftsman would be needed to make it look like a snake that could drape over a pole or cross. The brass had to be collected and melted. Once poured, it had to be allowed to cool. While brass was commonly used and the Israelites had obtained much of it from the Egyptians and it could be melted using wood fires, the making of such an elaborate piece would likely have taken several days to a week or more in order to complete the process. How many people died before the brass serpent was on the pole for them to look at?

This is somewhat congruent to the time it took for Jesus’s birth to occur here on the Earth. A lot of time passed from when God first announced Christ’s coming to earth (Gn 3:15) to the time he arrived (Lk 2:11). God says Christ arrived at just the right time. He did not come too late, and he did not come too early. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”

So why did Jesus arrive on the Earth when he did? Let’s explore that question. Well, the short answer is only God knows! Yet, there are a few reasons we could mention that could help to explain this:

1.      The Law was needed for mankind to understand they could not save themselves by following a set of rules.

2.      The people were ready for a Messiah (although most were looking for the wrong type of Messiah).

3.      The entire known world was under the domain of Rome and Parthia with both existing in a détente where travel was allowed between the two empires enabling travel over the known world to be allowed with little resistance.

4.      Jews lived in almost all prominent cities of the known world.

So, it seems Jesus arrived on the scene when he was supposed to arrive—not any earlier; not any later. There is a video by Julian Gentry (MK TriciaUGC FB 240318A 16x9 to MK VSL Alt Intro 16x9 1 07x (youtube.com) who gives an explanation as to why Jesus had to have come 2000 years ago and not at any other time in history. Julian is a Christian who works for Ratio Christi in North Carolina ministering to college studies. He also makes YouTube videos of apologetics in defense of the Christian faith. In this video referenced here, he makes two main points: first, this was the time of history that many cultures were looking and worshipping a type of god with many of them having similar characteristics and this was the time that Jesus Christ stepped into history and made a lasting impact which has lasted for over two-thousand years. Second, if Jesus Christ had been just another “god,” then his influence should have waned just like all the other ones did. But he didn’t. He is still impacting people in a positive light even today.

That fact is something we can’t really ignore. I hope you don’t either.

Next time, we’ll look at how Nehushtan is, indeed, a mysterious paradox.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the previous post, we learned that the Israelites rebelled against God once again because they felt they were going back into the wilderness rather than toward their Promised Land. Because of their rebellion, God sent poisonous snakes among them. It is likely this was somewhat symbolic of the winged serpent god Wadjet that many Egyptians worshipped.

In Egypt, the snake (asp or cobra) was considered a protector of Pharaoh and was often depicted with wings. It is interesting that God was demonstrating to the Israelites that wanting to go back to Egypt is what is deadly to them. Their only hope was to trust in God (their new way, their deliverance) – not Egypt (their old way, their slavery).

But are we not the same? We desire our sin, the thing that enslaves us.

God is making a symbolic statement here. Going back to Egypt, or their old ways, is death. Going forward with God is life.

There is other symbolism here as well. In the Hebrew text, it states that God sent fiery (seraph) serpents. In Hebrew, the word “seraph” means “burning.” This could mean the snakes were very poisonous and their bite extremely painful. Or it could mean they were copper in color. Or it could reference what were known as “flying” serpents as the word seraph is also used for certain angels near God’s throne who have six wings (Is 6:2). Some believe the hood of the cobra could be what is representative of wings in this reference.

There are two types of snakes that may fit the Biblical description of these snakes which would live in this area. One is the Painted Carpet Viper. Its venom is both cytotoxic (meaning it causes tissue necrosis) and hemotoxic (meaning it interferes with the body’s ability to clot). Therefore, it causes a slow painful death, if untreated. It comes in various colors, but can be in an off-red, copper-like, color. The other is the Arabian Cobra. Its venom is neurotoxic which will cause paralysis and death. It also has a hood like other cobras and could be the reason for saying it has “wings.”

Another analogy can also be drawn here: Seraph angels are near God’s throne and have been described as protectors and purifiers. Therefore, this could also be symbolic of God’s name and character being defended.

The making of such an object took time. We’ll explore that aspect next time.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

There are many paradoxes in the Bible. We quote such phrases as “Whoever finds their life will lose it” (Mt 10:32); “The greatest among you will be your servant (Mt 23:11); and “When I am weak then I am strong” (2Co 12:10) as paradoxical statements. I think God has them there for people to dig out their meaning so they can understand what God is truly trying to say. There are also event paradoxes. One of these is the snake on a pole that Moses raised for the people to look upon who had been bitten by poisonous snakes. Hezekiah called this serpent Nehushtan.

This event is referenced only three times in the Bible:

1. Numbers – poisonous snakes were sent as a punishment for Israel’s rebellion.

2. 2 Kings – King Hezekiah destroys the snake on a pole (he called it Nehushtan).

3. John – Jesus references the snake on a pole when he told Nicodemus about his crucifixion that would occur.

What is the significance of Nehushtan? Let’s look at this further.

As stated, the first usage is found in the book of Numbers:

“They [the children of Israel] traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’’

“Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So, Moses prayed for the people.

“The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived” (Nu 21:4-9).

When did this event occur? The Children of Israel had made it to Kadesh Barnea, the closest point to the Promised Land they had achieved so far. They were here for about 38 years (although some believe God led them to other places during this time) until all those above 20 years of age died out because of their unbelief that God could lead them into Canaan victorious no matter the size of their enemy. Ten of the spies Moses had sent into Canaan did not support Joshua and Caleb who stated that despite the size of the men they met during their scouting mission, God would be with them and help Israel defeat them. The people believed the ten rather than the two and rebelled against Moses, and, ultimately, against God. God deemed that the current generation would die out before Israel as a nation could enter their Promised Land (Nu 14:22-23).

So when God told Moses it was time for them to move, it was the children and grandchildren of those who first arrived here who heard this announcement. When God told them to move, Moses asked the king of Edom to let them pass through their land, but he refused to have them enter the territory of Edom. Because Edom, a country descending from Esau (the brother of Jacob (Israel)), was their ancestry uncle, God said they could not harm any of the Edomites. Therefore, Moses had the people travel back toward the Red Sea so they could travel around the land of Edom.

This angered many of the people and they began to complain. They had been waiting for this command for 38 years. Now, they evidently felt they were going back into more hardships rather than progressing toward their goal. While we could possibly understand their frustration, their complaint was actually false and blasphemous. What did they say that was so severe?

There are two main parts to their complaint. The first part of their complaint was, “There is no bread! There is no water!” This complaint was an exaggeration. When people get mad and angry, this is what they resort to even without thinking about it. They exaggerate their condition and make it sound worse than it really is. If they had really thought about what they were saying, they would have realized this is not a true statement because God had supplied their needs before. They were complaining rather than asking God for what they desired.

Their history was replete with miracles God had done for them, or rather, their parents and grandparents. God had made bitter water fresh for their parents and grandparents (Ex 15:23-25); God had provided quail for their parents and grandparents to eat (Ex 16:13); God had provided water for their parents and grandparents to drink (Ex 17:1-7). They could have asked again rather than complain. Yet, these were miracles of their parents and grandparents. Maybe they didn’t believe God would do the same for them.

Are we not the same? We read of all these miracles in the Bible and yet don’t believe God will do the same for us. He tells us he is a God who never changes (Ml 3:6). Perhaps we have some self-exploring to do as well.

What they were really saying was that they wished they were back in Egypt because they were fed there. Yet, how they quickly forgot about all the hardships. These were people who had never lived in Egypt. They had only heard what their parents had said. Perhaps their parents told them of their desires for what was good back in Egypt and did not focus on all the hardships that God delivered them from. They were now speaking foolishly because there is no way they would want all the hardships their parents had to endure just to get a meal.

Their second major complaint was, “We detest this miserable food!’’ Maybe what they really meant was that they desired variety. Would God have granted that if they had asked? But rather than ask, they complained—again. And complained vehemently. This was even more egregious than the first complaint. Why? Because it was blasphemous.

The manna God provided for them was prophetic and represented the one who would come from heaven and supply all needs – Jesus Christ, himself. Manna brought life to the Israelites just as Christ would bring life to all those who follow him. This is what Jesus told those to whom he ministered. After he fed them, they asked for a sign and compared what Jesus did for them to what Moses had done for the children of Israel in the wilderness.

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (Jn 6:32-35)

The punishment for their rebellion was that God sent poisonous snakes.

Next time, we’ll look at this further.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens