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