Nehushtan – The Bronze Snake in the Writings of Paul and 2 Kings
In addition to the story in Numbers 21 being referenced by Jesus (John 3), this story makes its appearance in the writings of Paul. Paul is telling the church in Corinth that the things that happened to Israel as recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures are examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:9 that “Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites.” Don’t turn against the very things that God has provided for you. God wanted to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, but the people were constantly complaining and disbelieving. How often we turn the very things that God provides into the things that we complain about and criticize the most.
This point can be further illustrated by Nehushtan. This was the word given to this bronze snake lifted up in the wilderness that was still around in the nation of Israel as recorded in 2 Kings 18:4. If something lasted that long it must have meant a lot to them. God did something miraculous that day with the bronze snake lifted up on a pole and the people didn’t want to forget about it.
But in 2 Kings 18 we see that King Hezekiah wanted to turn the nation back to God. He removed pagan shrines and smashed the sacred pillars. One of the other things he did was break up this “bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it.”
Don’t let the good, great, amazing things/events/people in our lives turn into the object of our worship. Always worship the one who gave those things/events/people to you. Worship God alone. Look to Him!
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