2 Kings 18:4 He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan.
2 Kings 18:4
At one point when Moses and the Israelites were in the wilderness, they began to complain against him and God. They whined that God had brought them out of slavery and into the wilderness to die. This may not seem whiney, but legit.. until you think about how He provided food miraculously from heaven every morning, their apparel didn't wear out, and He was leading them to a better land that He promised to them. In response, God put poisoness snakes in their midst. The people wised up really quick and asked Moses to ask God to take the snakes away. God had Moses make a snake out of bronze. Any time someone got bit, if they looked at the snake, they were healed. Crazy story, but yes it really happened. You can ready it in Numbers 21:4-9.
Fast forward to King Hezekiah's day and they were now worshipping the snake as a god. They missed the whole point. The healing was not in the snake, it was in the obedience to God. He said build a snake and look at it and you'll be healed. Nothing more, nothing less. We need to be careful that we trust in God and not in a movement, person, or act as our provision. We walk in obedience, and He moves on our behalf. It's also important to not expect Him to work the same way every time. The snake had served its purpose, yet they kept coming back to it years later, not realizing that God was moving forward without them. Part of the reason I believe they missed the point was their disconnect with God. They never spoke to Him directly, but always asked Moses to do it for them. If you're not in communication with someone, how will you know what their plan is? If they had cultivated a relationship with God for themselves, they would have seen the power lies within Him, and not what He uses to accomplish His will.
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