Then the LORD told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed! [Numbers 21.8-9]
There is no mention that the people should even repent, but simply look upon the snake on the pole to be healed. I wonder why repentance is not mentioned/encouraged/demanded here?
This said, without repentance, this method for being healed from snakebites evidently became an idolatrous practice because Hezekiah destroyed it.
He [Hezekiah] 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]
Is it ironic that the symbol above (and its variations) is the sign of modern medicine?
Is it possible that people today offer sacrifices (worship) this symbol and what it represents?
Even if "God gave us medicine," as most hold, do we look to medicine unrepentant?
It's something to think about.
Father, You know how I feel at this time about medicine and society's idolatrous view of it. I don't want to participate in that! May we see the error of our ways to exclude repentance when we are clearly suffering curses in our lives!
No comments:
Post a Comment