Why did Hezekiah destroy the bronze serpent Moses made in Numbers 21:9? Where the Serpent Came From • Numbers 21:8-9 recounts God’s remedy for the snake-bitten Israelites: Moses “made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole.” Whoever looked at it lived. • The object itself was never magical; it simply pointed to God’s mercy and the people’s trust in His word (cf. John 3:14-15). What Went Wrong Over Time • After Israel settled in the land, the bronze serpent was preserved as a historic reminder. • Centuries passed. By Hezekiah’s day people were “burning incense to it” (2 Kings 18:4). • What began as a God-given symbol had become an idol called “Nehushtan” (“a piece of bronze”). • This violated the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol” (Exodus 20:4-5). Hezekiah’s Reform in 2 Kings 18:4 Hezekiah “removed the high places…cut down the Asherah poles, and crushed the bronze serpent that Moses had made” (excerpt). Why destroy it? 1. Idolatry had attached itself to the object. 2. True worship demanded decisive action; half-measures would leave the snare in place. 3. Hezekiah’s faith trusted God’s word over cherished traditions, echoing Deuteronomy 12:3-4—tear down every idol so the Lord alone is honored. What the Destruction Teaches • Symbols never save; God alone saves (Psalm 115:3-8). • Good things can become stumbling blocks when they replace personal trust in the Lord. • Reformation sometimes means discarding even treasured relics if they compete with wholehearted devotion (Matthew 6:24). Gospel Connection • Jesus identified Himself with the lifted serpent: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent…so the Son of Man must be lifted up” (John 3:14-15). • By destroying the old serpent image, Hezekiah cleared the stage for the ultimate, sin-bearing work of Christ—a once-for-all fulfillment no relic can rival. Takeaway Hezekiah crushed the bronze serpent because Israel’s gaze had shifted from the God who heals to the object itself. Clearing away that idol restored pure, life-giving worship and reminds every generation: keep your eyes on the Lord, not on the things that merely point to Him. |
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