Why Did God Command a Bronze Serpent While Forbidding Idols?....

The episode in Numbers 21 involving the bronze serpent on a pole and the commandment in Exodus 20 prohibiting idols can seem contradictory at first glance, but they serve distinct purposes within their respective contexts, and understanding these purposes resolves the apparent tension.

The Commandment Against Idols (Exodus 20:4-5)

In the Ten Commandments, God forbids the creation of idols for the purpose of worship: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them..." (Exodus 20:4-5).

This commandment targets the worship of created things instead of the Creator. The Israelites were surrounded by cultures that worshiped physical representations of deities, and God wanted to establish a clear distinction between Himself and the false gods of other nations.

The Bronze Serpent in Numbers 21:4-9

In Numbers 21, the bronze serpent is described as a tool of healing for a specific situation. When the Israelites spoke against God and Moses, they were punished by venomous snakes. To provide a means of healing, God instructed Moses: "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live" (Numbers 21:8).

Key points to consider:

  1. The Bronze Serpent Was Not Meant for Worship: The serpent was not an object of veneration but a means to demonstrate God's power and mercy. Healing came not from the bronze serpent itself but from the act of obedience and faith in looking toward it, as directed by God.

  2. Temporary Function: The bronze serpent served a specific, time-bound purpose tied to God's deliverance during the wilderness journey. It was not intended to become a permanent religious symbol or object of devotion.

  3. Symbolic Significance: The serpent on the pole prefigures the crucifixion of Christ, as Jesus explains in John 3:14-15: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." The bronze serpent symbolized salvation through faith, pointing forward to the ultimate healing and salvation found in Christ.

The Problem of Idolatry and the Bronze Serpent

Later, the bronze serpent did become an object of idolatry, highlighting the human tendency to misuse symbols of God's work. During King Hezekiah's reign, the Israelites began to worship the serpent, calling it "Nehushtan." Hezekiah destroyed it, as described in 2 Kings 18:4: "He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it."

This underscores the distinction between God's original intent for the serpent and the people's later misuse of it.

Reconciling the Two

The prohibition in Exodus 20 is against creating objects for the purpose of worship and idolatry. The bronze serpent in Numbers 21 was not made for worship but as a means of pointing the Israelites toward God’s power to heal and save. The problem arose when the people later turned it into an idol, violating the very commandment against idolatry.

In essence, there is no contradiction because the intent and purpose of the bronze serpent were entirely different from what the Ten Commandments prohibit. The lesson lies in the careful use of symbols: they must always point to God and not become replacements for Him.

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