2 KINGS 18:1-4
WORSHIPPING THE SNAKE
In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
Few issues stir our emotions more deeply than those that appear threatening to beloved institutions. Our church, the congregation with which we worship, is dear to us, and we react instinctively to any threat, real or perceived. The building in which we meet is more than simply wood and stone; it represents dreams, hopes and was purchased with our sweat and blood. The denomination to which we belong, the seminaries or schools we support as a church, the missionary organisations to which we send our moneys, all alike are defended against any slight.
Tragically, our defence of institutions and buildings can lead us into idolatry. Though the idolatry “feels” good, it is nonetheless opposed to righteousness and in conflict to the will of God. In order to understand this subtle insinuation of the tendency to idolatry, I invite you to consider an incident that occurred early in the reign of Hezekiah, King of Judah. The account of the early years of his reign is provided in the historical book of 2 KINGS. Among his initial acts was removal of an idol—an idol that God commanded the people to make. Join me in learning from the Word of God.
THE CURSE OF THE LURE — In order to understand the incident that is recorded briefly in our text, it will be necessary to review how the bronze serpent came to be. Though this review is undoubtedly a mere refresher for most of you, some may not be aware of the particular aspect of Israel’s history when God commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent on a staff.
The specific account is provided in NUMBERS 21:4-9. The people of Israel set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
As they wandered in the desert, despite making progress toward the land God had promised to give them, the people became impatient. This is a common failing of the people of God. They plan for a particular outcome, and because God does not move according to their plans, they become impatient. Almost inevitably, when the people of God become impatient, they begin to grumble. In the case of Israel, they began to speak against God and against Moses.
Take careful note that complaining against Moses was equated to complaining against God. No one actually came out and said, “God is unfair! Boo, God!” However, complaints against Moses were a tacit complaint against God who appointed him. Whenever complaining is tolerated among the people of God, it tends to contaminate the entire community. Complaints, however, expose those complaining to divine judgement. Either the people of God must police themselves, or God will correct them.
Israel, as is true for many Christians in this day, was characterised by complaints. The people complained in the hearing of he Lord about their misfortune, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled [NUMBERS 11:1]. Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, and their complaint was that he had married the wrong woman [NUMBERS 12:1]. Actually, they were angry because they considered that their thoughts about what would please God were as good as Moses’ thoughts [NUMBERS 12:2]!
When the spies returned from exploring the land God had promised, they reported that they saw giants, though the majority report was that God was still leading. The response of the people to the challenge of moving at God’s command was to complain. All the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt” [NUMBERS 14:1-4].
Korah decided that he was better able to lead than the one whom God appointed, and he raised a rebellion against Moses. Moses and Aaron responded by cautioning Korah and all who supported him in his rebellion against grumbling against God [NUMBERS 16:1-11]. When God judged Korah, the people grumbled. In NUMBERS 16:41, we read, all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.” There is a real revelation of human nature! Moses warns against rebellion. When God judges the rebels, the people complain that Moses killed the people of the Lord!
Throughout the Word, we see that God’s response to grumbling is judgement. The incident in NUMBERS 21:4-9 is one of many examples of divine judgement. When the people began to grumble, the Lord sent venomous snakes among them, and many of the people died. Judgement will either harden us, or turn us from our self-destructive tendency. The people repented of their sin when God judged them; and when they repented, God relented.
Because the people repented, God commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent, place it on a pole and instruct the people that when they were bitten, they must look at the serpent on the pole. It worked! In fact, Jesus made specific reference to this incident during His conversation with Nicodemus. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life [JOHN 3:14, 15].
The bronze snake was intended to be temporary, an expedient required for healing the people. God never intended that the snake on a stick would be permanent. Yet, when we come to 2 KINGS 18, we learn that the serpent on the pole was still around. Moreover, it had not been in storage throughout the years since Moses moved from Oboth.
Hezekiah reigned in the Sixth Century B.C.; the serpent was created in 1450 B.C. For eight centuries—eight hundred years—God’s people had kept the bronze serpent. Removed from the immediate need, they began to worship before the snake—they made an idol of that which God gave for their benefit. They even gave it a name—Nahushtan.
Nahushtan, when translated into English, may be taken to mean “a piece of brass.” Did you get that? That is all it was! Yet, this piece of brass had been turned into an object of worship. Something that had once been useful and even necessary had now become an idol. That which had been commanded by God at one time, was now venerated and worshipped. That which had once been a blessing, had become a curse. The people had begun to treasure this “piece of brass.”
We can imagine that some liturgical Christians turn beloved institutions into objects of worship, but we evangelicals would never do such a thing. However, the heart of fallen man is prone to every sort of wickedness. Jeremiah cautions that
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick.
[JEREMIAH 17:9]
The songwriter penned a wise and a true confession when he wrote,
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love.
Because we are a fallen people, because we are sinners, we are susceptible to every form of wickedness. We often create idols, without even realising what we are doing. A church building can be subtly transformed into our Nahushtan, when all the time it is but a place to meet, a place that permits a measure of comfort as we worship the Lord our God. A favoured Bible translation, an interpretation of which we have grown fond, decorative fixtures within the auditorium—all alike can in time become for us a Nahushtan. How many churches have been torn apart because of the colour of carpeting in the auditorium or the placement of a piano!
Jesus excoriated the Pharisees and the scribes for precisely such subtle idolatry. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it [MATTHEW 23:16-22].
The scribes and the Pharisees were guilty of idolatry, though they would doubtless have vigorously denied the charge. The transient became the focus of their worship, and the Master was compelled to confront their idolatry. These leaders of the religious community were simply following in the train of their forebears.
Jeremiah records God’s condemnation of the people who had become so enamoured of Solomon’s Temple that they neglected worship of the Lord their God. Therefore, God, through Jeremiah, warned, do not trust in these deceptive words: “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD” [JEREMIAH 7:4].
Despite repeated warnings from the prophets, and despite the obvious threat from Babylonian hegemony and feints toward Israel, the people arrogantly denied that God would ever judge them! After all, they had the Temple of the Lord right there with them. I heard that same message on one occasion from an arrogant church leader that boasted that God would never judge his church because they had a great missionary programme. Today, there is a small group barely maintaining the name of a once great church. God does not owe us anything, and when we begin to worship what we have or what we do, God will withdraw His blessing; He will hold us accountable because we bear His Name.
A church building is not evil; it is a gift from God enabling the people of God to worship comfortably in a setting that enhances worship. A Bible translation is not evil; it is a divine gift that enables us to know the will of God as delivered through those who wrote the original words. A missionary programme is not evil; it is a means to advance the Kingdom of God through co-ordinating the gifts of God’s people. Denominations are not evil; they are a way to co-ordinate evangelistic efforts and provide for pastoral education to advance God’s Kingdom. However, any of these can become a Nahushtan.
When we forget that it is God whom we worship and not the building in which we meet, we are guilty of idolatry. When we begin to insist that our translation alone is blessed by God, we are sliding into idolatry. When we begin to defend our missionary program as the only means of advancing the Kingdom of God, we are moving toward transforming that once blessed kingdom programme into a Nahushtan. Just so, when a denomination begins to run roughshod over the churches, demanding loyalty that belongs only to God, that which was intended to be a blessing is being transformed into a curse.
Frequently, fellow worshippers or long-time friends, as is equally true for family members, become our Nahushtan. An example of idolatry of friends and family is seen in a characteristic observed in the past fifty years. During the 1960s, a malady known as “Daddy’s Daughter Syndrome” was observed. Preachers who preached against sexual licence were willing to change their theology under certain conditions. The decade of the 60s was characterised by sexual experimentation; and as a consequence, the children of many preachers were caught up in the sexual freedom advocated during those years. Among those experimenting with sexual freedom, a number of preachers’ daughters became pregnant out of wedlock. Preachers who had previously preached against sexual licence were suddenly forced to confront the knowledge that their own children were sinners. Among preachers whose children were caught, many changed their theology.
They were incapable of accepting the sinful nature of their own children, and rather than exercise godly discipline leading to restoration, they adopted what they would have previously labelled as a licentious view of human nature. Something like that happens even to this day. It is fine to speak of accountability and church discipline, until discipline is actually exercised.
Nor need we expect that this willingness to change one’s theology is limited to pastors, for church members often make it plain that they will not tolerate discipline for their own friends or family members. In effect, we are willing to stand firm, so long as our friends or our family members are not inconvenienced. In effect, we make idols of our relationships, even at the expense of obedience to Christ.
When cherished traditions, treasured institutions, or beloved denominations begin to demand our allegiance, turning us from devotion to the Saviour, our golden dreams will soon turn to a hollow piece of brass. Instead of being the blessing God intended them to be, these aspects of our worship can become a curse and the means of our destruction, especially if we fail to walk with God. When the esteem of our friends is more highly valued than is allegiance to Christ, or when we regard the accolades that may accrue from those who are not walking in the Faith instead of seeking the commendation of the Saviour, we have created an idol that is fit only for destruction.
THE COURAGE OF THE LEADER — Whenever anyone points out our “Nehushtan,” he does so at considerable risk. None of us appreciates being told that we are slipping into idolatry. We demonstrate the fact that we are stung by our very reaction. Something cherished is threatened and we react with choler, with anger, even to the point of becoming irrational. We willingly jettison relationship to God, clinging tenaciously to the transient relationships of this dying world. To order the destruction of Nahushtan requires courage and determination.
Hezekiah saw a problem—a deviation from godliness. His response was to destroy the idol before which the people were worshipping instead of serving the Lord their God. There are several possible approaches to the problems we confront in life. One response is to deny that there is a problem. Perhaps if we ignore the problem, no one will notice there is a problem and there will be no need to deal with it. If we don’t acknowledge the problem, perhaps it isn’t really our problem. Ignoring the need will force someone else to confront the need, and we will be free of that vexing necessity.
Alternatively, we can embrace the problem, accepting it as a normal state. This is but a step beyond denial of the problem, for those who accept the problem as normal are in effect hoping that the problem will not grow. We may not like immoral people directing the affairs of the church, but so long as things appear to be moving smoothly, we should simply keep quiet. We are tolerating a little bit of evil, but it is less painful.
We may attempt to skirt the problem. Perhaps we can give the problem a glancing acknowledgement, sweep it under the rug, and hope that our inattention will be sufficient. This effort to dismiss a problem through minimising the problem cannot work, because after we have moved beyond the problem, the problem still remains.
Sometimes, we endeavour to create a diversion, hoping that in doing so we will be able to turn attention away from the issue at hand. This is the common response to the exposure of moral failure, as the one exposed often attempts to charge that the one speaking of the failure is hypocritical or judgemental.
We may meet the problem directly and move through it. This is momentarily the more painful course, but it holds the promise of resolution of conflict and lays the groundwork for long-term blessing. Hezekiah saw clearly the idolatry of the people and he chose of meet the problem directly. He acted at the risk of being misunderstood, even of being maligned. He jeopardised his position as a leader over the nation.
Hezekiah didn’t merely break tradition—he smashed tradition. Few charges are more damning for a leader than that of ignoring tradition—smashing idols, failing to show deference to beloved institutions and practises. The king was apparently infused with raw courage such as had not been witnessed in Israel for centuries—or was he? Hezekiah was not a man of great courage.
The picture that is presented in the Word is that of a rather timid man—a man who sought to avoid conflict at great cost. In the narrative of Hezekiah’s life, we read of an attack by the Assyrians against Israel. In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria [2 KINGS 18:13-16].
Hezekiah’s response to this unjust invasion was to negotiate, to strip the Temple and impoverish the people. He did not want to risk losing a battle, so he tried grovelling. This didn’t work, however, and the Rabshakeh demanded yet more of the king. What is important to note is that Hezekiah was neither reckless nor courageous. In fact, caution appears to have been more in keeping with his character than courage.
What gave him the courage when he first came to the throne to defy tradition? The answer is found in 2 KINGS 18:5, 6. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses.
In his desire to honour the Lord, Hezekiah reviewed the customs of the people. What he saw was in defiance of the Law of Moses. Because his commitment was to the Lord, and not to tradition, Hezekiah determined to act. The courage witnessed in Hezekiah was born out of conviction. He feared God more than he feared man.
Perhaps you will recall that Gideon the son of Joash received a command from God to destroy the altar of Baal. Though he initially hesitated to obey God, at last he obeyed. He acted quietly, destroying the altar and the Asherah beside it covertly and under cover of darkness. He acted in this manner because he was fearful.
When they learned of his actions, the men of the town wanted to kill Gideon. Joash, Gideon’s father, challenged the vigilantes, Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down [JUDGES 6:31]. This account was known to Hezekiah; he had to have realised that his actions would anger some of the people.
When we determine that God alone is worthy of honour, we will review our lives, our attitudes, our actions, and we will evaluate all our Nahushtans in light of the revealed will of God. To act in this manner requires something that few of us possess, but that all of us must have if we will honour God—courage. It is only as we fear God that we receive the courage to smash our idols. So long as we fear man, so long as we fear the immediate consequence of action, we will never smash our idols, and they will continue to reign over us, supplanting Christ and draining the power that is our heritage.
THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE LABOUR — The text points out the consequences of Hezekiah’s rather drastic action. We know that Hezekiah set a course that led to renewed spiritual vigour and blessing for Judah throughout the years of his rule.
When Hezekiah stood for God, smashing the bronze serpent, his actions had consequences that became apparent with time. First, he held fast to the Lord. The sixth verse states that Hezekiah held fast to the Lord [2 KINGS 18:6a]. Having stood for what was right, he was encouraged to continue standing for what was right. Having stood with the Lord in a tight spot, he became bolder still in adhering to the Lord. Ridding the land of the idol led Hezekiah to yet greater devotion to the Lord. Ridding my life of my first cherished idol leads to even greater determination to rid my life of all other idols.
Hezekiah was enabled to separate culture from command. The latter portion of the sixth verse informs us that Hezekiah did not depart from following [the Lord], but kept His commandments that the Lord commanded Moses [2 KINGS 18:6b]. Some actions we perform are motivated for no greater reason than they are expected by the culture we have permitted to insinuate into our lives. Every attitude, every action, must be liable to challenge to ensure that the motive for the action is honourable. Not every action is motivated by pure love for the Saviour. Some motives are unworthy of the Lord Christ; but those motives that arise from love for the Master and that are submitted to His Word are worthy of Him.
Churches have their own culture, though immersed in the broader social culture. Thus, we always struggle to avoid giving offence to the world, even as we endeavour to avoid giving offence to our fellow Christians. Consequently, we are often tempted to sacrifice doctrine in order to maintain a good standing in the eyes of the world. Too many of we who are Christians are more concerned with how the world sees us than we are with obedience to the Word of God.
Hezekiah was blessed by God. We read that the Lord was with him. The Word also declares that wherever he went out, he prospered [2 KINGS 18:7a]. When the king was blessed, the entire nation was blessed. Had the king been cursed, the nation would have suffered. To an unprecedented degree, the blessing or the cursing of a congregation results from the blessing or cursing of the leader.
Hezekiah and all Judah were blessed, while the neighbouring country of Israel was cursed. In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed [2 KINGS 18:9-12].
Obedience leads to divine blessing; disobedience leads to judgement. Because Hezekiah was godly, he was determined to honour God, even taking risks that potentially would incur the wrath of the people. Because he honoured God, God blessed him and in turn blessed the people. Hoshea was the last in a long lineage of kings over Israel who endeavoured to do what the people wanted instead of doing what God required. The result was judgement as God withdrew His blessing and called the nation to account.
APPLICATIONS — The lessons of the text are too important to rush past. There are both corporate and individual lessons deserving of our careful consideration. Speaking to the congregation as a whole, I urge the church to distinguish between culture and command. Hezekiah knew the command of God given through Moses, the servant of the Lord. He knew that idolatry would bring judgement. Though the people might have argued that they were not really worshipping the snake, contending that they were only seeking assistance for their worship, Hezekiah saw what they were doing for what it was. He differentiated between culture and command.
When we worship the Lord, is there a clear scriptural basis for our actions? Or, are we driven by a desire to do what makes us feel good? When we pursue a particular course of action as a congregation, do we have biblical instruction to guide us? Or are we more concerned to find and do what makes us comfortable? Are we acting out of conviction, or are we acting out of convenience? Frankly and tragically, among the churches of our Lord, more actions appear to be driven by raw emotion than by doctrine.
Our culture trains us from infancy to avoid thinking deeply. We come into the Faith, and we expect that nothing much will be demanded of us. Consequently, much of contemporary church life is characterised by weak theology driven by our feelings. Christians are incapable of distinguishing good from evil! The writer of the Hebrews letter lamented, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil [HEBREWS 5:12-14].
If we will distinguish between culture and command, we must make every effort to know the mind of the Lord. This requires effort of each of us. As those who seek to honour Christ the Lord, we must give careful consideration to our actions, ensuring that we understand the will of the Lord. We must live submitted to Him as Lord of life.
Another application is to trust your leaders. Hezekiah followed the Law of the Lord, and as a result, the people followed him as one who sought the Lord. If your leaders walk according to the Word and God is blessing them—and you—follow them. This is the injunction found in the Hebrews letter as the writer commands, Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith [HEBREWS 13:7]. He follows that command by writing, Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you [HEBREWS 13:17]. Paul boldly commanded the Corinthian Christians to imitate his life, even as he imitated Christ [1 CORINTHIANS 4:16; 11:1].
If you can’t trust your leaders, if you no longer are convinced that they are walking in the way of the Lord, ask God to remove them—or remove yourself. If God appoints those whom He wills to lead us, we must trust that He is in control. Otherwise, church meetings will always be degenerating into a political brouhaha. Make every effort to generate an atmosphere of openness and trust within the congregation. Resist the cultural conditional that says “we hire our leaders and we can fire our leaders.” I can assure you on the authority of God’s Word that the hackneyed dictum vox populi, vox dei, finds no support in Scripture. Such attitudes lead only to destruction.
Finally, I plead with each of us who name the Name of Christ to destroy our idols. As Jacob put away all the gods that were found in his household [GENESIS 35:2-4], so we must put away all that vies for co-regency with the Son of God. Only then will the presence of God among us be evident to a watching and waiting world. Can you honestly testify that you have destroyed your idols? Can you truly say that you are free of bronze anchors? Does Christ reign over your life without a rival? Or do you admit to a personal shrine in your inner temple where you privately burn incense?
How would we recognise an idol? How would we identify that which has usurped the place of Christ the Lord? Jesus shows us how to recognise our idols when He warns, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also [MATTHEW 6:19-21].
Your treasure—that thing that has become your idol—may be discovered by this four-fold test. Your idol is what you value most. It is what you would most hate to lose. Your idol is what your thoughts turn to most frequently when you are free to think as you will. And finally, your idol is what affords you the greatest pleasure. Find your treasure, and if that treasure is not the Son of God, rid yourself of that thing.
What are the treasures in your life? Will you willingly sacrifice them without reservation and without hesitation? Do you truly desire that Christ alone will be served? My prayer is that we will have the courage to rid ourselves of our idols, remembering that good is enemy of the best. I pray that we will have the courage to smash our Nahushtans. As followers of the Son of God, we have spent quite enough time worshipping the snake.
