Objects Of Remembrance!

There are things of the past which, when remembered, can serve to caution and prompt righteous actions and focuses for life. We may be surrounded by various objects that remind us of events or experiences of days gone by. Though the memories may powerfully encourage and motivate us to live rightly now, is it possible to make too much of the objects themselves?

As the nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness under the leadership of Moses, again and again this people murmured and complained. Though God continued to provide for their needs, they frequently seemed inclined to quickly grow “impatient on the way.” ( Numbers 21:4) They raised their voices in complaint not only against Moses, but also against God ( Numbers 21:5) as they would again think they would have been better off in Egypt. On one of those occasions God sent fiery serpents among the people as they complained about their food ( Numbers 21:5-6) and many people began to die. This served to bring the people back to their senses as they acknowledged their sin. ( Numbers 21:7) The people asked Moses to pray for the serpents to be taken away and so Moses prayed.

Note what God commanded Moses to do and its result.
“(8) 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.’ (9) 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.” ( Numbers 21:8-9 ESV)

It was not that the image of the bronze serpent on the pole had any power of its own, but as the people obediently looked to it, they were spared by the POWER OF GOD. This incident became a shadow of the great benefit of Christ being lifted up on the cross for our salvation.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He stated…
“(14) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.” ( John 3:14-15 ESV)

We may be proverbially “snake bit” by all kinds of things in this life, but Jesus is our source of eternal life. We are to continue looking to Him. As God provided a means of sparing the Israelites from death, so He has provided eternal life for us through Jesus.

Now, whatever became of that bronze serpent? To keep it around would perhaps have served as a reminder to the nation of Israel and succeeding generations to not murmur and complain against God, but instead remember Him as the Great Provider and Deliverer in life. Well, apparently the bronze serpent was kept because we read about it during the reign of King Hezekiah.

As Hezekiah tried to lead the nation back into a wholehearted relationship to God we read…

“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).” ( 2 Kings 18:4 ESV)

That which God had Moses make for the people to look to when bitten by the fiery serpents eventually became an object of worship. Do we find that amazing? However, is that any different than today when some seem to worship the cross while not retaining a proper focus on the Christ? We should not make more of the objects than what they were intended to be; objects of remembrance, but not objects of worship. The cross was the instrument of death in bringing about our cleansing by the blood of Jesus, but our FOCUS is to be ON THE SAVIOR. It is HIS POWER that saves us and HE IS THE ONE to rightfully receive our worship.

Have a great day KEEPING MEMORIAL OBJECTS IN THEIR PLACE!
Carl

See other teEn-MAIL on Memorials