Nehushtan As I drove by an emergency medical center recently, I looked up to see the symbol which represents help: a single snake winding around a pole. My heart swelled with love for the Lord who would bring one of His biblical stories into a readily recognizable image of today, but it was tinged with a sadness for the ignorance of those around me. The Lord is here - today - and His stories aren’t just stories of the past, but they are part of the life and breath of your existence this very minute. We all recognize the symbol...but no one seems to know what it means, or where it comes from. Those who can identify it typically mis-identify, or misuse it. Some call it the Rod of Asclepius, or mistake it for the two-snaked, winged medical caduceus from Greek mythology. But, I know it to be Nehushtan...straight from the book of Numbers in the Bible, and I thank God for it. Numbers 21 "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." The wisdom that can be gleaned from this passage is tremendous! The serpent represents Satan; brass is a metal of judgement in the Bible. The picture here is that Satan will be judged on a pole (the cross of Jesus). It is confirmed when Jesus Himself says “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up…” (John 3:14) Our health - our healing - comes from looking to the One who died on that cross: the Lord Jesus Christ! His willing sacrifice closed the book on that old serpent, the devil. But, just as the Israelites in the wilderness did - we refuse to look. “It’s too easy,” we think...or we’re too superstitious to even try. The serpent, after all, was a symbol of Satan. Was Moses out of his mind? No! He was prophesying the judgement of Satan on the beautiful and wretched cross at Calvary. For, any one of us that looks up to the Lord Jesus Christ and accepts His payment for our sin debt will be saved. But, you have to look; your gaze has to firmly lock with His and you have to reach out your hand to accept His gift of eternal life. So, here sits this testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ: an uncommon message in a common place. It calls to you every day…you pass by with barely a glance and nary a thought. “Are you sick? Are you tired? Come in and rest, and I will give you health.” Next time you drive by the place of healing and see that symbol, thank God for the true meaning behind it. God is here for you - today - and He is that place of refuge; a place of rest. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28 KJV Choose to see God in your day to day life. Get to know Him. He is calling for you...
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 22:11:17 +0000
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