Serpents and the Savior

The other night, at Bible study, I was asked a question by our teacher, and was forced to reply that my mind had been wandering.  We were in Amos 9, and I was fixated on the Hebrew word "nachash", in Amos 9:3, saying the word over and over in my head, trying to achieve the correct Hebrew pronunciation. I don't read Hebrew, but had found that word in my text notes and was distracted thereby.
Busted.

I was reminded of this incident yesterday as I was doing morning Bible reading in 2 Kings 18, which speaks of the theological reforms of King Hezekiah, one of Judah's "good kings".  When encountering some biblical incident or fact I had never previously seen, read or heard of, I am always delighted.  Such occasions reinforce my opinion that the Bible is the greatest book ever penned, as it was, in fact, penned by mere men, under the flawless direction of the Holy Spirit.  Maybe you are unfamiliar with this story also.  Let's investigate.

1In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abi,a the daughter of Zechariah. 3And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 4He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtanb that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

2 Kings 18:1-4 (BSB)

Ok, did you just go "whoa...."?
My text notes say that this was the FIERY, bronze snake Moses had set up for the healing of the people, around 1000 years earlier, as recorded in Numbers 21:9.

4Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,c in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey 5and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

6So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.

7Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.

8Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” 9So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.

Numbers 21:9 (BSB)

So, it seems that, after the miraculous healing which occurred in the Numbers account, the Hebrew people toted that "bronze serpent on a pole" around with them for around 1000 years, venerating it, to some extent.  What began as a symbol of faith, healing and the almighty power of God became an idol.  Some versions of 2 Kings 18:4 say they burned incense to it, as in the Berean Study Bible translation above, while other versions translate it as "offered sacrifices to it".  Regardless, we are talking idolatry here, which Hezekiah rightly recognized as needing to be done away with.

Several things about these three stories (Amos, 2 Kings, Numbers) amaze me.
1.  Why would the LORD God prescribe this particular method of healing, in the first place?  I'm just trying to understand, not being disrespectful to my God, who can certainly do what He pleases and use any of his creations however He wants.  However, apart from some light Jesus shed on the Numbers incident, I have little insight into why God chose this method.  It seems ... regressive.
The Hebrews had not been long out of Egypt.  They were having one of their griping/groaning sessions, which tried the patience of both Moses and God severely.  Had the Scriptures not explicitly said this was God's remedy, I would have filed it away with the golden calf incident, which took place at the foot of Mt. Sinai, while Moses was on the mountain, receiving the commandments from God.
Both the calf and the serpent were symbols of Egyptian false religion. The Hebrews had spent the last 400 years immersed in this idolatrous climate, as slaves.  So, when commanded to "look and live" (Numbers 21:9), they willingly complied.  Regardless, they committed an obedient act of faith, an act of worship, and it was this that healed them.
2.  Why would the LORD God allow the Israelites to tote around and worship this bronze serpent for so many centuries, until the time of Hezekiah?  There had been religious reformers before Hezekiah, numerous prophets, etc., but none of them had thought to end the inappropriate veneration of this religious symbol?!  It makes no sense to me.  Yet, God DID allow this to continue, to go on and on and on.  It is a perfect illustration of how God engineered something for a specific purpose, after which Satan wormed his way (pun unintentional) into the situation and corrupted things in the aftermath.  The enemy always starts with something good, holy and pure, then keeps a kernel of its original beauty, in order to twist and pervert it for his own evil ends.
This is the only reference I could find in the Bible of God using a serpent image for healing, although, at various times, God, used snakes for punishment (1 Cor. 10:9, Ecc. 10:8, Amos 9:3, Numbers 21)
(The Amos reference with which I began the post was to a sea snake which, through Amos, God warned He would use to find and punish evildoers who tried to hide in the depths of the sea.). Amos and Hezekiah were almost contemporaries.  Amos' ministry occurred around 760-755 BCE, while Hezekiah's reign was 728-686 BCE. 

Apparently, by Hezekiah's time, this serpentine object had a proper name:  Nehushtan.  The name bears similarities to both the Hebrew words "nechosheth", which means "brass", and "nachash", which means "serpent".  (Same word in Amos 9:3.)We could be looking at a sort of play on words here.  As it was a "copper serpent", the proper name could be a blend of both words.  Several versions (King James Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible, International Standard Bible, New Heart English Bible, etc.) of 2 Kings 18:4 say this is the proper name Hezekiah attributed to the object, and some commentators believe it was a term of derision.  In other words, the king derisively referred to the object as a mere piece of brass, as opposed to a god, and broke it into pieces, accordingly.

The aspect I love most about the Numbers story is that God used the serpents/snakes to His own ends, proving His lordship over all.  Satan manifested himself in the form of a serpent in the book of Genesis and is called "that ancient serpent" in Revelation 12:9.  Most interpret that to be some sort of beautiful and beguiling snake. Since that time, the serpent or snake has been a symbol in many cultures of false religion, fertility, and other vile practices.  But, in the Numbers story, God used the serpent as both punishment and redemption.  He did something similar in Exodus 7:8-13, where Aaron and the Egyptian magicians were turning their walking sticks (a symbol of prophetic authority) into snakes, but Aaron's snake gobbled up all the other snakes.
There are several New Testament scriptures that equate snakes as symbols of the enemy of the gospel (Mark 16:18, Luke 10:19, Acts 28:3-5), but show the power of Jesus Christ and His message overcoming them all.

We can't leave this exposition without mentioning Jesus' reference to "the bronze serpent", in John 3.

12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.c 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.d

John 3:12-15 (BSB)

Are you marveling, along with me, that Jesus compared Himself to this action by God, nearly two millennia earlier?  Was this why God did what He did in the Numbers 21 story?  Was that a foreshadowing of Jesus Messiah to come?
The symbol of Satan, the symbol of sin, hoisted (lifted up) on a pole, suspended between Heaven and Earth, brought healing from the deadly bite of the fiery snakes.
The Savior, God Himself, hoisted (lifted up) on the Cross, suspended between Heaven and Earth, to defeat the enemy, to conquer sin, and bring healing from the sin curse to all who believe, who put their faith in Him.
Faith is the victory.  Faith extinguished the deadly, fiery snake bites.  Faith overcomes the deadly, curse of sin, both at the moment of salvation and as we grow in our Christian walk.

In closing, look at what the apostle Paul said in his famous spiritual warfare passage from Ephesians.

16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 

Say it with me....WHOOOAAA....
What an amazing God!

Sources:

https://www.gotquestions.org/Nehushtan.html

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/nehushtan/

https://biblehub.com/topical/n/nehushtan.htm

https://www.openbible.info/topics/snakes

Esther 4: The Book of Esther's Prophetic Timeline

The Bible often tells us exactly when events occur in the biblical lunar calendar, given to the Jews by Adonai (God) Himself.  Most of the time, Christians brush right past these mentions, because they have no meaning for us, as most of the "modern" world operates on the Julian solar calendar.  However, when we take the time to study those scriptural mentions, we can learn new ways to celebrate that God's timing is perfect.

My pastor, a few Sundays ago, told of a preacher who would tell "the end" at the beginning of his sermon, and then go on to the beginning, working his way through to the ending he shared ... at the beginning.  That's want I'm going to do now.

The dates of the denouement1 in the book of Esther are significant, because they parallel Jesus' triumph over the grave.  It's amazing and glorious, really.  Let me show you.

The climax of the story of Esther takes place in the biblical month of Nisan, specifically on Nisan 14-17.  Here are the mentions of dates/times in the book.

Esther 1:3 - - - 3rd year of Ahasuerus' reign which, "going with" the Cambyses II dude, would be
527 BCE.2
Esther 2:1 - - - "Some time later..."
Esther 2:16 - - 523 BCE - - month of Tebeth, 7th year of king's reign, usually Dec.-Jan.
Esther 3:7,12 - - 518 BCE - - 13th day of the first month, that is, the 13th of Nisan.  (The king's issued command, instigated by Haman, was that by the 13th of Adar, the 12th month, all the Jews would be annihilated.)
Esther 4:15-16. Esther proclaims a 3-day fast for all the Jews in Susa, from Nisan 14-16.
Esther 5:1-4. "On the third day", that is, the 3rd day of the 3-day fast, that is Nisan 16 - - this was the first day of the banquet.
Esther 7:1. The setting of this chapter is the very next day, Nisan 17.  This is the second day of the banqueting.  Haman is exposed by Esther, defeated and hanged on the 75-foot gallows he had ordered constructed for the hanging of Mordecai.
Esther 8:1. "On that day" or "That same day"... Nisan 17 - - complete restoration of the Jews

Nisan 15-17 are very significant dates in the Bible.  Let's look at other occasions on which the Lord God triumphed over Satan on Nisan 15-17.3  In Hebrew, the word translated in English as “nes”, means “miracle”.  Therefore, Nisan is often viewed as the “miracle month”.  Often in the Bible, prophecies have more than one fulfillment.  What has happened before, will happen again.

It was in the month of Abib, another name for Nisan, that is, the first month of the Hebrew calendar, that God instituted the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, of Passover and of First Fruits.  This is recorded in Exodus 13 and 14.  It was also the time period during which the Hebrew people were delivered from Egypt and crossed the Red Sea on dry ground.

King Hezekiah is often viewed as a foreshadow of Messiah for several reasons, but let's look at this one occasion in particular.  His story begins in 2 Chronicles 29.   (Remember that Nisan is month 1.)

 17They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported, “We have cleansed the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all its utensils. 19Moreover, we have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz in his unfaithfulness cast aside during his reign. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD.”

20Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went up to the house of the LORD. 21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

So, on Nisan 17, King Hezekiah arose early {according to most translations} and re-dedicated the Temple, restoring the service of the house of the Lord. (Who else rose early on Nisan 17?!)

Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver on Nisan 13, and Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14, buried before sundown.4  Jesus was in the grave before sundown in the waning hours of Nisan 14 through Nisan 16 and arose early in the morning on Nisan 17, the Feast of First Fruits.  So, it appeared Satan had won, on Nisan 14-16, just as Haman thought he had "cancelled" the Jews of the Persian Empire.  But, Nisan 17.... Hallelujah!  Jesus Christ arose from the dead!

Isn't God amazing?  So, you see that Haman's defeat on Nisan 17 was no accident nor mere coincidence.  His downfall and death on that date show a perfect picture of God's judgment and His mercy to His chosen people.  The events that followed show God's continued redemption at work in the lives of His people.  Mordecai's elevation on the same day typify the coming Messiah's triumph over death and the grave.  Messiah brings complete restoration, of the human soul (His first advent) and of all creation (2nd advent - - His Second Coming.) Anytime you read “on that day” (as I happened to be reading in Micah this morning), it is referring in some aspect to the final restoration of God’s people, during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.5

This is the last of my Esther posts, and I hope they have been a blessing.  Not an exhaustive treatment of the book, by any means...


Sources:

1   https://www.google.com/search?q=define%3A+denouement&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS829US829&oq=define%3A+denouement&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58.3488j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

2    https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2020/06/esther-1-ahasuerus-and-vashti.html

3    https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4333602/jewish/12-Facts-About-the-Month-of-Nisan-Every-Jew-Should-Know.htm (Keep in mind this is a Jewish source.)

4    http://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2018/03/first-fruits.html

5   “Shadow Pictures from the Book of Esther", Dr. Jennifer Scrivner, May, 2020

Seeing Beauty - - Parenthetical, Travel Log

Snake River, where it enters Lake Jenny

“... let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”  

Song of Songs 2:14b

Today, I took a memorable photo.  No, not the one above, though it ain’t shabby.

Cousin Carole and I are currently vacationing in parts of our great country I’d never seen.  On our way from Thermpolis, WY to Jackson Hole, we diverted through Grand Tetons National Park.  Today is July 4th.  Understandably, people were wall-to-wall.  We pulled into the visitors’ center at Lake Jenny, because Carole had seen it back in 1994 and wanted me to see its beauty.  However, she was unable to remember how to get to the view she remembered.

There were NO parking spots at the Visitors’ Center.  I mean, NONE.  People were even parked along the main road for quite a distance.  We decided to let Carole out, while I “circled” (like a buzzard,lol!) as best I could.  Almost as soon as she got out, though, a space opened up right there at the center.  Hallelujah!  Because I am pretty sure only God could do that miracle.
We were directed by other tourists to a trail, leading down to the lake.

Carole has quite a good memory.  What she remembered most about her trip many years ago was how the Grand Tetons were so perfectly reflected in the waters of the lake.  Carole is also quite verbal.  Accordingly, as we came to an observation point, she was bemoaning the fact that the mountains were not mirrored in the water.  With my Lake Jenny virgin eyes, however, I saw a stunning view.  Whipping out my phone, I grabbed a shot.  We walked on down to the boat ramp and then headed back.  (Carole is not much for long hikes.)

When we reached our destination this evening, we began to look at the pictures captured today.  Carole was gobsmacked by the shot I got at the lake.  Why?  Because she was looking for something else, and she had not even recognized the beauty right in front of her at the time.

I have done that too, haven’t you?  Failed to see a gift of God because of looking for something else?
Under-appreciating what I have been given because I was looking for something “more”?  Today was a powerful reminder to me of God’s love and generosity, and of my oft-times blindness and bullheadedness!  (Those who know me can’t imagine...haha)

I have another wonderful friend, Lynn, who is married to Raymond, an octogenarian. They have been very respectful of covid-19, and have been quarantining to a high degree.  She sent me 3 videos today about how she set a lovely table in the backyard, grilled a delicious dinner and celebrated this Independence Day with her husband.  Today, she chose to focus on beauty and on joy, to see beauty, despite less-than-ideal circumstances.  What a gift!

By contrast, the town of Jackson Hole has lost its mind over covid. As of yesterday’s order from the city council, masks are required in every building of any type.  What a juxtaposition against the Independence Day so many Americans are celebrating today.  So many are giving in to extreme fear, and missing the joy of every day living.

On this trip I have very much valued my morning quiet times.  Currently, I am reading in Hosea, even though our bible study group just studied that minor prophet.  In so doing, I am finding gems each day, despite having just studied it.  God has such beauty for us to find, in scripture, and in our lives as a whole, if we will just look for it!  Beauty in nature and in scripture - - both by the Creator, to draw us closer and closer to Him.

Esther 3: "Then Came Amalek..."

About a month ago I joined the ranks of ancestry-seekers.  My sister and her daughter were bitten by the genealogy bug, which proved to be a contagious disease.  I began to be fascinated with genealogy in high school, going on to be just one course shy of a science minor in college.  Blood types, Punnett Squares and other mechanics were interesting in their own right, but I loved seeing physical and behavioral traits in members of my family.  Here's an example from last week.

My brother, who owns a heating and air business, stopped by my mother's house while I was visiting.  On the dashboard of his truck was a huge assortment of boxed parts, invoices, cigarettes and other items I did not take the time to analyze.  The point was...it was crammed full of "stuff".  Our mother remarked that the only other family member she knew of who exhibited this same behavior was our great-uncle Oscar, whom neither of us really knew.  He died when we both were quite young.  Now, you might say this was a coincidence, but I'm not so sure.

The Hebrew people were fanatics about genealogies.  In fact, one of the most crushing blows in Jewish history was when the Second Temple (the one Nehemiah and Ezra rebuilt) was destroyed in 70 C.E., because the genealogical records were destroyed as well.  Since that time, no Jew has been able to definitively prove he or she is from a particular tribe of Israel.

In the last post, I shared about the family lines of Kish and those of the Agagites.  To illustrate how important genealogy is, and its relevance to the Book of Esther (did you think I'd forgotten, lol?!), we are going to look today at the Curse of Amalek.  It's quite extraordinary.

There were three personages in the Bible prophesied about before they were born.1  One was King Cyrus the Great, the Persian regent who gave permission for the Jews to return to the Promised Land.  Over 100 years before he was born, the prophet Isaiah spoke of him by name, and prophesied about that he would do (Isaiah 44:28-45:1-4).  Another was King Agag, mentioned in Numbers 24:7, several years before his birth.  And, the third was Amalek.

The name Amalek appears as early as Genesis 14:7, referring to a people group attacked and conquered by an alliance of Mesopotamian kings, in the days of Abraham.  100 years later, Amalek himself was born, the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12).   The Edomites and the Amalekites --- both descendants of Esau, though separate nations.

Amalek's people were mentioned again, after the Israelites entered the Promised Land, in Exodus 17:14, that battle where Joshua is leading the Israelites against the Amalekites, while Moses has his arms raised up.  Verse 14 pronounces God's curse on the Amalekites.

8Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi: 16For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

The curse is reiterated again in Numbers 24:20 , where the Amalekites were called "the first among nations", paralleling and typifying how Satan was the highest-ranking of the angels before his ignominious fall.  Like Satan, that people group's end would be "utter destruction"; so will be Satan's fate.  Through the wicked prophet Balaam, God is speaking - - -

Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction.”

Numbers 24:20 (ESV)

We see the curse yet again in Deuteronomy 25:17-19, where the Amalekites are described as a people who did not fear God.  This passage gives more details of how, as the Hebrew people were fleeing Egypt, the Amalekites attacked the rear flank of the group, killing those straggling behind, probably the very old and infirm.  In both the Exodus and Deuteronomy passages, God instructed His chosen people to "blot out all memory of Amalek from under Heaven."  1 Samuel 15:2 mentions the curse yet again.

The Amalekites were nomadic, plundering marauders, dwelling predominantly in the desert region between Egypt and Canaan.  They constantly raided and disrupted the Israelites' food supplies, in later skirmishes (Judges 3:13 and 6:3).2   Isn't that what Satan tries with the people of God, the true Church, today?  He knows he has no true power over us; yet, he disrupts our spiritual food supplies in every way he can.  However, the battle victory is OURS, through faith, in our Messiah.  Hallelujah!

The Deuteronomy passage is read on the Sabbath before Purim EVERY YEAR, because the story of Esther is a story of God versus the Spirit of Amalek, of righteousness versus evil, of Jehovah God versus HaSatan (Hebrew version of Satan's name).  In Scripture, Amalek is a "type" for Satan.

So, the last mention of the Amalekites in Scripture was in the book of Esther.  Remember, Haman is described as a descendant of King Agag, who was king of the Amalekites.  Haman, the Agagite.
Do you see now how Haman is a "type" of Satan and of the Antichrist, the False Messiah, in the Esther story?

In the Exodus 17 passage, do you really think it was Moses' raised arms that gave the Israelites the victory?!  (I mean, come on, what the heck?). No, Moses was first standing and then (as fatigue set in) seated on a hill, his raised arms like a battle flag, a battle "standard", to use the older English word.  A battle BANNER.  It is NO accident that, after that victory, Moses built an altar to Jehovah God, and revealed the name Jehovah-Nissi, the first time we see this name for God in the Bible.  "Nissi" means "banner".  Our God, our Banner.  To Him alone belongs the victory.

One more deep dig, and I'm done.
In the last days, many theologians believe the spirit of Amalek, manifested through history in such evil persecutors of the Jews and Christians as Roman Emperors, Adolf Hitler, Mussolini, Muslim fanatics and others will again power the Antichrist, the last incarnation of the spirit of Amalek (1 Corinthians 15:20).  Satan's last attack on God's people will be just before Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Messiah, returns.  Once again, He will have the absolute, complete victory because the battle is already won.  God has decreed it, and it is so.

Isaiah 11 is a chapter describing the Millennial reign of Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Note what 11:10 says - - "On that day, the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples".  Jesus Christ, our Jehovah-Nissi.  For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14) 

Don't you look forward to that day?

Sources:
1   "Shadow Pictures from the Book of Esther", Dr. Jennifer Scrivner, May, 2020
2   https://www.gotquestions.org/Amalekites.html