Idolatry
The Children of Israel complained in the wilderness about hardships and inconveniences imposed on them. “The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died” (Numbers 21: 6).
The Israelites appealed to Moses who interceded for them. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make a fiery serpent [facsimile], and [fix] it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looks upon it, shall live.”
Moses complied with the directions given him by God and the people that were bitten by the snakes and looked at the bronze serpent on the pole were healed and lived.
The bronze serpent was stored and kept as a reminder of the disobedience of the Israelites. Many years passed after this event, in the passing of time, the providence of God shown to the people was transferred in the minds of succeeding generations to the bronze serpent. The people adopted a form of worship to the inert bronze likeness. They began perhaps to believe it to have curative powers in and of itself. Burning incense in the presence of the bronze serpent became a religious practice.
(This occurred during a time of declension in Israel wherein the Temple worship had ceased and the doors had been shut by orders of King Ahaz. His Son Hezikiah reopened it and ushered in a time of reformation and cleansing of the temple.)
This bronze serpent had been a blessing from God; but, it become an idol which had been added and was a form of false worship of the true God. Hezikiah destroyed it for this reason, it had become as a heathen idol to the Jews.
Christian religious practice just as its predecessor is rife with the possibility of developing idol worship. When diligence of church leaders responsible for such things become lax; time has a habit of rendering laxity in worship a sure and certain occurrence. It is in a time such as this that false worship is added to the church. When these practices become tradition it is difficult for them to be recognized for what they truly are. They are almost impossible to be removed from the church services and avoid a schism.
The bronze serpent was neither evil in itself nor had alone it any curative power. It was in inert piece of ore that had been refined and worked into a likeness of a snake. It was the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in God and being obedient, following His directions to Moses, that the healing was procured.
To give one example of this in Christianity observe the “Lord’s Supper” or for that matter, “baptism.”
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament [covenant] in my blood: this do, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till he come.” [again] (I Corinthians 11:23 -26).
It is easy over time, if due diligence by pastor and elders is not pursued to make certain it is taught to new converts and children the significance of this particular worship service i.e., what it means, it may become an idol as such in one sense and unimportant in another.
In most protestant churches there is open communion and an invitation given. In the invitation all those that are born again and understand the meaning of the service are qualified and encouraged to participate.
Children that are not of an age to understand what the service is about should not take part. They should be made aware however that they should look forward to the time when they will.
There should be an effort made to keep this a most solemn observance. Parents should know when to encourage the children to take part and instruct them personally to make certain their children understand the seriousness of it and take part. It should be free and open but not common.
There is a warning given in the succeeding verses (27 & 28) against taking these elements in vain. That should keep memories sharp for those who participate in it that they receive it soberly in not in the wrong mindset.
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