Tear It Down!

“He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan” 2 Kings 18:4

Please read Numbers 21:4-9, this was a time when the children of Israel were going through a challenging time and they sinned against God. As a result God sent serpents to bite them causing a lot of deaths in the camp. They realized their mistake and cried out for mercy. And God told Moses to raise up a bronze serpent called Nehushtan. Everyone that looked at the bronze serpent was saved. What was God doing? God was positioning a type of Jesus. Jesus was the one that hung on the Cross of Calvary and when we look at Jesus, we are saved. The Bible says, the Name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and they are saved. When we have been stung by the venom of the world and by satan, we look at Jesus and we are healed. They looked unto Him and they were lightened and their faces were not ashamed. Moses was gone; God wanted the people to worship and obey Him. They had left the wilderness but guess what they did? They carried Nehushtan as insurance.

God wants you to have a relationship with Him, stop looking for formulas. They carried Nehushtan and for hundreds of years the children of Israel were worshipping a bronze serpent. Whose idea was the bronze serpent? It was God’s idea. God had moved on but they were still carrying the bronze serpent. What has become Nehushtan in your life? What appears to be legitimate but has taken God’s place in your life? Some people carry the crucifix around but they do not follow the Christ. You wear the crucifix proudly but you are not living for God and you know it. It has become Nehushtan.

For some people, it will surprise you that the Nehushtan in their lives is a printed Bible. They will not read the Bible but it is always under their pillow. If they have a bad dream, they just open to Psalm 91, put the opened Bible on their chest and go to sleep. The Bible has become an idol for such people. For some others, it is their children. God has given them children but now they worship their children. What is Nehushtan in your life? Many times, it is difficult to see it by yourself. So approach this prayerfully and the Holy Spirit will open your eyes.

Prayer: Precious Spirit of Christ, open my eyes to see every Nehushtan in my life and empower me to tear it down and enthrone God alone, in Jesus Name.