Lent

March 9, 2021

Scripture Reading: Numbers 21:4-9
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’ Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

What is the difference between icons and idols? What is the difference between a fiery serpent on a pole and a golden calf at the foot of a mountain? Reading stories from the Bible involves reading between the lines because the references made are not a part of our culture. My first response to the above scripture was to skip it. I committed when I started these devotions to deal with the scriptures in the lectionary because I have grown weary of people homing in on some favorite scriptures and ignoring the rest of the Bible. So, there is a caveat to my comments on this scripture. Some of this is consists of writing the musings in my head.

First, what do we make of that poisonous serpent set on a pole? The poisonous serpent is the translation of the Hebrew word saraph *. That word should sound familiar as it is used elsewhere in scripture in the form of seraphim connoting heavenly beings, which are characterized as possession light as with fire. Thus, the fiery snakes. The scripture above indicates that the person lives if they merely look at the fiery snake on the pole. I wonder if it is an indication that the hot bronze snake was used to cauterize the bite, thus stopping the poison’s spread. Such cauterization must be done very quickly. Therefore, placing the bronze snake on a pole makes it readily available to all that need it. Its mere presence would be a source of comfort for the people who recognize it as a source of healing or a means to salvation. Such an explanation is from my practical side. All things are possible through God, and the bronze snake may have been a constant reminder to the Israelites that God continuously surrounds us with God’s love.

Second, the golden calf was built after the people had given up on Moses returning. They went in search of another god to save them. Therein lies the difference between an icon and an idol. Icons remind us of God’s presence and characteristics; idols replace God as the center of our worship.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for helping us better understand our relationship with you through the art of icons. Forgive us when we set you aside for the false promises of idols. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8314.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.