II Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan. )
John 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.
As stated in my last posting, when Jacob finally came full circle in Genesis 35, he returns to Bethel, renaming it El Bethel. He is no longer going to worship the place. He is going to worship the God of the place.
This is much more important than it sounds at first. The place is not going to be honored. The experience is not going to be placed above the God who gave him the experience. It's an easy trap to fall into. We worship - or at least overly acknowledge - the place of our encounter with God, not the God of our encounter.
Think about it - how many places become idols? How quickly something or someone that should be honored becomes something or someone that is worshiped. The Nehushtan, or bronze snake, was used by God to bring healing to the Israelites in Numbers 21. It did not bring the healing - it was a tool, a vessel used by God. But over time, of course, it became an object of worship. We are so tangible and finite that we simply can't help but cling to the vessels that God uses.
Mary - a vessel used by God to bring healing (Jesus) into the world - becomes an object of worship. In Acts 14 the people of Lystra want to worship Paul when he brings healing to the crippled man. Paul immediately does what I believe Mary would do if she were around today - he deflects all attention to God. "Men," Paul says, "Why are you doing this? We too are only men . . . bringing you good news." And if the Nehushtan could talk - he would have said the same thing. "Look to God - I'm only a vessel!"
But we are so locked in to experiences and places that we flock to Toronto, Kansas City, Rome, Willow Creek, Mars Hill, Times Square, etc - looking for a repeat. The US is having the same problem in that churches are flocking to Purpose Driven principles, new philosphies, new methods - all with the hope that these will bring the healing. Churches and denominations are being lifted high, being worshiped instead of being places of worship. All we end up doing is stealing their staleness.
I have an idea - let's do what Jesus said. Let's lift Him up and allow Him to draw people to Him. Hezekiah eventually had to smash the Nehushtan into pieces so that God could be lifted up. If these other places or people become objects of worship, then God will ultimately do the same to them.
Honestly, I need a spiritual healing, and I'm tired of turning to books or churches or ministries or denominations or men. God is clearly telling me to seek Him and put all the other things aside for awhile. They have their place, and they may be used in the process, but they have become the object instead of a vessel to reach the object. In the terminology of Ezekiel 47, He is telling me to cast everything off, allow it to be washed in the River, and if it is useful it will be brought back to me cleansed. If it is not - let it drift away.
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