There was a problem in the wilderness that required the construction of a serpent made of bronze and fastened to a pole. That same problem exists today, and again, G-d has provided the solution; which also causes offense and stumbling.
IN THEIR SHOES
In your minds eye, take yourself back to the days of the wilderness
wanderingof Sinai. It is several years after Moshe brought down
the tablets of thelaw given to him by G-d at Mt. Sinai. You're
leaving the area of Mt. Hor,traveling along the shores of the
Red Sea. The dwindling of food and freshwater begins to fuel fear;
you get caught up with the mob and begin speakingagainst G-d and
Moshe.1
Your complaints result in chastisement from G-d in the form of venomousserpents. With the pain of a hot nail, the entire camp (including yourself)have been bitten by the deadly creatures. Suddenly, the need for food andwater seems low on the list of priorities.
In desperation you join with the rest of the twelve tribes of Israeland repent of your murmuring; pleading that Moshe ask G-d to remove theserpents from the camp. But G-d knows that removing the serpents would belike putting a bandage over an infected wound. The poison has already enteredthe bloodstream and time would run out soon when the toxin hits the nervoussystem. Removing the snakes would not solve the problem of a poisoned bloodstream.
In answer to their cries, G-d commands Moshe to construct out of bronzethe likeness of the serpent that gave the people their death sentence. Theresulting image was then fastened to a pole and lifted up on a hill forall to see. G-d then commanded that all who had been bitten need only lookto the bronze serpent and they would not die.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
As you picture yourself in the previous situation, you must ask
yourselfa very important question. What would you do? Would you
choose to ignorethe command of G-d and take your chances with
the burning poison? Or wouldyou be obedient to His word and by
faith, look to the serpent for your salvation?You may think that
you would easily pick the latter, but remember, you areto place
yourself in the shoes of a Hebrew in the wilderness. Fortyyears before this incident, Moshe descended
from Mount Sinai with two tabletsof stone containing the ten commandments
of G-d. You, along with all theother elders, confirmed that "All
that the Lord has said we will do,and be obedient."2
This brings in a conflict, the command of G-d dictates that the imageof a serpent be created with bronze. Yet the second commandment specificallycharges not to make any likeness seen in the astrological zodiac3 or on the earth. Both of these criteria are violated by thebronze serpent, for along with being a creature that creeps upon the earth,it is also an astrological image of Hydra the "Fleeing Serpent".
Now what would you do? G-d has commanded that you obey His law, yet alsocharges you to cast a graven image to keep from dying.
MAKING THE IMAGE
The image of the serpent was to be made using bronze, or more
accuratelytranslated- copper. Copper was also used in the construction
of the altarof sacrifice, therefore we can assume that the metal
of bronze or copperis an idiom of fire or judgment. This is also
seen in the description ofthe serpents as being "fiery". It may
be that the desert adderwas bronze in color.
The image of the serpent was to then be fastened to a pole. The word"pole" in the Hebrew is actually nace which means ensignor standard. In those days, the tribal communities designated their locationwith the use of flags hung on the cross-beam of a long staff. The bronzeserpent was to be nailed or tied to the standard and lifted up in full viewof the people.
Philo, a first century Jewish historian in Alexandria, regarded the brazenserpent as being a symbol of G-d.
...if the mind that has been bitten by pleasure, that is by the serpent which was sent to Eve, shall have strength to behold the beauty of temperance, that is to say, the serpent made by Moshe in a manner affecting the soul, and to behold G-d Himself through the medium of the serpent, it shall live.4
Todays orthodox Jew would bristle at such an idea of attributing a gravenimage to G-d, and rightfully so. To explain this, the Jewish sages assumethat the image was to be raised in a high place so that the people wouldlook upward toward the Father.
Did then the brazen serpent possess the power of slaying or of bringing to life? No, but so long as the Israelites looked upward and subjected their hearts to their Father in Heaven, were they healed. But when they refused, then they were destroyed. - The Mishnah
This interpretation tries to explain away the fact that G-d purposelycharged Moshe to make a graven image and that looking upon said image willkeep the victim from dying. Yes, the image had no power over life and death,it was obedience to the command of G-d that gave the image it's relevanceto life preservation.
A ROCK OF OFFENSE
Philo rightfully drew the parallel to the serpent in the garden
and thesin of the people. Sin injects itself like the venom of
a viper.
Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their hearts; they continually gather together for war. They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. - Psalm 140:1-3
We must also remember that every living soul has been injected with thevenom of this serpent of sin.
...there is not a righteous man on earth that does good and does not sin - Ecc 7:20
The good news is that sin has been judged as is seen in the materialof copper. It is my opinion that the image of the serpent was cast usingone of the adders that were prevalent throughout the camp. Since time wasof the essence, carving or fashioning the serpent would be slow and difficult.A dead adder could be encased within compressed dirt, molten copper pouredin, evaporating the carcass and resulting in a cast facsimile. The causeof the death sentence is now replaced through the judgment of G-d's crucible.
With the aid of nails or rope, the brazen serpent is fastened to thestandard and lifted high for all to look upon. The image is a stumblingblock for the Jews who are accustomed to living their lives according tothe law. And it will not be the first time G-d would do such a thing, forHe has said,
"The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken." - Isaiah 8:13 - 15
No bigger stumbling stone has been brought before the Jewish people thanYeshua HaNazarite. I have one Jewish friend in Israel who has said, "...tobelieve that Yeshua was G-d in the flesh is polytheistic and not monotheistic.Therefore, Christians are engaging in idolatry and paganism."5
This friend of mine could accuse his ancestry of the same practice, giventhe criteria dictated by G-d. So he would, in effect, rather ignore thecommand of G-d and take his chances with the venom rather than disobey oneof the commandments. This is his prerogative, but we must take heed to thefacts as they are given in the scriptures, whether Jew or Gentile.
THE PRIMARY FOCUS
I believe the greatest error of the Jewish nation is the notion
that theirprimary doctrinal focus is that they are to be monotheistic.
This is nottrue, the central directive dictated to the Jewish
nation is to be obedient.This is not to assume that they are not to be monotheistic, but thattheir first and foremost priority
is toward obedience.
This is not the case in many of their writings, monotheism is alwaysthe end result of their conclusion. If G-d is in any way regarded more thana singular being, the Jewish sage will fudge the text to meet their ownpreconception. For example, the first verse of the Pentateuch states,
In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth. - Genesis 1:1
The transliterated Hebrew would read, "Reshiyth bara Elohim shamayimeth erets." Notice the word for G-d is not the singular El or"G-d" but the plural Elohim, or "G-ds". To accountfor this, the Jews forsake the literal and replace it with the figurativesaying the term Elohim represents the awesome power of G-d. Thenwhy does He say,
"And [in other nations] you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell." - Deuteronomy 4:28
Since the word "gods" is the same word Elohim, whathappened to the awesome power? For this Elohim can "neithersee nor hear nor eat nor smell". The fudging of scripture can cut bothways. But why is the orthodox Jew so affixed to the concept of a singularG-d? It is because of the much beloved statement of G-d termed the "Shema".
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our G-d, the Lord is one!" - Deuteronomy 6:4
The Hebrew transliteration reads, "Shema Y'Israel Y-h-v-h ElohimY-h-v-h echad." Here we see, once again the plural use of "G-ds".What is equally compelling is the use of the word echad. The wordechad is a compound unity as is used with Adam and Eve becoming oneor echad flesh.6 Now the two did not morph intoa singular humanoid species, but rather came together as a singular unit.If G-d, whose existence is beyond our petty imaginations, wished to conveythat He was singular in nature, why did He not use the word yachiydwhich denotes "one and only".
The question for the orthodox Jew is, "Which is more central totheir faith, the adherence to monotheistic doctrine or obedience to theword of G-d as dictated in the Torah?" To the Gentile believer, thesetwo can be reconciled.
BASIS FOR THE TRINITY
It is of no surprise that the average Christian believes in what
is termedthe "Trinity", that is, a tri-unified deity of the Father,
theMessiah and the Holy Spirit. This belief is not without scriptural
fortification,Isaiah describes the birth of the prophesied Messiah
as the coming of G-din the flesh.
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty G-d, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6
Notice that the word G-d is actually the singular El in the Hebrew.So when speaking of the Messiah apart from the Father, G-d is singular.The Jewish scholars interpret the above as...
For a child is born unto us, a son is given unto us; and the government upon his shoulder; and his name is called "Wonderful in counsel is G-d the Mighty, the everlasting Father, the Ruler of peace".7
Again, is the text being fudged for the sake of an agenda? We see threedistinct personalities in the Most High in Isaiah 63:7-14 as well,
"Come near to Me [who is the first and the last], hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord G-d and His Spirit Have sent Me." - Isaiah 48:16
To abandon the concept of a triune G-d would make the above a contradictionto the monotheistic foundation. The speaker refers to Himself as being fromeverlasting to everlasting (that is, vs. 12 "the first and the last"and vs. 16 "from the time that it was, I was there") and thendescribes Himself as three seperate identities (the Lord G-d andHis Spirit Have sent Me.)
It seems as if G-d has once again put a stumbling block in the way ofthose who would abandon obedience in order to adhere to a status quo.
THE BRAZEN SERPENT INCARNATE
Yeshua spoke to a member of the P'rushim named Nakdimon and said,"Rabbi,we
know that You are a teacher come from G-d; for no one can do these
signsthat You do unless G-d is with him."
But Yeshua interrupted him to address a deeper need, "Most assuredly,I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of G-d."
"How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second timeinto his mother's womb and be born?"
Yeshua answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is bornof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of G-d. That whichis born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.Do not be confounded that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The windblows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell whereit comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
"How can these things be?", answered Nakdimon
"Are you a rabbi of Israel, and do not know these things?"replied Yeshua, "Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We knowand testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If Ihave told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believeif I tell you heavenly things?
"No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven,that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
"As Moshe lifted up the [brazen] serpent in the wilderness, evenso must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him shouldnot perish but have eternal life. For G-d so loved the world that Hegave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perishbut have everlasting life. For G-d did not send His Son into the world tocondemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved..."- Yochanan 3:1-16
In the above exchange, Yeshua identifies Himself as the embodiment ofthe brazen serpent, and that as long as you look toward Him, the One whowas to be fastened onto an ensign pole, you will not die from the venomof sin. For it is upon this cross (or standard) that sin was judged as withhot molten copper.
IN CONCLUSION
Are the Gentile Christians pagan idolaters because they believe
that Yeshuawas G-d manifest in the flesh? I have always wanted
to ask a rabbi, is G-dall powerful? "Yes," he would reply, "for
He is Almighty,blessed be His name." I would follow-up my question
with a second,"Is G-d powerful enough that if His will demanded,
could come downto earth as a man and dwell with us for a time
as He did with Adam?"This question would only be a dilemma to
an individual with a limited G-d.The G-d I worship, the G-d of
Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'acov, is not limitedto man's feeble intellect.
If Yeshua is indeed the Mashiac of Israel, then it would be prudent ofmy Jewish friends to be sure that they have investigated thoroughly theevidence at hand; else one may find himself not beholding the antidote forthe venom of sin prescribed in the form of the brazen serpent.
1 Reference the following with Numbers 21:4 - 9
3 The Hebrew word for "heavens" refers tothe images in the stars (ie crab, bull, lion, scorpion, bird etc.)
4 Philo, Allegorical Interpretations II XIXvs. 81
5 Not a direct quote, but essentially the crux of hisopinion.
7 Isaiah 9:5 as translated by The Jewish PublicationSociety of America