Was the serpent made from bronze that Moses attached to the pole in their camp an idol?

Question

I mean after all it was something that was not God and he said to be sure to look at it or they would die. How about the Seraphim on the Ark of the Covenant? Idols or not? If not why not --- by the definitions here on idols these things should be idols.

Answer 1

That is what the Catholic Church has been defending all these while. If Yahweh forbid making certain images, He would have kill the Israelites. Therefore, these are not idols, idols are things and images that lead us away from God. Example money, TV and many other things that lead us astray. So how does the protestants explain these two "idol"? Further more, when God forbid idols and images, Christ Has not come to the world yet. Since Christ has come and shown us His face, the face of God, Images of God can be created to remind us of His saving love!

Answer 2

Just like the "Rock" in the wilderness(who gave out living water),it was a type.The serpent on the pole was a "type" of Christ .All who look to him for salvation will be saved.Jesus said as" Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,so to will the Son of Man be lifted up(crucified)".King
Hezekiah ,saw that the people were starting to worship it ,so he crushed it and called it "Nuhushtan"(a nothing).
Idols are prayed to as if they can hear ,see, do something.That's why Isaiah laughingly said about idol worshippers."They cut down a tree use some of the wood for fuel,some to repair their house ,some to cook their food, then they fall down and worship the stump."He's a funny guy!
Don't get caught up in legalism or a portrait of your Mom will become an idol and/or graven image!Don't confuse decoration with idols as in the Cherubim and Seraphim.

Answer 3

The Nehushtan (or Nehustan, Hebrew: נחושתן or נחש הנחושת) is a sacred object in the form of a bronze snake upon a pole. It is most well known for its mention in the Bible where it was used by Moses to save the Israelites from snake bites. The Bible also records that it was worshipped for a period of time in the Kingdom of Judah and incense was offered to it. It was therefore destroyed by King Hezekiah as idolatrous.

Answer 4

yes and no. the bronze statue was to make ppl remember how God had led them out of Egypt and how faithless the Israelites soon were when they ran out of food/water. However, later on, i believe when Hezekiah or his heir was king, he destroyed the serpent bronze because instead of ppl remembering their God, they worshiped it as an idol.

king Hezekiah and his heir were the ONLY good kings after king David. its in 2 Kings.

much the same way, money and earthly desires are idols in ppl's lives, most don't know it until death stalks them or something bad happens.

God bless

Answer 5

that story is in the book of Numbers 21:7 and according to Jesus he will die in the same way that the serpent was raise in the desert in a Pole (John 3:14-15) not in a Cross is another thing invented by Catholic Church.

Answer 6

No, it wasn't. It was a graven image God commanded them to make for a specific purpose. But they did not worship it; therefore there was no idolatry involved, and the object was not an idol.
.

Answer 7

Doctors still use the [serpent] on their lil' pins, haven't you ever seen em' like that, and the [cross] is on all the emergency ambulances...symbolic of course!

Answer 8

See, Moses is a serpent lover, he likes snake, alot.

Answer 9

Kind of a Jewish Question.

Answer 10

it was a symbol. If they looked on it they would be healed. Jesus death on the cross heals us too.