...to heal from the plague of snakebite anyone who looked upon it? (Nm 21:8-9)
if God is so against statues, why did He command Moses to do that?
2007-10-27 06:34:49 · 10 answers · asked by Perceptive 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
duh, fundies call statues graven images as well, so please stop the word games.
2007-10-27 06:39:47 · update #1
so, what do fundies' problem when Catholics have statues that remind them of God and the things that are in Heaven then? are those things different than what you just explained because it's Catholic?
2007-10-27 06:44:47 · update #2
because statues are ok, you're just not supposed to worship them.
the problem is that bible-fundamentalists are convinced Catholics worship statues, when they clearly don't.
lost.eu/21618
2007-10-27 06:43:48 · answer #1 · answered by Quailman 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I am not a Fundamentalist but may I propose an answer? Thanks. Egypt was the territory of the serpent-god Enki. His original symbol was the double helix DNA. He was called the serpent by his rival-brother Enlil who was then residing at the Edin in Mesopotamia. The symbol carried by Moses must have been intended to grant safe passage if ever the Enkiites see them via satellite.
2007-10-27 13:51:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No one was worshiping the bronze serpent. If you read the verses before what you have posted the people were complaining about being in the desert for 40 years and Moses traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea to go around Edom and the people kept complaining. They complained that there was no water, no bread, and the food they had they detested. So GOD brought upon the people snakes that bit them and many, many died. Some of the people were sorry for complaining so much and asked Moses to help them. They realized they had sinned against GOD and they needed help from the snakes. GOD commanded Moses to make a snake and anyone who was bitten could look at that snake and live. It was Mose's choice to make a bronze statue, not GOD'S. The people did not idolize the statue, they realized that if they looked at it that they would live. There is a difference. If in fact the people idolized the bronze snake for years and years.......can you imagine how the story would turn out? I hope this has helped. Blessings
2007-10-27 13:54:41 · answer #3 · answered by DERLANDSON 4 · 0⤊ 5⤋
To help heal people:
They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
Numbers 21:4-9. This required faith in God, as I am sure that everyone will agree that looking at a bronze snake today will not heal someone from the effects of snake venom.
You will notice that they did not worship it, which IS forbidden. Exodus 20:4-5.
2007-10-27 13:43:55 · answer #4 · answered by Wayne C 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋
Well, firstly, they weren't worshiping the statue. God isn't against art, He is against worshiping the created over the Creator.
It was a picture of what happened with Jesus on the cross. Just like Jesus BECAME sin for us in order that we might be free of the cost of sin, God made the Israelites look up to the very thing that was hurting them --- the snakes --- and by doing so, they were healed.
2007-10-27 13:41:02 · answer #5 · answered by KL 6 · 2⤊ 5⤋
Recycled questions deserve recycled answers.
The people were sick and dying. God used this physical image to show what He had in store for mankind. The serpent on the pole represented Jesus on the Cross. Those who look up to Him also are healed, and so now may live forever.
2007-10-27 13:41:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 6⤋
Because it represented a type of things to come. It was a symbol of looking to Christ to be healed and redeemed. But because of the simpleness of the way most would not look and perished instead. We tend to complicate our own lives more than we need to.
2007-10-27 13:39:01 · answer #7 · answered by plastik punk -Bottom Contributor 6 · 2⤊ 4⤋
it's just another stretch of mythology that mirrors other pagan faiths
why do christians not have a problem with the same image on christian hospitals, what used to be a pagan symbol of fertility and wholeness?
2007-10-27 13:38:55 · answer #8 · answered by voice_of_reason 6 · 5⤊ 3⤋
he's not against statues he's against graven images (i.e. images of God which are worshiped)
2007-10-27 13:38:03 · answer #9 · answered by Andre 4 · 2⤊ 4⤋
He's schizophrenic.
2007-10-27 13:38:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 6⤋