Welcome: –

Call to Worship – 

(from Ephesians 2: 1 to 10) 

At one time we followed the World’s evil ways,

we were spiritually dead because of our disobedience and sins.

We lived according to the desires of our bodies and minds,

like everyone else we were destined to suffer God’s anger.

But God’s mercy is so abundant, His love for us is so great,

when we were dead in our sins God brought us to life with Christ Jesus.

He did this to demonstrate for all Time to come the extraordinary greatness of His grace,

in the love He showed us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by God’s grace that we have been saved through faith,

it is not the result of our own efforts, but it is God’s gift.

God has made us what we are, no-one can boast about doing it by themselves,

and, in our union with Christ Jesus, He has created us for a life dedicated to good deeds.

Comments on Ephesians 2

 The Apostle Paul is making it clear to his readers the desperate need of each person and the universal sinfulness of each person.  Not only is each person out of harmony with their physical environment and with each other, but they have alienated themselves from the spiritual life of God, because of their failure to live as they could and to live as they ought to.  As such they are needing nothing less than new life from God.  And it is with this understanding that Paul describes God’s love in action, in the exceeding, abounding, overflowing richness of His grace, displayed towards all of Humanity in Christ Jesus. 

(Francis Foulkes in Ephesians  An Introduction and Commentary p68 to 75) 

  We have gathered to give honour to our God for His abundant love and grace, lavished upon us, yet underserved by us.  Let us express that today in our worship and fellowship together.

Prayer of Praise  

(Leading Intercessions p89, Opening Prayers p26 & 27, Invocations and Benedictions p71 & 72, A Year of Prayer p142 – 144, Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year B p79 to 82) 

  Almighty God, we gather here today to offer to you our praise and thanksgiving.  It is only through your steadfast and enduring love that we can come into your presence each day.  It is only through your rich mercy that we can find release from our burdens and cares.  It is only through your empowering Spirit that we can experience renewal of mind and soul. 

  We cannot boast of our own goodness, nor of our personal achievements, nor of our religious enthusiasm; for they are all rubbish in your eyes.  Far surpassing our own abilities is the greatness of Jesus Christ and his righteousness.  Far surpassing our own knowledge is knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

  By faith you have brought us to the place where we can rest, assured in your presence.  By faith we put our trust in the knowledge that you have paid the price for our sins, that you have redeemed us.  By faith you have delivered us from our troubles.  By faith we rest on the promise of the hope of eternal and everlasting peace and fulfillment with you, at the present time and in Heaven in the Age to come.

  We have come to clearly see that, by your love, you have come into the World, not to condemn it, but to deliver it.  It is because of your love for us that, where once we rebelled against your authority, now we accept your sovereign rule in our lives and put our trust in your sovereign will for our lives. 

  May the works of our hands and the words from our lips be the means for you to bring light to a darkened World and relief to those who are troubled.  May we be willing to share the joy of our salvation with those burdened by sin so that they, too, may turn to you in their need. 

  Almighty God, accept the praise that we bring, to your glory and honour.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing 2 Songs

‘There is a Redeemer’  (Scripture in Song  volume 3  number 644)

Keith and Melody Green

‘In the stars His handiwork I see’  (He’s everything to me number 1)

In the stars His handiwork I see,

on the wind He speaks with majesty,

tho’ He ruleth over land and sea,

what is that to me?

I will celebrate Nativity

for it has a place in History,

sure, He came to set His People free,

what is that to me?

Till by faith I met Him face to face,

and I felt the wonder of His grace,

then I knew that He was more than just a God who didn’t care,

who lived away up there, and,

now He walks beside me day by day,

ever watching o’er me lest I stray,

helping me to find the narrow way,

He’s everything to me.

Till by faith I met Him face to face,

and I felt the wonder of His grace,

then I knew that He was more than just a God who didn’t care,

who lived away up there, and,

now He walks beside me day by day,

ever watching o’er me lest I stray,

helping me to find the narrow way,

He’s everything to me.

David Evans

Prayer of Confession 

(based on Psalm 107: 1 to 43) 

Merciful God, we acknowledge that we are part of your Creation,

We are descendants of Adam and Eve, with whom you were in a close relationship as you walked with them in the Garden.

We acknowledge that, like them, we have listened to the voice of the tempter and have turned our backs upon you.

We have wandered off your straight pathway for life and have drifted away from your presence.

We have rebelled against your commands and have rejected your instructions.

Merciful God, forgive our sins.

We have become lost in our life, not knowing where to go nor how to get there.

Merciful God, forgive our sins.

We are hungry and thirsty for your companionship and your comfort, yet we do not turn to you.

Merciful God, forgive our sins.

We are troubled and distressed, yet we have neglected to call to you for help.

Merciful God, forgive our sins.

We are beset by the storms of life, yet we put our trust in our own abilities to fix every problem that arises.

Merciful God, forgive our sins.

We find ourselves chained to bad habits and to bad lifestyles, yet we try to make changes by ourselves.

Merciful God, forgive our sins.

Merciful God, we recall your constant love for the whole World.

We remember the great and wonderful things that you have done.

We praise you for your readiness to release us from gloom and darkness, from oppression and suffering.

We rejoice because you save us and you heal us.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Ephesians 2: 5) 

The Apostle Paul reminds us that it is by God’s grace that we have been saved from the consequences of our sins, that it is God who has brought us new life in Christ Jesus.  Having confessed our sins before God, and having expressed our faith in the saving work of God through Christ Jesus, we have the assurance that God has listened to our prayers, that God has forgiven us and that we are alive in Christ Jesus.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer of illumination 

(by John Calvin) 

O Lord, heavenly Father,

in whom is the fullness of light and wisdom,

enlighten our minds by your Holy Spirit,

and give us grace to receive your Word with reverence and humility,

without which no person can understand your truth,

for the sake of Jesus Christ

to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all glory.  Amen.

Bible Readings

Numbers 21:

4  The Israelites left Mount Hor by the road that leads to the Gulf of Aqaba, in order to go around the territory of Edom.  But on the way the people lost their patience,  5  and spoke against God and against Moses.  They complained,

“Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water?  And we loath this miserable manna.” 

6  Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.

7  The people came to Moses and said,

“We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you.  Plead with the LORD to rid us of the snakes.” 

So Moses prayed to the Lord for the people.  8  Then the LORD told Moses to make a bronze snake and to put it on a pole, so that anyone who was bitten could look at it and be healed.  9  So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole.  Anyone who had been bitten by a snake would look at the bronze snake and recover.

[Today’s English Version, New English Bible, Revised Standard Version, Authorised Version]

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

John 3:

14  And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness  [Numbers 21: 9]  , so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  15  so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.  16  For God so loved the World that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.  17  For God sent the Son into the World, not to condemn the World, but that the World might be saved through him.  18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. 

19  Herein lies the test: the Light has come into the World, and people prefer darkness to light because their deeds are evil.  20  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, lest their deeds are exposed.  21  But those who do what is true come to the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that God is in all that they do.

[Revised Standard Version, Today’s English Version, New English Bible]

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing the Hymn ‘The Great love of God is revealed in the Son’  TiS 164  AHB105

Verse 1 of 4

The Great love of God

Is revealed in the Son,

Who came to this Earth

To redeem everyone.

Verse 2 of 4

That love, like a stream

Flowing clear to the sea,

Makes clean every heart

That from sin would be free.

Verse 3 of 4

It binds the whole World,

Every barrier it breaks,

The hills it lays low,

And the mountains it shakes.

Verse 4 of 4

It’s yours, it is ours,

O how lavishly given!

The pearl of great price,

And the treasure of Heav’n.

Daniel Thambyrajah Niles

Sermon

Slide 1

The logo of The Australian Medical Association  

The logo of the World Health Organisation

https://qld.ama.com.au/                                                                        https://www.who.int        

In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius(Ancient Greek: Ῥάβδος τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ, Rhábdos toû Asklēpioû, sometimes also spelled Asklepios), also known as the Staff of Aesculapius, is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicine.  In modern times, it is the predominant symbol for medicine and health care.

Asclepius

The most famous temple of Asclepius was at Epidaurus in north-eastern Peloponnese.  Another famous healing temple (or asclepeion) was located on the island of Kos, where Hippocrates, the legendary “father of medicine”, may have begun his career.  Other asclepieia were situated in Trikala, Gortys (Arcadia), and Pergamum in Asia.

  In honour of Asclepius, a particular type of non-venomous rat snake was often used in healing rituals, and these snakes – the Aesculapian snakes – crawled around freely on the floor in dormitories where the sick and injured slept.  These snakes were introduced at the founding of each new temple of Asclepius throughout the classical world.

  From about 300BC onwards, the cult of Asclepius grew very popular and pilgrims flocked to his healing temples (Asclepieia) to be cured of their ills.  Ritual purification would be followed by offerings or sacrifices to the god (according to means), and the supplicant would then spend the night in the holiest part of the sanctuary – the abaton (or adyton).  Any dreams or visions would be reported to a priest who would prescribe the appropriate therapy by a process of interpretation.  Some healing temples also used sacred dogs to lick the wounds of sick petitioners.    The serpent and the staff appear to have been separate symbols that were combined at some point in the development of the Asclepian cult.

Sigerist, Henry Ernest (1987). “3, Religious medicine: Asclepius and his cult”. A History of Medicine. Vol. 2: Early Greek, Hindu and Persian medicine. Oxford University Press. pp. 64, 65.

^ Jump up to:^a b Farnell, Lewis Richard (1921). “Chapter 10, “The Cult of Asklepios””. Greek hero cults and ideas of immortality : the Gifford lectures delivered in the University of St. Andrews in the year 1920. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

^ Jump up to:^a b Hart, Gerald David; Forrest, Martin St. J. (1999). Asclepius: The God of Medicine. London: Royal Society of Medicine Press. p. 42. ISBN 9781853154096. OCLC 42579033.

^ Lock, Stephen; Last, John M.; Dunea, George (2001). The Oxford Illustrated Companion To Medicine (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 261. ISBN 9780192629500. OCLC 46678589. In early statues of Asclepius the rod and serpent were represented separately.Then the LORD told Moses to make a bronze snake and to put it on a pole”  Numbers 21: 8 

  In today’s passage from Numbers 21 we have just such a description of a pole with a snake entwined upon it through which healing would occur.

  We read in Numbers 20 that the Israelites had camped at Kadesh Barnea, the ruins of which we are all now aware are located in the north eastern part of the Sinai Peninsula, just inside the modern-day border of Egypt.  Then, it was on the border of the territory of the former Kingdom of Edom.  There we read that Moses’ sister, Miriam, died and was buried in the vicinity.  We also read that Moses unsuccessfully asked the King of Edom for his permission for the Israelites to pass eastwards through Edom so as to reach The King’s Highway, which ran north-south along the eastern side of the Dead Sea. 

  We also read that the Israelites complained to Moses.  “Why have you brought us out into the wilderness?” they asked, “Just so we can die here with our animals?”  Why did you bring us out of Egypt into this miserable place where nothing will grow?  …  There is not even any water to drink.”  (Numbers 20: 4 & 5)  And we read of God miraculously providing a spring of water for them, directly from rock. 

  They then moved a short distance to the northwest, to Mount Hor, where Moses’ brother, Aaron, died and was buried.  We also read that the King of Arad, a Canaanite Kingdom to the north, became concerned about the potential intrusion of the Israelites into his Kingdom and attacked them where they were camped, and kidnapped some people and, presumably, some of the livestock as well.  We read that God helped them to defeat the King’s army, to retrieve what had been taken away, and to “completely destroy their cities”.  (Numbers 21: 3 & 4)  And, today’s passage commences by telling us that they then turned to the south and began retracting their journey to the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, so as to journey eastwards from there before then turning northwards to the ‘Promised Land’.

  So, we gain a sense of the feelings of the Israelites at this point in time.  They had been journeying through arid country for several months, a land in which there had found minimal amount of fodder for their livestock, a minimal amount of fruit and vegetables to be gathered for themselves, and a lack of water for themselves or their animals.  Two of their leaders had sadly died, Aaron and Miriam, people who had inspired and encouraged them for so many years.  The Israelites received the disappointing news that they could not travel the quickest and easiest route eastwards but must now retrace their journey through the same arid country through which they had just recently struggled.  And then they had to fight a battle against the small army of a Canaanite King.

  We can readily understand then, when we read, “on the way the People lost their patience and spoke against God and Moses.”  (Numbers 21: 4 & 5)  The Authorised Version puts it so poetically, “and the soul of the People was much discouraged because of the way.”  They complained again about being given false promises when Moses led them out of Egypt, they complained again about the lack of water, and they complained about the manna which had been their daily fare for 40 years.  The Good News Bible reads, “We can’t stand any more of this miserable food.”  (Number 21: 5)  The Authorised Version again puts it so poetically, when we read the people saying, “and our soul loatheth this light bread.”

  We can understand the depth of their feelings and of their frustrations.  We can appreciate that the experiencing of their many disappointments and setbacks had finally reached a point where they could no longer keep in check their emotions and, they ‘let it all out’, so to speak.  We could even be tempted to sympathise with their ‘point of view’, and even be tempted ourselves to ask, “Well, why God?” 

  Except for something crucial.

  The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthian Church writes, “We must not put the Lord to the test, as some of them did, and they were killed by snakes.”  (1 Corinthians 10: 9)  , a direct reference to events recorded in Numbers 21.  Here, Paul is mirroring Jewish traditional understandings, which “unanimously lament” the behaviour of the Israelites during their time in the wilderness, “including their complaining against God’s provision.”  (Craig Keener in The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p473) 

  The Greek words that Paul uses have the implied meaning of a “severe and prolonged” questioning of God, “to see how far the People could go in defying God’s requirements.  In their grumbling and complaining is an explicit “rebellion against God”. 

(Norman Hillyer in 1 Corinthians in the New Bible Commentary p1064) 

  So, what was it that, in their complaining, the Israelites were not just forgetting, but were willingly neglecting to consider?

  The Israelites were neglecting the memory of the pain and the misery of their former life in Egypt, from which God had removed them.  God had released them from their bondage under slavery and from the power of Pharoah.  Surely they never seriously considered returning to Egypt knowing that, in doing so, they would be returning to such a horrid state of affairs?

  The Israelites were neglecting God’s provision for them every day for the past 40 years, the manna, the quails, the water, especially the miraculous provision of water of just several weeks previously.  If they had a need, all that they needed to do was to ask God to meet their need.  Why did they not ask God?

  The Israelites were neglecting God’s protection over them.  He had protected them as they walked on dry ground when crossing the “Red Sea”.  God had supported them in their battle against the Amalekites.  (Exodus 17: 8 to 15)  God had supported them in their recent battle against the army of Arad.

  The Israelites were neglecting that it was their parents and grandparents who had refused to enter the Land of Canaan 40 years previously. They were the descendants of those who had refused to obey God, those who were ultimately responsible for their past 40 years of ‘wandering in the wilderness’.

  Most importantly, the Israelites were neglecting the Covenant agreement that God had entered into with the People of Israel at Mount Sinai, a Covenant to be their God and for them to be His People, a People specially chosen by God to be dedicated to Him alone.  (Exodus 19: 5 & 6 and 20: 2)  It was this Covenant, and its accompanying promises of God’s provision for them and careful concern for them, to which they had agreed. 

  In their complaining there was not just a refusal to remember how God had so readily provided for them in the past, but there was a rebellion against the Covenant agreement which they had readily agreed to accept.

.  It is on this understanding that we see God invoking His just, divine judgement against them, “the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many Israelites were bitten and died.”  (Numbers 21: 6) 

  The Israelites quickly saw the error of their ways.  They repented and sought forgiveness.  “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you.”, we read the Israelites saying to Moses.  (Numbers 21: 7)  But, what were they going to do about the snakes, the punishment that God had brought upon them?  Trying to exist with the snakes was unthinkable and, indeed, perilous.  It is important to note what they could not do.  They could not get rid of the snakes by themselves, for it was not within their capabilities to do so.  They could not invoke the intervention of another god whose power exceeded that of God’s, for no such god exists.  They needed to turn to God, against whom they had rebelled.  They needed to rely on the love and grace of God to deliver them from the consequences of their actions.

  So, Moses prayed for their deliverance, and was told by God to make a metal snake, to fasten it to a bronze pole, and to erect the pole in such a way that people could see it.  Presumably it was sited in the middle of the Israelite camp or adjacent to where the Tent of the Tabernacle was placed.  It must have been a pole that was high enough so as to be seen by everyone in the camp from wherever they were located, both within and outside of the camp. 

  If someone were bitten by a poisonous snake, they “would look at the snake and be healed”.  (Numbers 21: 9)  There are two Hebrew words used in the passage that are both translated as ‘look’ in the Good News Bible.  The word ‘rawaw’  [Strong’s OT7200]  in verse eight incorporates the understanding of: to gaze, to perceive or to consider with respect.  The word ‘nawhat’  [Strong’s OT5027]  in verse nine incorporates the understanding of: to look intently at or to regard with care or with respect.  Therefore, when a person was to look at the snake on the pole, it isn’t just a quick glance or a glimpse, it is an intentional gaze accompanied by the knowledge that through their faith in the very Word of God, He will bring healing and wholeness to them.

  There are striking similarities both in the likeness of the pole of Moses and the Rod of Asclepius, and in their purpose, the healing of someone afflicted with an illness or injury.  Could there be a link?

  The website of the Catholic Diocese of Wisconsin carried an article that discussed this issue.  In it they quoted a Rabbi Ari Vernon, who stated:

“The Healing powers associated with the Rod of Asclepius and the Israelite bronze serpent may imply a relationship between the two symbols.  The ancient Greeks may have borrowed it from the ancient Israelites, or visa versa.  We both may have appropriated it from another culture.  The History is however secondary to the lessons that our traditions about the icons teach us.”  https://www.thecompassnews.org/2017/09/snake-staff-history/ 

  I would contend that the Israelites did not borrow any such tales from the ancient Greeks nor from any other culture.  I would contend that it was the ancient Greeks who borrowed the details from the ancient Israelites and incorporated them into their mythology.  There are three reasons for accepting this proposal, and an important lesson to heed.

                         Upper Dates               Lower Dates          Accepted Dates

Exodus          1446BC-1406BC       1270BC-1230BC

Conquest      1406BC-1375BC       1230BC-1190BC

Judges           1375BC-1050BC       1190BC-1050BC

Trojan War                                                                            1194–1184 BC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War

  “Homer, in the Iliad, mentions Asclepius only as a skilful physician and the father of two Greek doctors at Troy, Machaon and Podalirius; in later times, however, he was honoured as a hero and eventually worshiped as a god. The cult began in Thessaly but spread to many parts of Greece.”  (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Asclepius) 

  “Homer included a man named Asclepius in his story of the Iliad, as a physician to wounded men at the battle of Troy.  In later years, he became “elevated” to the status of a god.”

Quoted in Linda A. Winters-Miner PhD, … Gary D. Miner PhD, in Practical Predictive Analytics and Decisioning Systems for Medicine, 2015   from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/asclepius

  So, we can accept that the real Asclepius was a mortal person, albeit with advanced and exquisite medical and surgical skills, which he and his sons clearly demonstrated in saving the lives and limbs of the Greek soldiers fighting in the Trojan War, for that is what Homer acclaims them in his epic poem, the Iliad.  And that it was after the Trojan War that the mythology of him being a demi-god was developed.

  Elevating a person from being a mortal to “the status of a god”, may have been well and good for the early Grecian culture and religious beliefs, but it highlights a danger for us, for, if we seek to follow such a practice of attributing the divine to what is material and temporal, we are avoiding, and I would venture, we are rejecting that which is truly divine.  We are seeking a substitute for that which is truly divine.  And we will look into this further.

  So, when did the Trojan War occur?

“Those who believe that the stories of the Trojan War are derived from a specific historical conflict usually date it to the 12^th or 11th century BC, often preferring the dates given by Eratosthenes, 1194–1184 BC, which roughly correspond to archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning found at level VII of the excavations of the ancient city of Troy.^[4]

Wood, Michael (1998). “Preface”. In Search of the Trojan War (2 ed.). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

(John Caskey in the article on Troy in The Encyclopedia International volume 18 p238)

  [“Eratosthenes who lived in the late 3^rd century and early 2^nd century BC, was the founder of scientific chronology; as Chief Librarian at the Library of Alexandria he used Egyptian and Persian records held in the Library to estimate the dates of the main events of the Trojan War, dating the sack of Troy to 1183 BC.”  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eratosthenes)  ]

  Now, looking at the date of the Trojan War, we see that took place during that part of the History of the Nation of Israel termed the Time of the Judges.  According to the chronology, Moses made the pole with the snake entwined upon it during the last years of the Exodus, in 1406BC or 1230BC, depending on what Chronology you use.  Either way, it was far earlier than when the Trojan War took place, which was the time when the mortal Asclepius demonstrated his healing skills.  And this is the first reason for accepting that the Old Testament account is the historical account upon which is based any other story or myth of a pole or rod enabling healing powers upon someone.

  So, if the Pole of Moses was made earlier, and if the pole was made in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula, how was it that the Greeks fighting at Troy, located on the north-western coast of current day Türkiye, heard about it?

  In Judges 5: 17 we read:

“The Tribe of Dan remained by the ships”  (Judges 5: 17) 

  What does this verse tell us?  It tells us that the Israelite Tribe of Dan, lived by the Mediterranean Sea after the conquest of the Land of Canaan.  Some remained there during the Time of the Judges and afterwards during the reigns of the Kings, while others of the Tribe moved to northern lands.  It tells us that the men of the Tribe of Dan were sailors, some of when would have been traders.  They would have sailed their ships south to trade with Egypt and Cyrene, and north to trade with Phoenicia, Syria, Cyprus, the Hittites and with the Greeks to the far northwest.

  The traders of the Tribe of Dan would have heard the Greek traders boasting about the healing wonders performed by Asclepius, both as a mortal and, later, as a god.  The traders of the Tribe of Dan would have, in turn, boasted of the healing that took place from looking at the pole made by Moses under the instructions of their God, as we read in Numbers 21.  And, surely, the Greek traders would have been impressed with this tale of divine healing powers being associated with this pole with a snake entwined upon it, impressed to the extent that they would have sought to embellish their growing myth of the healing powers of their new god Asclepius with just such a rod with a snake entwined upon it.  And, so, their myth grew.  But as it grew, the link back to the tales told to them by the traders of the Tribe of Dan were forgotten and neglected.  So my theory goes.

Exodus            Conquest        Judges             Saul              David                         Hezekiah

1446–1406BC  1406-1375BC  1375–1050BC  1050-1010BC  1010-970BC                          715-686BC

  Now all of this is all pure supposition.  But if such an exchange of information did take place, what proof could the traders of the Tribe of Dan offer to their hearers to back up their claim about the Pole of Moses and its miraculous healing powers?  Well, they would have simply replied,

“Go to Jerusalem, see this pole for yourself, and talk to the Priests who can read the scroll upon which is recorded the account of the story as written by Moses himself.”

  How do we know that this would have been their reply?  Because the writer of 2 Kings chapter 18 informs us that the pole with the snake entwined upon it was still existing and was sited in the Temple in Jerusalem during the time when Hezekiah was King of Judah.  And this is the second reason for accepting that the Old Testament account is a factual, Historical account of the making of a bronze pole with a snake entwined upon it, for the writer of 2 Kings chapter 18 doesn’t just refer to this Pole of Moses as an artifact of the past, they refer to it as a real artifact, visible to all who could venture onto the Temple. 

  From looking at the chronology, we can see that the Pole of Moses survived the last part of the Exodus Journey.  It survived throughout the time of the conquest of the Land of Canaan.  It survived throughout the time of the Judges.  It survived through the reigns of king Saul, King David, and through the reigns of the intervening 13 Kings until the reign of King Hezekiah, potentially a total period of 700 years if we accept the earlier dates of the Chronology of the Old Testament.

  What a witness to the reality of God and of God’s covenant with the People of Israel!  For, there, in the Temple was an object that did not just date back to the Exodus journey, but was a visible reminder of the manner in which God related to the People of Israel, and a visible reminder of the grace and mercy of God.  Parents could take their children to the Temple for them to see and to touch an object that was a proof to the People of Israel of later times that the Exodus had taken place, as it was recorded in the Books of Moses, that what Moses had recorded was an accepted historical account of God’s relationship with His chosen People, and a visible reminder of their requirement to honour and to serve Almighty God.

  But, alas, the People of Israel were, at the very least, lax in their diligence as worshippers of God.  The author of 2 Kings 18 writes:

“(King Hezekiah) also broke in pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made, which was called Nehushtan (which means something like ‘that unclean bronze snake thing’)  [study note in NIV Study Bible p561].  Up to that time the people of Israel had burned incense in its honour.”  (2 Kings 18: 4b) 

  What this verse tells us is that, rather than being an object that could remind the People of Judah of the greatness of their God, in burning incense to it, they, instead, had worshipped the Pole of Moses as a god.  King Hezekiah, being a righteous and faithful King  (2 Kings 18: 5) , had no choice but to remove this temptation from the People of Judah, and to destroy it as part of his endeavours to cleanse the Temple of any form of idolatrous worship.

  The People of Judah followed the practice of the Greeks in attributing the divine to what was only temporal.

  In worshipping the Pole of Moses, the People of Judah were seeking to worship the message not the ‘message giver’.  They preferred to worship a substitute for God, attributing God’s divine nature to something created by Human hands.

  Has the World changed so much?  No!  The World continues to attribute the divine to what is temporal.  The World continues to worship substitutes for that which is truly divine, Almighty God.  In doing so, they have rejected the call of God to worship Him alone.

  Many people have their ‘sporting heroes’.  But when you consider the amount of time and energy spent in following their ‘sporting heroes’, to many of these people, have not these ‘sporting heroes’ become ‘sporting gods’?

  Criminal gangs, of whatever type or scale of operation, ‘worship’ the power and influence and prosperity that can be obtained from their criminal activities, for that becomes the sole focus of their life, regardless of the detriments to individuals or to Society in general.  In striving to act as they do, they are rejecting God’s call upon their lives to show respect for and to love others as God loves them.

  There was an article in the January 28 2024 edition of the Sunday Mail Escape magazine regarding the Japanese island of Okinawa.  In the article, the author writes:

“Okinawa retains its own language and an animist religion reflecting a simple respect for nature rather than ornate temples.”

  Now that may be all well and good for the writer of the article, in their being non-judgemental of people living in a location where they are a guest of those who reside there.  But are not those living in Okinawa attributing the divine to what is only temporal, the plants and earth and animals around them?  Do those living in Okinawa also show respect to the God who created the nature around them?  Because if they don’t also worship and show respect for the Creator God, they are rejecting that which is truly divine.

  And we gain from current World affairs how an adherence to an ideology determines the purpose and intent of a person’s life, to the extent that attaining the goals of their ideology becomes the god which they worship, instead of that which is truly divine, Almighty God.  Such an attitude is displayed in their actions towards others; at the very least, their disrespect for the welfare of others, or at the extreme, their utter disregard for the welfare of others.  We see it with respect to the actions of the Dictators of Russia, of China, of Syria, of Sudan, and of innumerable other countries.  We see it shown in the actions of the leaders of Hamas, and even of Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ re-election campaign.

  Do we see such a practice in the Church today?  Well, yes, we could.  Are there Churches that insist that only what is termed ‘sacred music’ is suitable for singing in worship?  Or conversely, are their Churches that insist that only contemporary music is suitable for

singing in worship, for that is what ‘attracts’ people to worship now-a-days.  Are there Churches that insist on a rigid structure to their pattern of worship because that is the only way to show a suitable reverence for God in the worship service?  Or, conversely, are there Churches that insist that we should always be searching for contemporary ways to worship God, because the ‘old ways’ do not attract young worshipers now-a-days?

  The danger for a Church is where they focus solely on finding the right means for passing on the message, rather than focussing on passing on the right message.  So, what is the right message?

  We must look back at the circumstances associated with the Pole of Moses.

  Trying to exist with the snakes was unthinkable and, indeed, perilous for the People of Israel.  It is important to note what they could not do.  They could not get rid of the snakes by themselves, for it was not within their capabilities to do so.  They could not invoke the intervention of another god whose power exceeded that of God’s, for no such god exists.  They needed to turn to God, against whom they had rebelled.  They needed to rely on the love and grace of God to deliver them from the consequences of their actions.  When a person was to look at the snake on the pole after they had been bitten by a snake, it wasn’t just a quick glance or a glimpse, it was to be an intentional gaze accompanied by the knowledge that through their faith in the very Word of God, God will bring healing and wholeness to them.

  This is the same message that Jesus sought to pass on to his listeners and to us.  And this is the third reason for accepting the reliability of the account in Numbers 21, for how could Jesus pass on a truth about God and His relationship with us if he was not relying upon an actual incident that occurred in the History of the People of God but, instead, was relying on a myth “borrowed from another culture”.

  Humanity cannot continue to exist in its sinful state of separation from God and of being under the judgement of God.  Humanity cannot alter its sinful state by its own actions, for we, by our very nature, are incapable of doing so.  We cannot invoke the intervention of another god whose power exceeds that of Almighty God, for there is no god but God alone.

  We need to turn to God, against whom we have rebelled.  We need to rely on the love and grace of God to deliver us from the consequences of our actions.  We need to “look to Jesus” as Horation Bonar wrote in his hymn.  It is to be an intentional gaze accompanied by the knowledge that through our faith in the very Word of God, He will bring healing and wholeness to us.

  As the Apostle John writes:

“For God loved the World so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.”  (John 3: 16) 

  Our relationship with God is restored and renewed, in this life and in the next.  Our souls are cleansed and refreshed.  Our wills are realigned to God’s Will and to His coming Kingdom.  Where once there was pain and anguish, now there is healing and wholeness.

  Paul writes in his letter to the Church in Ephesus,

“God’s mercy is so abundant, and His love for us is so great”  (Ephesians 2: 4)  .

  May these words give us joy as we move forward in life.  May these words give us peace, knowing that God is there with us.  May these words be the anchor to which we fix our hopes.  For these words are His promise to us that He is our God and that we are His chosen People, dedicated to Him alone.

  I will leave you with this poem.

“When you are tempted to deny God’s goodness, love and grace,

Look to the cross of Calvary, where Jesus took your place.”

  (David Sper in Our Daily Bread 24 February 2008) 

Amen.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing the Hymn TiS 600  ‘O my Saviour lifted from the Earth for me’

Verse 1 of 5

O my Saviour lifted

From the Earth for me,

Draw me, in your mercy,

At your side to be.

Verse 2 of 5

Lift my Earth-bound longings,

Fix them, Lord, above;

Draw me with the magnet

Of your mighty love.

Verse 3 of 5

Lord, your arms are stretching

Ever far and wide

To enfold your children

To your loving side.

Verse 4 of 5

And I come, Lord Jesus:

Dare I turn away?

No, your love has conquered,

And I come today.

Verse 5 of 5

Bringing all my burdens,

Sorrow, sin and care,

At your feet I lay them,

And I leave them there.

William Walsham How

Prayers for Others

God of love, hear the cry of those who yearn for love;

fractured families, broken homes, neglected, unwanted, alone.

God of love, hear our prayer.

God of justice, hear the cry of those who yearn for justice;

persecuted and oppressed, exploited, ill-treated, broken.

God of justice, hear our prayer.

God of peace, hear the cry of those who yearn for peace;

in battle zones and broken states, frightened, fearful, anxious.

God of peace, hear our prayer.

God of healing, hear the cry of those who yearn for healing;

physical and spiritual, hurting, weakened, depressed.

God of healing, hear our prayer.

God of mercy, hear the cry of those who yearn for mercy;

convicted, in need of your Grace, contrite, humble, bowed down.

God of mercy, hear our prayer.

God of the oppressed, we bring to you the broken ones, forgotten ones, exploited and abused ones.

Bring freedom and release, love and compassion to damaged hearts and souls.

God of compassion, Hear our prayer.

God of the distressed, we bring to you the grieving ones, hurting ones, suffering and wounded ones.

Bring wholeness and healing, comfort and relief, to broken bodies and minds.

God of compassion, hear our prayer.

God of the dispossessed, we bring to you the lonely ones, the homeless ones, thirsty, tired and penniless ones.

Bring hope and sustenance, physical and spiritual food, to hungry bodies and souls.

God of compassion, hear our prayer.

(https://www.faithandworship.com/Lent_intercessions.htm#gsc.tab=0)

Lord God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your lovingkindness.  To your glory we pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing the Hymn ‘I need Thee every hour’ (Alexander’s Hymns No.3 Number 71)

Annie B Hawks and Robert Lowry

Benediction 

(from Invocations and Benedictions p72) 

By God’s grace we have been healed from the sickness of our sins.  By God’s grace we have been saved to a new life with Jesus Christ.  By God’s grace we have been assured of reconciliation with God in this life and in the time after Time.  With this assurance then, let us go out into our daily lives with God’s praises on our lips and God’s work to do with our hands.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

You are invited to listen to or join in singing the Benediction Song

“Never lose sight of Jesus”  Alexander’s Hymns No. 3 number 6

 [For the Benediction song we are singing only the first verse and chorus.]

Verse

O pilgrim bound for the Heavenly land,

never lose sight of Jesus,

he’ll lead you gently with loving hand.

never lose sight of Jesus.

Chorus

Never lose sight of Jesus,

never lose sight of Jesus,

day and night he will lead you right,

never lose sight of Jesus.

Robert Harkness