Nehushtan: The Sin Of The Asherah Poles

Did you know that many Christians do not realize that they are guilty of the sin, known as Nehushtan, within the Jewish community ?

First a little background.

In the book of Bamidbar, Numbers, we find the story of when many Israelites were dying, because the sting of a serpent. As an interesting sidenote, the Hebrew rendering has them as flying fiery serpents.  Most scholars and Jewish and Christian scientists now believe they were the now extinct pterosaur, but that's another blog entry.

In this story, God tells Moses to set up a Pole, with a Brass Serpent on it. God told Moses and the Israelites that whoever looked upon it would not die. Bottom line: The serpent on the pole did not save them, but their faith, in what God said, did. As a side note, please keep in mind, that it has always been taught that the serpent represented their sin and the brass was judgement. Together, they are judged sin.

Fast forward to the time of Hezekiah, as documented in 2 Kings 18, we find that long after the Moses Serpent on the Staff incident, the Jews were not only still worshipping the original Serpent on the Staff, they were also erecting duplicates of the Serpent on the Staff and worshiping them. They were known as Asherah Poles. In obedience to YHWH, Hezekiah removed all the Asherah Poles.

Now, fast forward to the time of Y'shua, Jesus, specifically his conversation with Nicodemus, in John 3. Y'shua strangely mentions the Serpent on the Pole, as an old testament reference to his soon to be sacrifice. Why?

First and foremost, as a metaphoric reference/prophecy of a future pole sacrifice, with the judged sin of mankind upon it.

Second, so we would not make the same mistake that the Jews did and raise the Serpent (Judged Sin) on the Pole (Cross) higher than YHWH. 

Now, fast forward to today, look at the majority of modern day Christianity. They have taken the Cross with God's Son, who became our sin judged and raised him higher than God, himself. Yes, because of Y'shua's obedient unto death, he was elevated to be equal standing with God, becoming heir to the throne of David. However, there is rarely any reference to YHWH, our Father, within many Christian churchs. It all Jesus. Again, he has that God -Given priveledge to be worshipped, but not to the exclusion of his Father, our Father, who is in Heaven. The One and Only God.

That is Nehushtan: The Sin Of The Asherah Poles. Raising Y'shua, Jesus, higher than God himself, sometimes even eliminating God.

Are you guilty? 

...and that's what you'll find, When You Search For The Truth.