As I expected, things are really beginning to move now. The narrative is starting to speed up, and the Israelites have begun their strategic march through the inhabited regions that border the Promised Land. They are stirring up conflicts left and right, though so far their victories have been quick and easy. The central feature of Numbers 21 seems to be the brazen serpent, a serpent sculpted of brass and set on a standard, which, according to God's command, was to heal the Israelites who had been bitten by venomous snakes. It's interesting to note here that we have yet another example of God calling for a graven image to be constructed for the benefit of the people. Just like with the cherubs on the ark, the Bible makes it clear that a graven image can be a beneficial thing. It becomes a problem only when people misuse it, e.g., begin to worship it as if the object itself were divine. Apparently, King Hezekiah, centuries later, faced this problem, and was forced to destroy the brazen serpent that had dated back to Moses's time.
Another interesting thing about the brazen serpent is that, strangely enough, it has been seen as a traditional symbol of Christ. One wouldn't think that a snake, usually associated with Satan, would represent Christ, but the symbolism is actually rather remarkable. First of all, there is the physical symbolism, as the snake was to be set upon a standard, so that it almost looked like the creature was hanging upon a cross. But, more so, the symbolism lies in the fact that the brazen serpent maintains the image of the vile creature without its actual poisonous qualities -- just as Christ came in the form of a human (a vile creature in comparison to God's perfection) but without the sin (the poison) that exists in the rest of us. Also, the brazen serpent was meant to heal, just as Christ is our Healer. I found this to be one of the more fascinating symbols of Christ.
The one other thing I found interesting in this chapter is in the following verse:
"Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord: As he did in the Red Sea, so will he do in the streams of Arnon." (Numbers 21:14)
"The book of the wars of the Lord"? I immediately stopped at those words. Moses seems to be referencing some other book here! Mysterious things like this always fascinate me. What is this book he could be referring to? Is it something even more ancient than the Torah? Is it a contemporary book? My commentary basically says that the jury is out on this one. It appears to be a lost book, something the ancient Israelites knew of, but would be lost before future generations ever could read it. Scholars disagree, however, on the authorship of the mysterious book. Some think it was written by Moses himself, about his skirmishes with the Amalecites found in the Book of Exodus. Others think someone else wrote the book of the wars of the Lord, and Moses is simply referencing it here. It's amazing to wonder about the texts that used to exist, that we know only fragments about, but which will have to remain lost to mankind until the end of days. Perhaps in the next life we will be knowledgeable of these mysteries.
No comments:
Post a Comment