Commemoration of Gregory the Great, 344
Commemoration of Symeon the New Theologian, 1022 (Orthodox)
Reading: Numbers 21:4-9
“The people spoke against God and against Moses, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?'" (Numbers 2:5)
One can find pages and pages of debate about exactly how long the Israelites were in Egypt, given two different numbers in Genesis 12:13 - 400 years, and Exodus 12:40 - 430 years. Symbolic numbers are common in the scriptures. Let us just decide that it was roughly 10 generations (also a symbolic number!). And during that time in Egypt the Israelites were constantly exposed to the gods of Egypt and the images and statues of those gods. We know how indelibly values and customs are passed from generation to generation without thought or scrutiny. So it is not so surprising that the Israelites made a calf of gold to pray to while Moses had disappeared onto Mount Sinai. Now, in the desert, Moses has created another image, upon God's instruction, that the people will latch onto. The serpent of bronze. Everett Fox translates nehash nehoshet as a "copper viper" to keep the alliteration and wordplay. And once again the people latch onto it, treating it as a cult object. They carry it with them to Canaan, and name it Nehushtan. We encounter it again in 2 Kings 18:1-4, when King Hezekiah smashes it, because people are praying to it. Old habits, old values, old allegiances die hard. And it seems, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" is the hardest commandment to keep.
God of Compassion, may you always have the primary place in our hearts and in our lives. Amen
IN YOUR PLACE OF PRAYER, PLACE A SYMBOL OF SOMETHING THAT OFTEN PULLS YOUR LIFE AWAY FROM GOD. PRAY ABOUT IT.
LOVERS OF BAROQUE MUSIC MAY ENJOY LISTENING TO JAN DISMAS ZELENKA'S CANTATA "IL SERPENTE DI BRONZO" AT www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4hpDxMeJSo
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