Grace Notes // When We Were Kings Part 2
Stewarding a Season
Written by Dillon Turner
This week, Chris takes us through 2 Kings 18, where King Hezekiah destroys the statue of the bronze snake erected by Moses. Moses erected this statue because whoever looked at it gained protection from the fiery serpents God sent as punishment for the Israelites mocking God and Moses. Because of this miraculous protection, the people of Israel began burning incense and offerings to the snake as an idol. King Hezekiah’s destruction of the bronze statue was monumental because it reminded the people of Israel who was really in control.
This story displays a warning to us, that we can turn gifts from God into idols.
Chris points out that the bronze statue was a symbol of God’s past power, and the fact that people started worshipping the snake showed how much people would rather cling on to what God has done for them in the past rather than actually trusting God with the future. It can be scary to trust God with our futures. The people of Israel clung so tightly to the historical evidence of God’s move that the evidence itself became a god to them.
I can’t help but think that this message is extremely timely. If the past year and a half have taught us anything, it’s that the future can be unpredictable and unkind. It can feel safer to dwell on the miracles and joys of the past seasons, and maybe even idolize them. It’s easy to look back and place past seasons with God on a pedestal, glorifying what was and wishing it would be again. It’s much harder to trust God to provide new treasures. The ultimate question we should be asking ourselves is “How much do we actually trust God to move?” Are we actively believing that God will do a new thing? Are we willing to trust God with our desires, knowing that the answer might be “no”? It’s tempting to keep those desires hidden and cling to the times God said “yes” in the past. Simply put, we must recognize that God is in control, and He has our best in mind.
I am personally reminded of Mark 2:22 where Jesus talked about when you pour old wine into new wineskin you destroys both things. The heart of God is not to get as much use out of our old miracles as possible but expect God to move in new ways. By worshiping our old bronze snakes, we aren’t honoring the ways God moved in the past, we are worshipping out of fear. God is calling us to tear down those places and leave only room for Him. It is important to remember the ways that God moves, but we shouldn’t make the mistake of loving the acts of God more than God himself.
PROCESSING
What are the bronze snakes in your life?
What ways have you not trusted God with your future?
What is bringing you back to your bronze snakes?
IN THE WORD
2 Kings 18
Mark 2:21-22