REMOVE THAT THING
According to an old legend, a wealthy prince spent life and fortune building a memorial to his dead love. She had died on the eve of their wedding, and his heart was crushed. He spared no expense in building the memorial that he hoped would express his great love for her. The prince spent his life building the memorial and finally the work was finished. Now old, he inspected his work, fascinated by its beauty. Then his eyes fell on the rough coffin containing the body of his loved one in the center of the shrine. Infuriated that anything so common should spoil the beauty of all the splendor, he ordered, "Remove that thing!"It is easy to get so wrapped up in our mission that we, like the prince, can forget the object of our passion. That is what happened to Israel. Once a symbol of salvation, the brazen serpent had become an object of worship. Israel had begun to worship the memorial rather than the Person for Whom it stood. King Hezekiah knew if revival and reform were to come to the nation, he must destroy the symbol and return to the Savior. Therefore, he ordered the destruction of Nehushtan and other idols.
Some might still get caught up in the beauty of a sanctuary or the great emotion in the act of worship. However, God desires us to remember that He alone should be the center of our worship. The worship He desires is not stained glass, bended knee, or learned liturgy. True worship is heart-talk with God.
“He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan.”
2 Kings 18:4 NLT
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