Devo Week 18

A Symbol of Healing -- Look and Live

Symbols are important in every culture. They can assist powerfully in communicating the Gospel and other spiritual truths. Pay attention to the symbols among your people and where you live. Consider the meaning of symbols and what God might be speaking through them.

Key Concept: The Power of Symbols

We saw the importance of symbols among both the Akha and Akeu. I referenced their gate in this devotion as a key example. Symbols are very powerful, not to be worshiped but to point us to God and His plans. Symbols must be considered in context. They can mean different things in different settings. For example, snakes are generally viewed as a negative sign in the Bible, but not so with the bronze serpent. Also, Jesus told His disciples to be as "innocent as doves and as wise as serpents." (Matt. 10:16) So, context is essential for understanding a symbol's significance.

The Jews would have related the symbol of the bronze serpent on the pole to the wilderness encounter where God brought judgment and healing. Jesus related this story to Nicodemus. The bronze serpent story was later fulfilled by the crucifixion of Jesus upon the Cross.

”Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

— John 3:14-15

Some anthropologists say that 80% of communication is non-verbal. Symbols can be a powerful mode of non-verbal communication. They can be impactful in the following three ways:

1) As a visual reminder of a God encounter.
2) As a means to engage God in the present.
3) As a reminder for us to stay in relationship with God into the future.

At the Cross, Jesus purchased our physical, spiritual and emotional healing. The bronze serpent reminds us that God is our healer!

Key Word Definition: symbols (plural noun)

-- a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process.
-- a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

Excerpt from Devotional 18 with highlighted word:

"Symbols can help bring the spiritual into the visible realm, according to Anthropologist Victor Turner. That’s why it’s important to deal carefully with a symbol in other cultures, as it may reveal God in their story. For the Akha and the Akeu, the village gate is one such symbol. Once I learned its significance, as 1) an entrance into the spiritual realm; 2) a place of sacrifice for healing, and 3) a place of protection from evil spirits, I realized it was a powerful symbol or illustration for explaining the Cross to them."

Scripture: Numbers 21:9

“So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”