Overview
Nehushtan (meaning "a thing of bronze") was the bronze serpent crafted by Moses and lifted up in the wilderness as a sign of God's healing power. Originally created to save the Israelites from deadly serpent bites (Numbers 21:8-9), it eventually became corrupted into an idol that the people burned incense to in worship. King Hezekiah recognized this idolatry and righteously destroyed it as part of his sweeping religious reforms.
Key Scriptures
"He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it; it was called Nehushtan" (2 Kings 18:4, ESV).
"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up" (John 3:14, NASB).
Application
Nehushtan reminds believers that even good gifts from God can become stumbling blocks to faith when we elevate them above the Lord Himself, requiring us to regularly examine our hearts for hidden idolatries.