The Vaccination and the Brazen Serpent.
Let us quickly review the context in which the Israelites received a Brazen Serpent to be healed rather than seek healing from the Lord. Hopefully this review will help us understand if we truly want a Brazen Serpent for healing.
Ancient Israel:
If we want to hold the vaccine up as a Brazen Serpent, we must first understand the Ancient Israelites and why they required a Brazen Serpent in the first place. After all, wasn’t the Brazen Serpent made in the image of an idol and weren’t the Israelites an idolatrous and wicked nation? Further, what happen to the Israelites after the Brazen Serpent was raised?
Prior to the Serpent being raised on a staff, the Israelites were led out of bondage by a prophet of God. One of Moses’s greatest hurdles was the deeply imbedded idolatress culture and traditions of the Israelites. Moses was constantly correcting their worship, proving the difficulty in riding a nation of their long-held traditions. Originally God helps in this endeavor when he answers Moses’s question regarding God’s name.
“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” – Exodus 3:13-15
Have we ever considered why the Lord answers Moses this way?
One explanation directly connects to idol worship. The scriptures show how quickly the Israelites turned to the image of a golden calf, instead of the great “I Am”. God was clearly trying to protect his people from the traditions of Idol worship by making himself aloof and unattainable, without specific name or form.
Still, the Israelites were unable to disconnect from their need to form an “Idol”. The idea of a God who had no form in their temporal world was foreign to them because they couldn’t see or understand this “God” in their current belief structure. They even complained against Moses rather than God many times as they couldn’t comprehend their God and needed a man to stand in His place. (See Exodus chapters 12 thru 20 for a depiction of their struggle and discontent.)
After gathering in the wilderness, we find Moses ascending up Mount Sinai to commune with Jehovah. Moses provided instruction for the whole house of Israel to ascend up Mount Sinai as he did; even declaring “would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets” (Num 11:29). Understanding the failure of the Israelites by refusing to enter into the Lord’s presence when the Priesthood was available and offered to them, helps reveal their fallen and condemned state.
The Brazen Serpent:
In Exodus 4 we see the first witness of a serpent used, this comes as a sign of unbelief to the Israelites. The Israelites are found constantly murmuring and speaking against God. Due to their harden hearts the Lord sends fiery serpents to kill them, just as he claims in Numbers 14. After the Israelites repent to Moses, Moses then petitions the Lord to forgive Israel for speaking against God. This is when the Lord uses a Brazen Serpent, a sign of unbelief, as His answer.
By declaring the Brazen Serpent has been lifted up in our day, we are likewise declaring healing and salvation comes through an idol given to a wicked people after relying on a man to commune with the Lord. Those who continue to call this vaccine a Brazen Serpent will soon have to realize the same fate of ancient Israel; they do not make it back into the presence of the Lord. They will be in-fact cast off, forever holding onto their traditions and false beliefs.
By accepting the Vaccine as our “Brazen Serpent”, we too must conclude that a Brazen Serpent is only required as a result of our idolatrous and wicked ways. This helps in identifying our inability to understand the Covenant offered to the Israelites and likewise extended to us. This is the same covenant our Fathers entered into prior to coming to Christ. Further we can see a condemned people lack the Holy Priesthood that is required to build and establish Zion (DC:84 19-25).
“And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. 20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. 21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; 22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live. 23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; 24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his danger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. 25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;” – DC 84:19-25
The question should never be “Is the vaccine our modern-day Brazen Serpent”? The question needs to be “What traditions and false beliefs do I have that prevent me from relying wholly upon the Lord and exhibiting the Faith to be healed”? What experiences do I need to have to receive a broken heart and contrite spirit? This is the path which leads to the baptism of fire and baptism of the Holy Ghost (3 Nephi 9:20). From there we hear Christ instructed us sufficiently on how to enter back into the presence of the Lord.
It is my testimony that we must have Faith in Christ and hear Him as explained in Ether 4 and 12 to abide the coming day.
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