When The Sacred Becomes Profane
As I read in 2 Kings 18 this week, I was amazed to learn that Hezekiah (a righteous king) broke in pieces the brasen serpent fashioned by Moses in the wilderness. He did it because the children of Israel had begun burning incense to it and had given it a name, Nehushtan, meaning great serpent or great brass.
I was shocked by the destruction of the brass serpent because of its antiquity and original purpose and effect. The object was nearly seven hundred years old and had to be one of Israel’s national treasures. The fact that their beloved prophet Moses had constructed it or had it created adds to its sentimental value. Also, the miracle it provided in healing those bitten by the venomous serpents during the exodus was legendary. We have no artifact in our nation or culture comparable to the brass serpent.
However, we do have things we deem to be treasures that we hold sacred as a nation, in communities and cultures, and as individuals. We go to great lengths to protect and preserve traditions and things that represent miraculous events in our history. The value of many of those things are beyond price, and yet the meaning and value of the brass serpent to the Israelites were in place for hundreds of more years than anything we have.
So what made a once sacred artifact profane? The object had probably been meticulously cared for and preserved, so it wasn’t that it had fallen into disrepair. The legends surrounding it were no doubt told and retold, so it was not forgotten. The principle behind its original purpose is eternal, and that can’t change. What changed was how the people viewed it and acted towards it. The people corrupted it to the point that it led them in the wrong direction. Because Hezekiah recognized what was happening, he was left with no choice but to destroy it to preserve its true purpose and meaning.
We often find ourselves in the process of moving away from what once was sacred. Our nation’s symbols are becoming increasingly objects of ridicule and even shame. The rewriting of or simply ignoring history has robbed many of the upcoming generations of vital knowledge of how the blessings of our day came to exist. Ironically those who want to be recognized as free-thinking individuals mock the symbols that represent liberty and the ability to be individuals rather than part of a collective.
In our personal lives, we risk making the sacred profane when we get out of balance. We may have religious experiences that move us in a particular direction with great zeal. If we are not careful, our zealous behaviors can become obsessions causing us to lose sight of other critical needs. Sometimes church programs get in the way of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Self-improvement can turn to self-absorption. Over-familiarity with sacred ordinances, praying words with no passion and no real intent, and being so righteous that we let everyone else know about it are ways to make the sacred profane. Maybe we get past feeling the spirit of the Lord because we are too busy doing good things.
I am pointing all of my fingers at myself as I write this. Self-reflection and remembering sacred experiences can help us reevaluate our life course. We may find ourselves moving in the right direction for the wrong reasons.
I want to illustrate an aspect of getting our priorities mixed up by relating a story. A few years ago, our family watched a show called Alone. People are isolated in the wilderness and see how long they can last. One contestant was very good at catching fish and dried several pounds of it to carry him far into the challenge as winter approached. He was so obsessed with catching and smoking it (doing a good thing) that he ignored eating (a critical thing) the fish and had to be pulled from the show because of malnutrition.
Sacred things and experiences are powerful motivators, but with anything powerful, we must implement them carefully. Fire is an example of this idea. Without fire, we die. We use it in various forms every day. We cook our food; we burn fuel to heat our homes and drive our cars. It transforms raw materials into useful items. But if a fire gets out of its place, it destroys.
I hope we never get to the point that things that were once sacred must be broken into pieces to keep us from corrupting ourselves. This is something that will keep me thinking for a long time.