2 Kings - Chapter 18

After reading of the fall of the Kingdom of Israel in the previous chapter we might expect the same fate for the Kingdom of Judah.  But there is hope at the start of chapter 18 with a new King, who is faithful to God:

"Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.  Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did."

This all looks hopeful for the kingdom of Judah.  And in the middle of the description of the things that Hezekiah did, that was pleasing to God, we read this:

"He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it."

The bronze serpent referred to is mentioned by Jesus in John 3:

"as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life."

This bronze snake was a sign of the messiah - who would be lifted up on the cross, giving life to those who looked on him.  But the people in Judah were worshiping the bronze symbol, rather than the one it was pointing to, and Hezekiah destroyed it.