Thursday, November 4, 2010

Healed by a Snake Stick? The Serpentine Cross

I was so fortunate to be looking at the view from the top of the mountain (Mount Nebo). I was imagining how Moses was gazing at the Promised Land, as God had shown it to him.

I was so engrossed with this thought that I almost did not see the cross at my side, the serpentine cross sculpture. Awakened from my hypnotic state, I quickly took a shot of the sculpture. Luckily, it was a swell one-time shot.

The serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14).

On March 20, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited the site during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Mount Nebo being one of the most important Christian sites in Jordan). During his visit he planted an olive tree beside the Byzantine chapel as a symbol of peace.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the site on May 9, 2009, gave a speech, and looked out from the top of the mountain in the direction of Jerusalem.

According to the 2 Maccabees 2:4-7, the Prophet Jeremiah hid the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant here (at Mount Nebo).

Source: Wikipedia

If you just keep on seeing the promised land from afar but are not able to get there , God has other plans for you. Pray for a serpentine cross or better yet, ask wisdom.

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