Frontline Devotion for Tuesday, March 21, 2006 by Brenda Kessler

Numbers 21:4-9

In today’s Old Testament reading the nurse in me was immediately drawn to Moses’ pole with the bronze snake on it because an emblematic staff like the one spoken of in today’s text is often used as a symbol of the medical profession.  I researched the Internet to refresh my memory as to why the caduceus became a symbol of the medical profession.

In my research I learned that the caduceus is probably a misnomer.  The caduceus is a rod entwined by two snakes and topped by a pair of wings.  The caduceus was of the Greek god Hermes (Roman Mercury), messenger of the gods.  A better name for this medical symbol would have been the staff of Asclepius.  Asclepius was most probably a physician practicing in Greece around 1200 BC.  Eventually he was worshipped as the Greek god of healing.  From the early 16^th century the staff of Asclepius (a single snake wrapped around a rod) and the caduceus (two snakes wrapped around a rod and topped by a pair of wings) emerged as symbols of medicine, probably because of the confusion of the two.  Eventually, both the staff of Asclepius, the true symbol of medicine, and the caduceus became known as the caduceus.  Today one or the other is used as a symbol by many medical organizations, organizations of healing.

It is interesting to note that the Old Testament writers also used this symbol of healing as evidenced in today’s reading.  “So Moses made a bronze serpent and erected it as a standard.  So that when a snake had bitten a man, he could look at the bronze serpent and recover.” (The New English Bible.)

I became so fascinated researching the caduceus that I almost missed the main point of the scripture reading.  The main point of the reading, at least for me, is that God was willing to forgive irritable and cross people; God was willing to forgive impatient people; God was willing to forgive rebellious people.

People today aren’t much different from those Old Testament people.  We, too, become irritable and cross with God; we, too, become impatient with God; we, too, become rebellious towards God.  The good news is that God is still willing to forgive irritable and cross people; God is still willing to forgive impatient people; God is still willing to forgive rebellious people!

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for your faithfulness to me.  Thank you for forgiving me when I am irritable and cross with you.  Thank you for forgiving me when I am impatient with you.  Thank you for forgiving me when I am rebellious towards you.  Remind me always that I am Yours.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen

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