God had sent a plague of snakes to the rebellious Israelites in the wilderness, with many dying of poisonous bites. When Moses cried out to the Lord on their behalf, God instructed him to make the Nehushtan. Sadly, in II Kings 18:4, King Hezekiah broke the bronze snake into pieces because the people were treating it as an idol and burning incense to it. They were exalting the object rather than worshipping the God who healed them.