The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-08-01

tions of endurance and hardihood necessary
to the wars on which they were about to enter;
and (3) they wearied the people Of their desert
life and thus made them eager to undertake
the conquest of better country"
Weare not prepared to cepsure too sharply
the dishcartening effect on the lsraelites of the
turn in events which. instead of bringing
them to their land of expected rest and inde-
pendence, sent them off nobody knew for how
long, into the destined desolate route.
The Sins of The People.
a. They spake against God.
b. They spake against Moses.
C. They accused God and Moses OF leading
them out of Egypt on purpose to bury them
in the wilderness.
d. They spoke insuItingly of the Mamma,
saying they we1 actually sick Of the nauseat-
ing stuff
c. They complained of want OF water. when
they knew very well God would provide it
abundautly, as he had done in emergencies.
The Manna
The eight bread " referred to in v. 5
means the Mamma so miraculously furnished to
them at the Camp in the Wilderness of Sim"
Ex. 10: /, IL. From then on for SO years they
had been thus supplied with a food which must
have been very nutrtive. Jameson is right,
saying: 1.-The refutation Of this calumny APP
pears in the fact that the strength of this
food they performed for 40 years so many toll
some journeys"
The word light" in verso means vile,
contemplate, despicable. Ps., 7s: 1925.
Serpents
"Tbey creep from the assures in the hard
ground and clefts in the rocks; crawl to the
couch where the infant is sleeping, coil around
the limbs of stalwart men and helpless women,
and leave the death wound behind"
Reference is made in Deu., s: 10. to the " fiery
serpents and scorpions" which made the wilder
ness terrible. They were called fiery because
of their color and because the bite produced an
Inflammation hot, raging, causing the flesh to
be red. The poison created heat intense and
horrible.
1t is we'll known snakes may become a dreadful
curse. 1t is said that every year thousands lose
their lives in India from snake bites. StrabO.
reporting the crossing of Gedrosia. said that
the General "lost many men by serpents which
sprang on them from the sand and brushwood."
We are not to suppose God created the fiery
serpents to punish the Israelites. Serpents
always abound in that region. We read in
Schuberts Travels: Travellers report that the
valley near the Gulf of Akahah is infested
with many kinds of venoTnous reptiles. In
the afternoon large and very notified snake
was brought to us. marked with fiery spots and
spiral lines which evidently belonged, from
the formation of its teeth. to one OF the most
poisonous species The Bedouins say that these
snakes. of which they have great dread, are
very numerous in this locality"
"THE BRAzEN SERPENT
We have considered the affection suffered by
the Israelites The account now to be studied
is given in Nu., 1873. Let US notice the
remedy.
The saving serpent was to bo set up on high.
so that it could be easily seen for distance. 1t
was to be brazen, FURNISHED, glIttering, so as
readily to attract the eye. Brass or copper
sparkles. Eze. IL; Dan, 10: 8; Rev., l: ID.
"As the brazen serpent" says The Speakers Conf
meHtary, represented the instrument of their
chastsement so the looking unto it at Gods
word denoted acknowledgement of their sin,
longing for deliveranCs from its penalty, and
faith in the means appointed by God for heal
ing"
What became of the brazen serpent? 1t was
preserved and carried by the Israelites into
Canaan. For how long time did it have power
TO heal the bitten? Itserved the purpose at the
time il was made. and probably ceased to have
further power Superstition may have caused
the belief it had a permanent. charming effect
iveness. Ophoatry was an Egyptian worship,
aud might thus give rise to the Israelitish sin.
Hczekiab, apprehending harm would come,
ordered the braZen serpent destroyed. lie was
a literal iconoclast.
The Brdzen Serpent and Christ.
"The points Of coincidence between the bra
zen serpent and Jesus are very many. The prin-
cipal are as follows viz: i. Parties in both
cases are poisoned; the one by natural serpents
which inhabited the desert; the other by sin,
through the temptation Of that old serpent
called the Devil, etc. Rev. 2O:2. 2. In both
cases death must ensue, in one case natural, in
the other spiritual and eternal. g. Human
remedies were powerless. 4. A remedy divinely
prescribed is given. s. In both cases the remedy
is strange one. See l Cor, % 6. The
terms of help are wonderful, viz: Look and
live. Num-, 81 80; Isa., 45:22. The deliver
ance in both cases was by faith the 1sraelite
WHO believed the promise Of cure looked and
was healed the sinner who believes in Christ
and looks to him for salvation shall not perish
z. The serpent of brass resembed the fiery
pent; SO Jesus made in the likeness of
sinful flesh 8. Both were lifted up See
John, s: g."
The brazen serpent was destroyed d. c. 726.
Hence it was kept 725 years.
Conclusion.
Sin is poison. Skull bones should be on it,
and big letters Poison. Sin kills. Christ is
lifted up Look to Him. st. John, 3: lS, So.
He has life. He gives life.