The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-08-09

Vnssrna ionsi Lesson for August IL ssSo
The s.rassn serpsnt-Sumspors si's-v


INT In the wilderness, even so must the 500
OF Man be lifted up-John3lA
TuE SECTION includes Numbers TO- ~. 20 ana
n 10. and Ductc ronomy l;s6' e:i; S;i-s
TtME-The pa nishment by the serpents oc-
Cured in Decem Der - c. i3s tCsher thirty
nine years and SIX months after the exodus
Aaron died on the first day OF the nth month
fJuly-August) of the fortieth year after tno
Israelites left Egypt tNum $500 ana they
incurred for him thirty days before they
started from Mount Hor. tho latter part OF
August and the event occurred not long after.
PLACE The serpcnts attacked the peoplein
tho southern part OF the valley OF Araoan.
which extends from the Dead sea 20 the head
OF the Gulf Of Ai<abah or eastern branch OF the
Red sea-
ExPLASA TORY.
In our last lesson the Israelites had
arrived at Kadcsh Barnea, within forty
miles of Bcersheba. the first large
place in southern Palestine. Here
they remained more than thrty-eight
wears, the long time Of Deuteronomy
1: 40. They arrived at Kadesh about
wear and three months after the sxo-
dus, and left it nine months before
taking possession OF Canaan During
these years :. kadesh was probably their
central nucleus or rendezvous. They
would naturally change their locality
from time to time. like the Bedouins OF
all ages. but still cherishing the hope
of eventually becoming possessors OF
the land Of promise. Meantime they
are net to be conceived as dwelling, In
their intervals Of repose. in compact
camp, which the nature of the COM
panv forbade 10 such an immense null
titudc. amounting to over 100000,
but as expatiating in bands, here and
there, over the adjacent country, still
having the tabernacle as the center
and the rendezvous to which they
would return. bush.
T. 'And they journeycd," after the
death of Aaron. They were now fairly
started on the way to Canaan. From
Mount Hor." A conspicuous mountain
half way bet vveen the Dead sea and the
eastern arm of the Red sea. BY the
way OF the Red sea" That is the gulf OF
Akabah, the eastern arm Of the Red sea.
ITO compass, "or GO around, "Edom."
The children OF Israel went around
| this region, a long distance out of their
way, because the Edomites would not
| permit them to cross over their cOun-
try GO: 14-2l). and opposed them with
strong force. and God forbade them TO
| fight their way, for the Edomites were
their brethren (Deut. "a, 81. And the
| soul Of the people was much discour-
aged by the way" They lost courage.
and hope, and faith. for they were trav-
cling directly away from the promised
land. Water was scarce. The way was
rough: ian expanse Of shifting sands,
| of which the surface is broken by in
Vulnerable undulations and low hills"
They were exposed to enemies from
the highlands Of Mount SER, who at
any time might make raids upon them
from the mills go: IL. 20). Some of their
leaders had died. and Moses was grow
ing old. Theywcre tired of their same
ness of their food ". 81.
5. ..And the people spakc against
God. and against Moses:" Their bitter
feelings grew so strong that they were
expressed in words
wherefore have We brought us up
out of Egypt" The greatest blessings
God had wrought for them. the very
keeping Of His promises, care COM
planned of as II they were evils done 70
the people This light bread" l. e.,
vile, worthless contemplate. Thus
they spalsc of the mamma from heaven,
without which they would have per
ishcd.
! All these things were the fruit of un-
belief. They would not trust in God.
though they had ten thousand proofs
that He was worthy oftheir trust. Faith
would have made all things bright, or
shown the silver lining behind the
clouds. and given them patience to
wait for the breaking through of the
. light. Their unbelief led them into sin.
Q. And the Lord sent:" by provi-
Dental guidance. Fiery serpents. +"
Literally, burning serpcnts, so called
from the inflammation nature of their
bite, which infuses burning deadly
poison. as the Greeks also name certain
scrpents. especially the dipsas, because
its poison wrought like burning fire.
Keil.
Z. "We have sinned:" The evil eff
fects OF sin made them feel conscious
Of their sin and its greatness.
Moses prayed The first source OF
help for sin ners is prayer. But we note
in what peculiar and yet blessed way
the prayer was answered; not by re-
moving the serpcnts, as they probably
expected. but by way that healed
their souls as we'll MS their bodies Sc
Paul's thorn in the flesh"
[ s. Make thee fiery scrpcnt:" Of
/ brass. verse o, that Is, of copper o.
/ bronze, which the word usually means
) And set il upon pole, or standard, SC
: that all who were bitten could easily
: see it. II was conspicuous all over tbs
: camp.
; Everyone that Is bitten. when hi
loolxeth upon it. shall livc:" Ths
, power Of healing was not in the brazcr
: serpent. lit could no more heal then
I than it could sting them" Had thu
: means Of cure been merely natura
!. remedy, the people would have trustee
: in that instead OF in God. The condi
o ton of healing was attest of their faith
!. and thus led them 10 trust in God.
: is easy to imagine how II would seen
= useless for them merely to look at
{ piece % brass. The power was who'll,
: In Goa. This We what made tn
= means effective. The healing of thci
v bodies in this way was healing o
their unbclicf and removal Of tn