The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-31
Sunday Study
ISRAEL PUNISHED.

L
The International Sunday School les
SON for Aug. 81 is found in Numbers
xxi, 1-9. The Golden text is John iii,
14-15. The chapter opens with a fight
in which Arad engages the Israelites.
1t was not the spies this time, but a
whole nation that approached. There
IS a period of thirty eight years be-
tween this one, for in chapter xvi,
which begins with the death of Miriam
and ends with the death of Aaron, we
read in verse one that they are back
at Kadesh, where they were in chapter
xiii, 26, when they sent the spies, and
we know from chapter xxxiii, SO, that
Aaron died in the fortieth year after
they left Egypt. How little is known
of those thirty eight years! 1t was
time lost in wandering because of I'M
belief, for they are no nearer the prom
ised land now than they were in the
last lesson. How many believers thus
wander lifetime on the borders of
land they never enter, and all be-
cause of unbelief!
Israel was now journeying from Mt.
EIor by the way of the Red sea to get
around the land of Edom, and much
discouraged. Mt. Hor is memorable as
the place where Aaron died. Moses.
Aaron and Eleazar went up into Mt.
Hor in the sight of all the congrega-
ton, and Moses, stripping Aaron of
his garments, put them upon Eleazar
and Aaron died there. The reason they
had to compass the land of Edom in
stead of going through it was that
the king would not allow them to pass.
The people now spoke against God
and against Moses. They became re-
bellious and unmanageable. In pun
1shment SerpentS were sent among
them and biting them and many died.
The New Testament admonition in
this connection is: Neither let us
tempt Christ, as some of them also
tempted and were destroyed of SER
penis. Lest anyone might think that
he never would be guilty, it is written
IN the context: Let him that thinketh
he standeth, take heed lest he fall"
Seeing their error, they asked Moses
TO pray to God to take away the SER
penis. And the Lord said unto Moses:
Make thee a fiery serpent and set it
upon pole, and it shall come to pass
that everyone that is bitten when he
looketh on it, shall live" And it came
10 pass as the Lord had said. He who
tea MOSES to do this saw in it a SYM
Dol of himself on the cross for the sins
of the world, and he so spoke of it
to Nicodemus in our Golden Text. That
old serpent the devil, by sin has bitten
our race, and multitudes are perishing
but as the likeness of that which had
bitten Israel was put upon a pole for
their deliverance, so the Lord Jesus
was on the cross, made sin for us, that
we might be made the righteousness
of God In Him. The serpent on the
pole was suggestive of a dead, not liv-
ing serpent. So in Christ on the cross
we see sin rendered harmless to in
Jure those who are in Christ ssThe
sting of death is sin, and the strength
of sin is the law; but thanks be to
God who giveth US the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ" AS quickly as
the eyes of bitten Israelite fell upon
the serpent on the pole he lived, and
the moment a sinner looks to Jesus on
the cross suffering in his stead, there
is NE Tor him in Christ, as 1t is writ
een' LOOK unto me and be We saved"
COMMUNION AND TRANSITIONAL
TION.
The Christian Endeavor topic for
Aug. 81 is found in Exodus, xxxiv.. %
So; Luke, tx, 1928.
AS he prayed the fashion of his
corntenance was altered" And this is