The Yale expositor., 1907-09-06
THE BRAZEN
SERPENT
Sunday School Lesson for Sept. 8. 1907
Specially Prepared for This Paper

L
he serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of man be lifted up that
| ghosoever believeth in him should not
perish but have eternal lhe"-John
Ii:l4-15.
TIME.-More than IS years after our
asst lesson. Aaron died on the first day
" the fifth month July-AugusD of the
ortieth year since leaving Egypt Mum.
3:3S). The fiery serpents attacked the
people a few weeks later, I'm September
3. c. l452, according to the common
chronology.
PLACE.-Aaron died at Mount Hor. on
he border OF the Edom range, along the
-astern border Of the Arabah. The ser
)ents were i'm the great deep and broad
5alley called the Arabah, south Of the
Dead sea, and extending to the eastern
arm Of the Red sea.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
We left the Israelites, in our last les
son, at Kadesh Barnea, on the border
If the south land of Palestine and the
northern border of the great desert OF
Paran. They had refused, through
fear and unbelief, to go up and take
possession of their inheritance, and
were condemned to remain in the des-
ert for SO years longer, till all over 20
years of age had died. They arrived
at Kadesh about a year and three
months after the exodus, and left IL
nine months before taking possession
of Canaan. During these years "Ka-
desh was probably their central nu-
cleus or rendezvous. They would nat
urally change their locality from time
to time, like the Bedouins of all ages,
but still cherishing the hope of event
ually becoming possessors Of the land
of promise. Meantime they are not to
be conceived as dwelling, in their in
tervals of repose, in a compact camp,
which the nature of the country for
babe to such an immense multitude,
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. Some of these
wanderings are given in Mum. 1913
sc, extending as far south as Ezion
Gebe- on the eastern arm of the Red
sea q Kings 1920.
Some of the events recorded during
his period are: /. Korah's Rebel
lion Numbers 16), which grew out Of
the long delay and disappointed hopes.
2. Aaron's rod budded Numbers
I'D to prove that Aaron was the di-
vinely chosen high priest.
3. The death of Miriam, the sister
of Moses (Num. Pod.
4. Water from the rock at Meribah
and the sin of Moses that kept him
from entering the promised land
Mum 20:2-13).
And the people spake against God,
and against Noses" Their bitter feel
ings grew so strong that they were ex-
pressed in words. Their former muir
murings at Kadesh had been treated
leniently, and water had been sup
piled, apparently at their angry de-
mand. They seem to have interpreted
the miracle there as an instance OF
mercy in spite of their wicked course,
but as a response to it; and they there
fore now repeated the experiment OF
instruction.
Thus the Israelites tempted God Il
Cor 10:9 Heb. 800. They put his
patience and forbearance to the test,
and did all they could to make him
give them up as hopeless.
The Fiery Serpents of Sin.-No bet
ter emblem of the results of sin could
have been given to the Israelites, or
to us. THE true, peculiar, pernicious,
fiery serpents were their murmurins
disposition and complaints against
Jehovah. "-Lange. Sin is like fiery
serpent, often beautiful in appearance,
and secret in it's approach. But the eff
fects are pains that ONLY fire can ex-
press.
Repentance and SaIvation.-Vs. 10.
Confession. ". Z. I'VE have sinned"
The evil effects of sin made them feel
conscious of their sin and its great
ness. The real evil is the sin, and not
the punishment. But 1t is only by the
punishment that men realize the evil
of sin itself.
Against the Lord, and against
thee" All crimes against man are
sins against God. And all sins against
God work wrong to man.
And Moses prayed for the people"
expressing their desires and feelings.
There is real power in microscopy
prayer. Their praying made ii wise
and safe to give blessings that would
have been an injury to those who had
not the spirit of prayer. One of the
objects Of the punishment was to turn
their hearts to God.
The cure.-Note in what a peculiar
and yet blessed way the prayer was
answered; not by removing the SER
penis. as they probably expected. but
by a way that healed their souls as
well as their bodies. So Paurs thorn
in the flesh" was not removed. but
Gods grace was made to abound as
blessed fruit growing on that stem.
AS the sin and punishment of the
Israelites were the fruits of unbelief.
the true method of help was nrst to
restore faith and then healing.
Practical Points.
Christ crucifed is the most conspic.
uous object in the history OF the
a &c tho ooufor oround x.hfob