The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-09-06
THE BRAZEN
SERPENT
Sunday School essen for Sept. 8. 1907
Specially Prepared for Thi, Paper

LESSON TExT.-Numbers 2i:9. Mem
lory verse o.
GOLDEN TExT.-"As Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness. even so
must the Son of man be lifted up; that
whatsoever believsth in him should not
perish but have eternal ~ife."-John
3:I4.t5.
TIME.-More than 80 years after our
last lesson. Aaron died on the first day
OF the nth month (July-Augus) of the
fortieth year since leaving Egypt Mum.
1899. The fiery serpents attacked the
people a few weeks later. in September
G. 1852. according to the common
chronology.
PLACE.-Aaron died at Mount Hor. on
the border of the Edom range. along the
eastern border of the ARABIA The SER
ipents were in the great deep and broad
valley 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
of thu BQNh kna 1hfalAdSe5an hid the
northern border of tire great desert of
PN4tnbsrpHeJ had refaBeds' Through
fear and sNHB4tefF w teostfp oahd take
possession of observation-disclosures, and
wsse,posdeniAe asto ae mHfhoH the des-
IertU1arrsSp eassf lSsgeS NH all over 20
lye0pssofsase hah dieu. fThey arrived
Observation-Disclosures year and three
in1ouf(Hs safterothe sexUdusg and left II
niIe hnoathz csfUre JtaRfhg possession
otd1anran. liDurins these years "Ka-
dsthiIwa6t probabiyo Their. central nu-
icleueor senpdezypus .iDThey would nat
uraliy chaagpthefu lola Atty cfrom time
teIAirns, 3iRn tina sBadouin ssof all ages.
buEistiHaaheyiHhinS thsohope Of event
Iuahg h4comng possessofsoof the land
of pfonftae. = Meantime EAfeylare not to
Observation-Disclosures dwelhnAti In their in
teryah 800 fepoBe,tinaa compact camp.
which ,thei nature 6fn the country for
ibade" toy sIcht am ifn,n enae multitude.
but, assexpataating ;ina hands, here and
theresDoyerithe adjacent country, still
having th1ctabarnaobe as iahe center
and sthe 9asdnds1aouss nto which they
would ,returnshtf-Bushs,. Some Of these
iwandFipssbaEe given in Mum. 1919
36,d extending las far south as Ezion
Geber on the. eastern arm of the Red
sea 1:Kings $3.50.
Some of the. events recorded during
his period. are:. l.. Korah's Rebel
lion (NumheYs l6), which grew out of
the long delay and disappointed hopes.
o. :aAafpn's rod budded plumbers
1D:tosproye that aaron was the d.
vineiy chosen high priest.
3. The death of Miriam, the sister
of Moses (Num. 20:1).
A. Water from the rock at Meribah
and the sin of Moses that kept him
from 4entering the promised land
(Num: 2es2-1a). !
And the people spake against God.
and against MUses. Their bitter feel
fngs grew SO strong that they were ex-
pressed In words-Their former muir.
muringss ats Kadesh had; been-treated
i%eniently, and water had been sup
piled, apparently at~their angry de-
mand.. .rEhey 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
insurrection-
Thus. the. Israelites tempted God Il
SSfs. isI1Cp- o'ol. 4ACy put hlS
patieRee, and .~forbearance to the test,
and sdid all, they could to make him
give them up as hopeless.
The r Fiery Serpents of Sin.-No bet
ter emblem of the results of sin could
haze been given tC the Israelites. or
tor asa SThetrue, peculiar, pernicious.
fiery ~sespents were their murmuring
diepoSStianr and complaints against
Uehpvah-HH-Lange. Sin is like a fiery
serpent. often beautiful in appearance.
and secret in its approach. But the eff.
fects are pains that only fire a ex-
press AIT >a.a
Repentance sand Salvation.-Vs. TO.
Cenfossbn,; VT, I'VE have sinned."
The evil effects, OF 1sin made them feel
conscious sof their: sin and its great
ness, The real evil is the sin, and not
the punishment. But it Is only by the
punishment that men realize the evil
ofssine iSself.a ~ 81 $780,.
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 it 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 al
well as their bodies. So Paul's thorn
in the flesh" was not removed, but
Gods grace was made to abound as q
blessed fruit growing on that Stem.
AS the sin and punishment of the