"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of man be lifted up."--_John 3:14._
ONE great fault of the Israelites was that they had no patience. The
moment they saw anything troublesome or difficult, they began to cry
out, and say they could not get on, and it was very hard on them. Now
it is very wrong ever to say God is very hard upon us, for we may be
sure He is doing what is best for us. There was one stony, hot, steep
part of the journey still to come, and when the Israelites saw it they
forgot how often God had helped them, and cried out, and lamented, and
complained of Him and of Moses.
[Illustration: THE BRAZEN SERPENT.--Num. 21:31.]
So again they were punished, for the little shining snakes that live
there came in numbers, darting at them and biting them, so that the
bite burnt like fire, and they died. Then they cried out to God and
were sorry, and He told Moses of a wonderful way to cure them. Moses
was to melt up some brass and make a great serpent, like the little
ones that bit them, and set it up on a pole. Then if anyone who was
bitten would come at once and look up at the brazen serpent, his bite
would get well, and he would not die of it.
This was a miracle--a wonder. And it was to teach the Israelites
something, and us too. For you know our Blessed Lord hung on the cross,
as the serpent hung on the pole; and when our souls are in danger of
dying of sin, we must think of Him, and look to Him in faith, and He
will save us from being punished for our sin, and keep our souls from
dying.