THE ISRAELITES BITTEN BY SERPENTS

THE time was now approaching when the people of Israel were to take possession of the land of Canaan. During their encampment at Kadesh, Miriam died in the hundred and thirty-third year of her age, and Aaron about four months after, in his hundred and twenty-fourth year. During their latter sojourn at Kadesh, the Israelites fell into their old habits of murmuring and rebellion. Moses, after satisfying their tumultuous demands by a second miracle of bringing water out of a rock, sent an embassy to the king of Edom, soliciting a free passage through his dominions. This was not only refused, but hostilities were immediately commenced on the part of the Edomites, who marched to attack the people of Israel in their encampment. Upon this the latter removed to Mount Hor, where Aaron died. After they had mourned for him thirty days, they encamped at Zalmanah, which derived its name from the brazen serpent set up by Moses in this station. Here it was, that in conse quence of their renewed murmurings on account of the length and asperity of their journey, God visited them with a plague of a most novel and destructive kind. "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us; and Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bit ten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."* This serpent was a type of the Saviour that bodily cure which all they who turned to it received, symbolizing the spiritual healing of those who turn to the cross of Christ in "full assurance of faith."