Fiery Serpents
37
to come upon them, they would have suffered that which they could
call hardships. But God had prepared the way before them. There
was no sickness among them. Their feet had not swollen in all their
journeys, neither had their clothes waxed old. God had given them
angels’ food, and purest water out of the flinty rock. And with all these
tokens of his love, if they complained, he would send his judgments
upon them for their ingratitude, and make them to realize his past
merciful care for them, of which they had been unmindful.
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The Israelites were terrified, and humbled because of the serpents,
and confessed their sin in murmuring. Moses was directed to erect
the brazen serpent upon a pole, and if those who were bitten looked
upon that they should be healed. Here the Israelites were required to
do something. They must look upon the brazen serpent if they would
live. Many had died by the bite of the serpents. When Moses raised
the serpent upon the pole, some had no faith that merely looking at
that would heal them, and they died. Mothers, fathers, brothers and
sisters, were all anxiously engaged in helping their suffering, dying
relatives and friends, to fix their languid eyes upon the serpent. If
they could only once look while fainting and dying, they revived and
were healed of all the effects of their poisonous wounds. There was
no virtue in the serpent of brass to cause such a change immediately
in those who looked upon it. The healing virtue received by their
looking upon the serpent was derived from God alone. He chose in
his wisdom this manner to display his power. It was the faith of the
people in the provision made which was acceptable to God. By this
simple means the people were made sensible that God had permitted
these serpents to afflict them, because of their murmurings, and lack
of faith in him. If they would obey God they had no reason to fear, for
he would be their friend, and preserve them from dangers to which
they were continually exposed in the wilderness.
The brazen serpent, lifted upon a pole, illustrates the Son of God,
who was to die upon the cross. The people who are suffering from
the effects of sin can find hope and salvation alone in the provision
God has made. As the Israelites saved their lives by looking upon
the brazen serpent, so sinners can look to Christ and live. Unlike the
brazen serpent, he has virtue in himself and power to heal the suffering,
repenting, believing sinner. Christ says of himself, “And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be
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