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From Eternity Past
them as they climbed rocky heights or threaded the rugged paths of
the wilderness. There was not a feeble one in all their ranks. Their
feet had not swollen in their long journeys; neither had their clothes
grown old. God had subdued before them the fierce beasts of prey and
the venemous reptiles of the forest and desert.
God’s Protecting Hand Removed
Shielded by divine power, they had not realized the countless dan-
gers by which they were surrounded. In their unbelief they anticipated
death, and now the Lord permitted death to come upon them. The poi-
sonous serpents that infested the wilderness were called fiery serpents,
on account of their sting, it causing violent inflammation and speedy
death. As the protecting hand of God was removed, great numbers of
the people were attacked by these venomous creatures.
In almost every tent were the dying or the dead. Often the silence
of night was broken by piercing cries that told of fresh victims. All
were busy ministering to sufferers or endeavoring to protect those not
yet stricken. When compared with the present suffering, their former
difficulties and trials seemed unworthy of a thought.
The people now came to Moses with confessions and entreaties.
“We have sinned,” they said, “for we have spoken against the Lord,
and against thee.” Only a little before, they had accused him of being
the cause of all their distress and afflictions. But as soon as real trouble
came, they fled to him as the only one who could intercede with God
for them. “Pray unto the Lord, that He take away the serpents from
us.”
Moses was divinely commanded to make a serpent of brass and to
elevate it among the people. To this, all who had been bitten were to
look and find relief. The joyful news was sounded that all who had
been bitten might look upon the brazen serpent and live. Many had
already died, and when Moses raised the serpent upon the pole, some
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would not believe that merely gazing upon that metallic image could
heal them; these perished in their unbelief.
Yet many had faith in the provision God had made. Fathers, moth-
ers, brothers, and sisters were engaged in helping suffering, dying
friends to fix their languid eyes upon the serpent. If these, though faint
and dying, could only once look, they were perfectly restored.