IN studying the Bible narrative of the journeyings of the children of Israel, one cannot fail to be astonished at the chronic disobedience of this rebellious race. No people ever received such numerous and striking proofs of God's protecting care, yet we find them continually murmuring over some imaginary wrong. In the 21st chapter of Numbers it is recorded that King Arad the Canaanite, having heard that the children of Israel were coming by the way, sent and fought against them, and took some of them prisoners. "And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord. And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities." Shortly after this victory had been won a reaction or mental chemicalization set in, and we read that "the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water" here.
As a consequence of their distrust and ingratitude there came a visitation of fiery serpents which "bit the people; and much people of Israel died." After a period of severe physical suffering, according to their usual custom the people came to themselves, and having acknowledged their error, asked Moses to pray to the Lord to deliver them from their punishment. Then the Lord commanded Moses to make "a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."
Whence came the healing virtue to this serpent of brass? Could an image set upon a pole have any influence in healing disease? The first commandment of the Mosaic law forbade the Hebrew people to make unto themselves "any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." Had not Aaron been publicly rebuked for making an image in the form of a golden calf? Surely they must have argued that Moses was in the wrong, for was he not leading the people back into the forbidden practice of heathen idolatry? Is it not probable that these and many other subtle suggestions were uppermost in their thoughts?
