The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 290

HOMILETICS. Vere, 4-9.-Sin and the Sa'IJUJ'll,r. The type of the brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness is the only one which our Lord directly claims for himllelf as a type of his own crucifixion. No one can doubt that many other types, hardly less wonderful and instructive, exist ; but this one will always have a certain pre-eminence of regard, because our Lord in his OW!l words applied it to himself. Spiritually, therefore, we have in this passage Christ lifted up upon the cross in the likeness of sinful flesh in order to save from the deadly virus of sin and from etema.l death all those who will raise the eye of faith to him. There is much els9, but all subordinate to this. Taking the type as a. whole, we may divide it under the four heads of discouragement, complaint, destruction, salvation. l. THE DISCOURAGEMENT WHICH GA VE BISE TO COMPLAINING, AND SO LED TO THE RAVAGES OF SIN. Consider-I. That the Israelites were discouraged, or straitened in soul, because of the way, and this was the beginning of all that su1Iering a.nd death. Even so are we often a.nd often discouraged beca.use of the way to heaven, the way of life by which it pleases God to lead us, and which seems so ha.rd, so weary, so intermina.ble, so unendura.ble a.t times. It is " beca.use of the way " tha.t all our dis- tresses and discouragements arise. The " end " is well enough ; who would not seek it? but the way is weary indeed I 2. That this discourage:ment was not only because of the hardship., of the road, although they_ were great, but especially because it did not seem to be leading them to Canaan at all-rather away from it. Even so we are, many of us, discouraged grievously, not only because the way in which we walk is so hard and painful, and demands so much self-denial, but especia.lly because we seem to make no progress in it ; we do not feel that we are any nearer to the pro- mised rest; the cross is as heavy as ever, but the crown does not show any more bright; rather we seem to be getting further and ever further from that repose of mind and soul to which we had looked forward. 3. That their discourage:ment becaust of the way was aggravated by the fact that the evil was due to the unkindness of tlieir brother Edom, who forced them to march round by the Arab ah. Even so very many of our discouragements and difficultitis arise from the unkindness, the opposition, even the hostility in religiou3 matters, of those who are most nearly related to or most closely connected with us. Often they seem to hold the passes throug,1 which lies our way to rest, and they deliberately block them against us. II. THE COMPLAINING IN WHICH THEIR DISCOURAGEMENT FOUND VENT. Consider- !. TlwJ, they complained of Moses and of God instead of re-proaching themselves, a, :i'UMllEIIS, l'  274 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. (OH. XXI. 4-9,