they passed round the land of Edom, and became grieved and impatient
because of the dreariness and difficulty of the way. They murmured
against God and against Moses, and said, "Wherefore have ye brought us
up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread,
neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread."
They meant the manna which God gave them daily.

God allowed fiery serpents to come among the people because of their
sin, which bit them, and many died. Then they came to Moses, saying,
"We have sinned ... pray unto the Lord that He take away the serpents
from us." Moses did so; and God told him to make a serpent of brass
and to put it on a pole; and said that all who looked to the serpent
should live. The serpent of brass could not heal them, but God healed
them as they obeyed his command to look to the serpent. It was _look_
and _live_.

Now I think we see what Jesus means. God has said that all must die
because of sin; but those who look to Jesus and trust in Him will have
their sins pardoned, and will live with Him in glory forever.

[Illustration: THE BRAZEN SERPENT.]




THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN.


Having wandered for forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites drew
near to the river Jordan, at a place opposite Jericho. Moses was dead,