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 a worm and  no  man”;  Ps. 21, 6)  was  raised  up  on  the  Cross.  Whoever was  bitten  by  a poisonous  snake  was  cured  by  turning  his  eyes  in faith  to  the  brazen  serpent.  So  we,  when  our  souls  are  wounded  by the  infernal  serpent,  shall  be  healed  of  our  sins,  if  we,  being  full  of faith,  turn  our  eyes  to  our  crucified  Saviour.

The Israelites  bitten  by  the  fiery  snakes  were  a type  of  mankind. The infernal  serpent  has  wounded  all  men,  and  has  kindled  in  them the flame  of  sinful  passions,  and  caused  them  to  be  subject  to  everlasting death. It is  of  great  significance  that  He  who  redeemed  us from  sin  and  death  should  be  typified  by  a (brazen)  serpent. How is it  that  the  serpent,  the  very  type  of  sin,  should  also  be  a type  of the  Redeemer,  and  a means  of  salvation ? Because the  brazen  serpent, hanging on  the  tree,  was  not  poisonous,  even  though  it  had  the  form  of  a poisonous  snake. Thus Jesus  Christ,  though  free  from  the  poison  of  sin, being “holy,  innocent,  undefiled”  (Hebr.  7,  26),  took  the  form  of  sinful man, loaded  Himself  with  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  suffered  Himself  to be  raised  on  and  nailed  to  the  Cross  in  order  to  save  all  men  from  sin and eternal  death. The brazen  serpent,  therefore,  foreshadowed  the  fact that the  Redeemer  would  appear  in  the  form  of  sinful  man,  would  be raised  on  and  nailed  to  a Cross,  and  by  this  very  means  would  redeem man from  the  death  of  sin,  and  from  eternal  loss.

Jesus Christ, the  source  of  salvation. The  brazen  serpent  being  a type of the  Saviour  of  the  world,  God  promised  that  “whosoever  should  look  on it  should  be  saved”. The wonderful  healing  power  of  the  lifeless  serpent did not  lie  in  itself,  but  in  the  crucified  Saviour,  of  whom  it  was  a type.

The necessity  of  faith.  Even  as  none  of  the  mortally  stricken Israelites could  be  cured  unless,  full  of  faith,  they  looked  at  the  brazen serpent, which  was  set  up  as  a sign  of  salvation,  so  no  man  can  be saved  unless,  full  of  faith,  he  turns  to  the  crucified  God  made  Man. Only they  who  believe  in  Him  will  have  life  everlasting.

Christ the  Rock.  The  waters  which  flowed  from  the  rock  in  the wilderness to  refresh  the  Israelites  and  slake  their  thirst,  were  emblematic of the  divine  graces,  which  flow  to  mankind  through  the  Sacraments of the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ. “And all  drank  the  same  spiritual  drink, and they  drank  of  the  spiritual  rock  that  followed  them,  and  the  rock was Christ”  (1  Cor.  10,  4).

APPLICATION. You have  often  done  wrong,  and  said  to  yourself: “Oh,  it  is  only  a venial  sin!”  But  think,  even  a venial  sin is an  offence  against  God,  and  is  deserving  of  punishment. Ask yourself to  which  sin  you  are  most  prone,  whether  anger,  lying, greediness, or  so  forth,  and  firmly  resolve  to  overcome  it.