THE KING’S BUSINESS
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(13) . One could not look for an other, each must look for himself. (14) . No other qualification was required for a bitten Israelite to look than simply that he was bitten, and all the fitness that is required in the sinner is to feel his need of the Sav iour. (15) . The dying Israelite gladly accepted God’s way of cure, and the convicted sinner gladly accepts God’s way of salvation. (16.) As the Israelite looked new life coursed through his veins and the poison of the serpent was driven out. As the dying sinner looks to Christ, new life streams into his being from the crucified Saviour to Whom he is looking. Here we find our Lord’s an swer to Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” (17) . Some Israelites looked with Weak and some with strong eyes, yet very one who looked was healed,' and so some will look to Christ with weak er and some with stronger faith, but all who really look will be saved. (18) . The Hebrew who was cured attributed his restoration, to the gift óf God, and the sinner who is saved ascribes his salvation entirely to God’s unmerited grace. (19) . God’s way of cure in the wilderness may have appeared unrea sonable to many and they therefore rejected it, if they did they perished ; so the cross of Christ to some is a stumblingblock and to .others foolish ness (1 Cor. 1 :23) and they therefore reject it and they must therefore per ish. (20) . Though thè brazen serpent was lifted up for all, only those who looked were healed, so Christ is lifted up for all, “He has tasted death for every man ” (Heb. 2:9), but only those who look are saved. (21) . Whosoever would in Israel might look and every one who looked was healed, so whosoever will (Rev.
likeness of the fiery serpent that bit the people, and in like manner our Lord Jesus when nailed to the cross was “made in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3). (2 ) . The brazen serpent was lifted up on a pole where all could see, and Christ was lifted up on the cross where all could see (John 12:32). (3 ) . The serpent was cursed in Paradise, and Christ was made a curse for us (Gal. 3 :13). (4 ) . The sting of the fiery serpent was death, and the sting of sin is death (1 Cor. 15:56) and Christ was made sin for us on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). (5 ) . The Israelites were perishing from the sting of the serpents, and mankind is perishing from sin. (6 ) . The brazen serpent was a definitely appointed cure, and Christ is the definitely appointed cure for sin. (7 ) . The brazen serpent on the pole cured all those who looked upon it in a way unknown to reason, and so does Christ. (8 ) . The metal out of which the brazen serpent was formed passed through the furnace to be molded into the serpent, and so the Captain of our salvation passed through the furnace and was made perfect through suffer ing (Heb. 2:10). (9 ) . The bite of the serpent was incurable by human instrumentality, and those bitten by sin cannot be cured by any human agency. (10) . The cure came by simply looking at the serpent, and salvation comes by simply looking at Christ with the look of faith. (11) . All the bitten Israelite had to do was to look and live, and all the perishing sinner has to do is to look to Christ and live. (12) . Only those who were stung would look to the remedy, and only those who are convinced of sin will look to Christ for salvation.
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