Look and Live — Joseph Hall on Numbers 21

Look and Live

"And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put 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".

Numbers chapter 21 verse 9

Seven times already has Israel mutinied against Moses, and seven times has either been threatened or punished; yet now they fall to it afresh. As a testy man finds occasion to chafe at every trifle; so this discontented people either find, or make all things troublesome. One while they have no water, then bitter; one while no God, then one too many; one while no bread, then bread enough, but too light; one while they will not abide their governors, then they cannot abide their loss.

Aaron and Miriam were never so grudged alive as they are bewailed dead. Before, they wanted onions, garlic, flesh-pots; now they want figs, vines, pomegranates, corn. And as crabbed children, that cry for every thing they can think of, are whipped by their wise mother, so God justly serves these fond Israelites.

It was first their way that makes them repine; they were fain to go round about Idumea; the journey was long and troublesome. They had sent entreaties to Edom for license of passage the next way, reasonably, submissively: it was churlishly denied them. Esau lives still in his posterity, Jacob in Israel. The combat, which they began in Rebecca's belly, is not yet ended. Amalek, which was one limb of Esau, follows them at the heels.

The Edomite, which was another, meets them in the face. So long as there is a world, there will be opposition to the chosen of God. They may come at their peril; the way had been nearer, but bloody; they dare not go it; and yet complain of length.

If they were afraid to purchase their resting place with war, how much less would they their passage! What should God do with impatient men? They will not go the nearest way, and yet complain to go about. He that will pass to the promised land, must neither stand upon length of way, nor difficulty. Every way has its inconveniences: the nearest has more danger, the farthest has more pain; either, or both, must be overcome, if ever we will enter the rest of God.

Aaron and Miriam were now past the danger of their mutinies; for want of another match, they join God with Moses, in their murmurings; though they had not mentioned him, they could not sever him in their insurrection; for in the causes of his own servants, he challenges even when he is not challenged. What will become of thee, O Israel, when you make your Maker your enemy? Impatience is the cousin of frenzy: this causes men not to care upon whom they run, so may they breathe out some revenge.

How oft have we heard men, that have been displeased by others, tear the name of their Maker in pieces! He that will judge, and can confound, is fetched into the quarrel without cause; but if to strive with a mighty man be unwise, and unsafe, what shall it be to strive with the mighty God?

As an angry child casts away that which is given him, because he has not that he would, so do these foolish Israelites; their bread is light, and their water unsatisfying, because their way displeased them. Was ever people fed with such bread, or water? Twice has the very rock yielded them water, and every day the heaven affords them bread. Did any one soul amongst them miscarry, either for hunger or thirst? But no bread will down with them, save that which the earth yields; no water but from the natural wells or rivers.

Unless nature may be allowed to be her own carver, she is never contented.

Manna had no fault, but that it was too good, and too frequent; the pulse of Egypt had been fitter for these coarse mouths. This heavenly bread was unspeakably delicious; it tasted like wafers of honey, and yet even this, angels' food, is contemned! He that is full despiseth a honey-comb. How sweet and delicate is the Gospel! Not only the fathers of the Old Testament, but the angels, desired to look into the glorious mysteries of it, and yet we are cloyed.

This supernatural food is too light: the bread-corn of our human reason, and profound discourse, would better content us.

Moses will not revenge this wrong, God will; yet will he not deal with them himself, but he sends the fiery serpents to answer for him. How fitly! They had carried themselves like serpents to their governors. How oft had they stung Moses and Aaron near to death! If the serpent bite when he is not charmed, no better is a slanderer. Now these venomous adders revenge it, which are therefore called fiery, because their poison scalded to death.

God has a hand in the annoyance and hurt of the basest creature; how much less can the sting of an ill tongue, or the malice of an ill spirit, strike us without him! While they were in Goshen, the frogs, lice, caterpillars, spared them, and plagued the Egyptians: now they are rebellious in the desert, the serpents find them out and sting them to death. He that brought the quails thither to feed them, fetches these serpents thither to punish them.

While we are at war with God, we can look for no peace with his creatures. Every thing rejoices to execute the vengeance of its Maker. The stones of the field will not be in league with us, while we are not in league with God.

These men, when the spies had told them news of the giants of Canaan, a little before had wished, "Would God we were dead in this wilderness:" now God has heard their prayers, what with the plague, what with the serpents, many thousands of them died. The ill wishes of our impatience are many times heard. As those good things are not granted us, which we pray for, without care; so those evils which we pray for and would not have, are oft granted.

The ears of God are not only open to the prayers of faith, but to the imprecations of infidelity. It is dangerous wishing evil to ourselves, or ours; it is just with God to take us at our word, and to effect that which our lips speak against our heart.

Before God has ever consulted with Moses, and threatened ere he punished: now he strikes and says nothing. The anger is so much more, by how much less notified. When God is not heard before he is felt, (as in the hewing of wood, the blow is not heard till the axe be seen to have struck) it is a fearful sign of displeasure. It is with God, as with us men, that still revenges are ever most dangerous.

Till now, all was well enough with Israel, and yet they grudged: those that will complain without a cause, shall have cause to complain for something. Discontented humours seldom escape unpunished, but receive that most justly whereat they repined unjustly.

Now the people are glad to seek to Moses unbidden. Ever heretofore they have been wont to be sued to, and intreated for without their own intreaty; now their misery makes them importunate: there needs no solicitor, where there is sense of smart. It were pity men should want affliction, since it sends them to their prayers and confessions. All the persuasions of Moses could not do that which the serpents have done for him.

O God, thou seest how necessary it is we should be stung sometimes, else we should run wild, and never come to a sound humiliation. We should never seek thee, if thy hand did not find us out.

They had spoken against God and Moses, and now they humbly speak to Moses, that he would pray to God for them. He that so oft prayed for them unbidden, cannot but much more do it requested, and now obtains the means of their cure. It was equally in the power of God to remove the serpents, and to heal their stinging; to have cured the Israelites by his word and by his sign: but he finds it best for his people (to exercise their faith) that the serpents may bite, and their bitings may envenom, and that this venom may endanger the Israelites;

and that they, thus affected, may seek to him for remedy, and seeking may find it from such means as should have no power but in signification; that, while their bodies were cured by the sign, their souls might be confirmed by the matter signified. A serpent of brass could no more heal than sting them. What remedy could their eyes give to their legs? or what could a serpent of cold brass prevail against a living and fiery serpent?

In this troublesome desert, we are all stung by that fiery and old serpent. O Saviour, it is to thee we must look, and be cured: it is thou that was their paschal lamb, their manna, their rock, their serpent. To all purposes dost thou vary thyself to thy church, that we may find thee every where. Thou art for our nourishment, refreshing, cure; as hereafter, so even now, all in all.

This serpent, which was appointed for cure to Israel, at last stings them to death, by idolatrous abuse. What poison there is in idolatry, that makes even antidotes deadly! As Moses therefore raised this serpent, so Ezekias pulled it down. God commanded the raising of it, God approved the demolishing of it. Superstitious use can mar the very institutions of God: how much more the most wise and well-grounded devices of men!