But  we  must  adhere  to  fhis  consistently  throughout,  that  the  serpent  represents
him  who  is  the  "old  serpent,  the  devil,  or  Satan,"  God  making  the  chastening
judgment  to  reveal  the  evil  which  has  necessitated  it,  as  alreatly  said.  The  brazen
serpent  is,  then,  first  of  aU,  to  quote  Keil's  words,  "intended  as  a  figurative
representatiou  of  the  iX)isonous  serpents,  rendered  harmless  by  the  mercy  of  God.
For  God  did  not  aiuse  a  real  serpent  to  be  taken,  but  the  image  of  a  serpent,  in
which  the  fiery  serpent  was  stiffened,  as  it  were,  into  dead  brass,  as  a  sign  that
the  deadly  poison  of  the  fiery  serpent  was  overcome  in  this  brazen  serpent."

Disease  and  death  were  abroad  among  the  people  through  the  bite  of  the  fiery
serpent,  corruption  ending  in  eternal  death  is  for  men  at  large  the  result  of  the
fall, — of  Satan's  venom  infused  into  the  race.  Now  the  Son  of  Man  is  lifted  up
from  the  earth — separated  from  men  in  death,  a  passive  Sutferer  ;  on  the  other
hand,  the  Sou  of  God,  the  Only-Begotten,  the  Father's  love-gift, — that  whosoever
believeth  on  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.
Death,  as  man's  portion  judicially  from  God,  is  met,  for  believers,  by  His
sacrificial  death.
