Since the beginning of the new school year in September 2015, Rev Foster has been speaking at two morning assembly meetings each week. His theme for 2015-16 is DV, "Pictures of Christ in the Bible." Ninth Picture - The serpent in the wilderness Numbers 21:5-8. The fiery serpents speak of the judgments of God that follow sin. "And the people spake against God, and against Moses." How serious a matter it is speak against, to despise, God and His Word. Rejection of the gospel is the ultimate despising of God! You calling God a liar, Whose word cannot be trusted. The brazen serpent on a pole speaks of the cross. Brass in Scripture is always linked to judgment. The great altar upon which the sacrifices for sin were offered had a brass grating upon which the fire consumed the sacrifices. So at the cross the Lord Jesus was sacrificed upon the altar of God's justice and bore our sins. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," Isaiah 53:4-6. C H Spurgeon said of the cross that there "Christ drunk hell dry" for His people.