MURMURS IN THE WILDERNESS
LESSON 4 FOUR OCCASIONS OF MURMURS
"Nor complain, as some of them also complained..." (1 Corinthians 10:10, NKJV).
We move now to the book of Numbers for the next occasions of murmuring. If you have comments to share from your personal reading of Exodus, (perhaps Leviticus), Numbers, or Deuteronomy, please share it!
For the murmurings, consider: the complaint, the reaction (or reactions), the reply (or replies), and the result.
In the interval since the last occasion of murmuring studied, God gave Moses the rest of the laws the Israelites were to observe. In addition, the instructions for the building of the tabernacle, the furnishings of the tabernacle, and the laws concerning the priests and their duties were given by God to Moses. We understand from the scriptures that Moses was given exact details of what God desired.
Hebrews 8:5, "...For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
It is no different today under the law of Christ. We are to do all things exactly as commanded by Christ in the New Testament.
Now we see God is ready for the Israelites to continue their journey.
Numbers 10:11-13, "Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran. So they started out for the first time according to the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses."
G. The Israelites continued to complain. Numbers 11:1-3
1. Numbers 11:1, "Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp."
The scripture does not tell us what caused this complaint. That is not important, or we would have been told. The lesson we need to learn is God’s reaction to the murmuring and complaining. Did the Lord God hear the complaining?
What did God do?
2. What was the reply of the people to this in Numbers 11:2 ?
What did Moses do and what was the result ?
Certainly we want to remember God’s love, but we also need to remember God’s anger (wrath) when there is disobedience. Ephesians 5:6, "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience."
H. The Israelites became tired of eating manna. Numbers 11:4-10
3. Numbers 11: 4, The Israelites’ complaint was because they wanted _____ to eat.
4. Numbers 11: 5, What did they remember about Egypt?
Did it seem they had forgotten their bondage in Egypt and how they had cried to God (Exodus 2:23-25 and Exodus 3:7-9)?
Do we often forget how bad a situation really was after being removed from the situation and later facing other situations we don’t care for?
5. Numbers 11: 6 - 9, What did the Israelites seem to think?
6. Numbers 11: 10, Moses heard the people weeping, everyone at the door of his tent, because of the manna. What was Moses’ reaction ?
What was the Lord’s reaction ?
The reply and result of this murmuring will be studied with the next section.
I. Moses complained to the Lord. Numbers 11:11-35
7. In Numbers 11:11-12 we read of Moses murmuring to the Lord. What was his complaint?
8. Moses continued his complaint in Numbers 11:13-15. Moses asked God where he was to get ______ to give all these people. Moses also said in verse 14, "I am not able to ______________________________________________________________
In verse 15, Moses continued, _____________________________________________
Do we ever feel such a great responsibility for others that we murmur and complain and feel it is a burden, rather than a privilege?
God's
reaction toward Moses
was to provide a way to help him with this burden. Read Numbers 11:16-17 to
understand how God provided help for Moses.
9. Numbers 11:18-20 tells of God’s reply to Moses and to the Israelites concerning the meat He would provide. God told the Israelites they would eat the meat for a ________ _________ until it became ___________________ to them. Was this a pleasant result?
10. The Israelites had _________________ the Lord and wept before Him asking why they _____________________________________________ (Numbers 11:20).
11. In Numbers 11:21-22, did it seem Moses was doubting God’s ability to provide this meat for the multitude?
What was the Lord’s reply to Moses in verse 23?
12. Numbers 11:31 tells of the meat God provided. What were the results (verses 32-34) of this craving for meat?
J. Miriam and Aaron murmured against Moses. Numbers 12:1-16
13. What two complaints did Miriam and Aaron have against Moses (Numbers 12:1-2)?
14. What does Numbers 12:3 tell us about Moses?
15. Read verses 4-8. What was God’s reply to Aaron and Miriam?
Notice God did not leave Moses to handle this "family quarrel" alone. Remember Miriam and Aaron were sister and brother to Moses.
Deuteronomy 34:10-12, "But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel."
16. The Lord’s reaction to this murmuring is seen in Numbers 12:9, "So the ________ of the _______ was aroused against them, and He departed."
17. The result of this murmuring is seen in Numbers 12:10, "...suddenly Miriam became ______________, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a ________."
18. What was Aaron’s reaction to this (Numbers 12:11-12)?
We do not know why God placed the leprosy only on Miriam and not on Aaron. Is the anguish of watching another suffer often harder than enduring the physical suffering ourselves?
Numbers 12:13-16 tell us Moses’ response was to cry out to the Lord and ask Him to please heal Miriam. The Lord told Moses that Miriam must be shut out of the camp seven days and afterward be received again. You may read in Numbers 5:1-4 and Leviticus 13:45-46 God’s commands for one who was a leper. Since Miriam was able to be received again after seven days, we assume God did heal Miriam of the leprosy.
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
19. Meditate on Psalm 78:1-33. Much of this Psalm speaks of the things we have been studying concerning the Israelites and their sins, as over and over they did not believe in God’s wondrous works. Look within your own heart and ask yourself if you are like the Israelites as they murmured and failed to trust God’s words. No response is to be returned with your lesson for this question. This is to encourage your personal growth.
"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and
harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you shine as lights in the world"
(Philippians 2:14-15).
Dena
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