“Lesson 65: Numbers 1–12,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 65: Numbers 1–12”
Lesson 65
Numbers 1–12
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. The Spirit will teach you as you wisely exercise your agency and make an effort to learn.
Begin your study with prayer.
Why is it important for you to follow the counsel of your Church leaders?
Consider the following statement by President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Why is there safety in following our leaders?
The Book of Numbers
The book of Numbers begins with the Lord directing Moses to number the children of Israel (see Numbers 1). Then the Lord directed Moses to use this information to organize the camp of Israel.
The diagram you see illustrates how the Lord taught Moses to organize the Israelites.
What do you notice in the center of the camp of Israel?
The Camp of Israel
Notice that in the camp of Israel, each tribe was assigned a position surrounding the tabernacle, with the Levites being given charge over the tabernacle itself. A captain was appointed to represent each tribe.
Moses also gave instructions for how the camp of Israel was to travel as the Lord led them by a cloud. When the cloud rested they camped, and when the cloud moved they traveled. An “appearance of fire” was upon the tabernacle at night. (See Numbers 9:15–20.) The Levites were given the responsibility to serve in the tabernacle and to transport it during their travels.
Through Moses, the Lord also instructed the children of Israel concerning disease, repentance and forgiveness, cases of immorality, and offerings and observances.
The Nazarites
Numbers 6 introduces us to a group of Israelites known as Nazarites.
Much like missionaries setting aside 18 or 24 months to serve the Lord, these Nazarites made vows to dedicate themselves to God for specific periods of time. A vow is a promise or covenant. The Nazarite vow could be lifelong.
Read Numbers 6:1–8, looking for standards associated with the vow of a Nazarite. In these verses the word separation refers to the time that an individual served the Lord as a Nazarite. The sacrifices Nazarites made to obey their vows helped them serve God more completely. This dedication can be compared to missionaries in our time who give up some of their usual activities so they can serve God more completely.
As you read these verses, think about what we can learn from the Nazarite vow about how to show our dedication to God.
Quiz 1
-
What standards did the Nazarites strictly observe? Please choose all that apply.
-
No contact with corpses or graves, including those of family members
-
No vows to obey
-
No eating anything from a vine
-
No eating grapes, including raisins
-
No drinking wine or strong drink
-
No cutting or shaving off any hair from the head
-
Showing Our Commitment
Those who entered into the Nazarite vow did so to dedicate themselves to the Lord and His work. We can learn from the Nazarite vow that we show our commitment to God when we strictly observe His standards.
It may help us to understand that separating ourselves from the world does not mean refusing to interact with others. Rather, we are to separate ourselves from practices and beliefs that are contrary to the Lord’s commandments and standards.
1. Answer the following questions:
-
What are some specific things we can do to show our commitment to God?
-
What examples have you seen of others dedicating themselves to God?
What Will You Do?
2. Write how you would complete the following statement:
I will dedicate myself to God by …
After completing these statements, consider sharing your testimony of the principle you learned: We show our commitment to God when we strictly observe His standards. Commit to live by the statements you have just written down.
Experiencing Challenges and Frustrations
How do you usually respond when you experience challenges and frustrations?
Numbers 11 describes some of the challenges and frustrations Moses and the Israelites experienced as they journeyed in the wilderness toward the promised land.
Look for principles as you study Numbers 11 that can help you know how to deal with the challenges and frustrations you may experience.
The Israelites
Read Numbers 11:1, looking for what the Israelites did at this time when they experienced challenges and frustrations.
Quiz 2
-
What did the Israelites do when they experienced challenges and frustrations?
-
They were thankful.
-
They complained.
-
They endured.
-
-
What happened to some people after they complained?
-
They were stoned to death.
-
They were consumed by fire.
-
They became pillars of salt.
-
Being Ungrateful
According to Numbers 11:1, the Lord was displeased with the Israelites for complaining. Their complaining showed ingratitude for all the Lord had done for them.
We read in Numbers 11:2–3 that the people cried unto Moses. Moses then prayed to the Lord, and the fire that had been burning ceased.
Read Numbers 11:4–9, looking for words or phrases indicating that some Israelites were ungrateful despite the Lord’s blessings. The phrases “fell a lusting” and “flesh to eat” in verse 4 mean the people desired meat or fish to eat.
How might the word or phrase you found show ingratitude?
Complaining Israelites
Numbers 11:10 records that Moses heard the people continue to weep or complain about their circumstances. The Lord and Moses were displeased because of these continued complaints.
What principle can we learn from the Israelites’ poor example?
Failing to Recognize Blessings
From the poor example shown by the Israelites, we can learn the following principle: Failing to recognize our blessings is ingratitude to the Lord.
3. Answer the following questions:
-
What can we do to better recognize our blessings?
-
How has doing this in the past helped you?
Feeling Overwhelmed
Numbers 11:11–14 records that Moses felt overwhelmed trying to lead a large number of people who were selfish and ungrateful and who were complaining because there was no meat to eat.
Read Numbers 11:16–20, looking for the solutions the Lord provided to Moses’s challenges.
Quiz 3
-
What solution did the Lord provide to help ease Moses’s burden of leadership? (See Numbers 11:16–17.)
-
Israel was divided into 12 tribes.
-
The Lord commanded Moses to gather 70 men of the elders of Israel to help bear the burden of the people.
-
Those who were against the leadership of Moses were destroyed.
-
-
What solution did the Lord provide to help with the lack of meat? (See Numbers 11:18–20.)
-
The Lord told Moses to call more men to hunt beasts in the wilderness.
-
The Lord told Moses He would give the Israelites flesh to eat “until it [came] out [of their] nostrils.”
-
The Israelites lost their appetite for meat and became vegetarians.
-
Responding to Moses’s Prayer
Numbers 11:21–12:16 records that the Lord blessed the 70 men he had chosen to receive revelation and speak as inspired by the Holy Ghost. As promised, the Lord also provided an abundance of quail for the Israelites to eat.
As the people gathered the quail, many overindulged and gathered more than was needed. The Lord was again angry with them and sent a plague, and many Israelites died.
Aaron and Miriam, Moses’s brother and sister, complained against Moses. Because Miriam criticized the Lord’s chosen servant, she was struck with leprosy and was shut out of the camp for seven days. The Lord then healed her, and she returned to the camp.
Sharing Your Testimony
The following truths were identified in this lesson:
-
We show our commitment to God when we strictly observe His standards.
-
Failing to recognize our blessings is ingratitude to the Lord.
Consider sharing what you have learned from these truths. If you have a social media account, you may consider posting your impressions on any of these truths.
Answer Key
Quiz 1: (1) a, c, d, e, f
Quiz 2: (1) b; (2) b
Quiz 3: (1) b; (2) b