Old Testament # 15
“Look to God and Live”
Numbers 11–14; 21:1–9
Last week’s Challenge: How do we distinguish ministering from visiting and home teaching?
Introduction
Well we have left Exodus passed silently over Leviticus, and now dip briefly into Numbers. Although the lesson doesn’t cover this, why do you think it was necessary to number, i.e. conduct a census, of the people? Where would we be in our family history research if there had been no censuses over the years? On a side note, the new web indexing program lets you know how many records you have indexed. You can find that out but going to familysearch.org, indexing, web indexing, and you have a graph there. Scroll down further and you will see groups.Forty-two members of this ward are registered to do indexing, have a look and see if you are one of the 42 and see what you have done this year. Because of indexers, over 8 million records have been added to familysearch this year alone. But we need more. This is pure ministering which you can do from wherever you have connection and at minimum a phone, tablet, or lap- or desktop.
This week’s reading contains one of my favorite stories—object lessons: the brass serpent. Contrast this to the golden calf from last week. That was an object made by the people for idol worship—a total meaningless act and one in total disobedience to the God who had performed so many miracles for them. The brass serpent was not an idol—a representation of a god—but a symbol, set on a pole (crucifixion?), and all they had to do was look at it and be cured from the bite of the fiery serpent. But, according to 1 Nephi 17:41 and Alma 33:19, that was too simple, so they didn’t. What is too simple for us to do that is hindering our spiritual progress? So much of the Moses narrative seems to me to have to do with justice and mercy.
1. The Lord answers the Israelites’ desire for meat by sending them quail and smiting them with a plague. Numbers 11
They have had quail before, or perhaps this is a second mention of the same event in Exodus 16:13. Because, so far, everything has been in chronological order, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it will continue to be so. And it would be nice, just once, to have some positive reports of the children of Israel in the desert over their 40 years. There must have been some positive aspects, mustn’t there? But then look at how short 4th Nephi is. Unfortunately, the amount of sin among the children of Israel was so great that Moses said: “I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness” (Numbers 11:14–15). In other words, “let my mission on earth be over if it is sufficient.” One wonders if sometimes this sentiment is expressed by our Bishop, Relief Society President, or Elders Quorum President. So once again we are back to sustaining our leaders by ministering to our neighbors.
2. The Lord chastens Miriam and Aaron for speaking against Moses. Numbers 12.
Numbers 12 is all about humility and acceptance. The description of Moses as being meek above all other men is a little puzzling if Moses wrote these 5 books, unless it is a later addition by an editor; nevertheless, it emphasizes this quality that Elder Bednar spoke so eloquently about:
Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer and is distinguished by righteous responsiveness, willing submissiveness, and strong self-restraint. . . . The Christlike quality of meekness often is misunderstood in our contemporary world. Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others.[1]
Because Moses’s meekness was a strength, the apparent betrayal of Aaron and Miriam in attacking his choice of wife and claiming their right presumably to receive revelation for everyone (Numbers 12:2) was met by swift retribution from Jehovah. It is a further example of Moses’s meekness that he did not glory in the downfall of his betrayers, but prayed for Miriam to be healed, and indeed waited until she was before continuing their march.
3. Moses instructs 12 men to search the land of Canaan.Numbers 13–14.
I mentioned how only Caleb and Joshua remained faithful. Here is where this is highlighted. They have been in the desert just a few months and now here is the Promised Land, and here is where they condemn themselves to 38 plus more years during which everyone older than 20 would die. They have already seen how they have been strengthened by the Lord in their skirmishes with the Amalekites and others, but when Moses sends the 12 men to Canaan, what happens? It makes me reflect on how many times I have refused to do something I know I should because of fear which in itself denotes lack of faith. But despite the movement to depose Moses and find a leader who would take them back to Egypt! (can you imagine the reception if they did go back—people still mourning the loss of their firstborn, let alone all the brothers and fathers who were destroyed in the Red Sea because of them), and despite them wanting to stone Joshua and Caleb, Moses prays for the Lord to forgive them (Numbers 14:13–19).
Here’s a quote from President Hinckley
“Ten of the spies were victims of their own doubts and fears. They gave a negative report of the numbers and stature of the Canaanites. … They compared themselves as grasshoppers to the giants they had seen in the land. …
“We see some around us who are indifferent concerning the future of this work, who are apathetic, who speak of limitations, who express fears, who spend their time digging out and writing about what they regard to be weaknesses which really are of no consequence. With doubt concerning its past, they have no vision concerning its future” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 93–94; or Ensign,Nov. 1995, 71).
4. Moses makes a serpent of brass and tells the people that if they look at it, they will be healed. Numbers 21:1–9.
I mentioned this at the beginning of the blog post. Once again, the Israelites were nagging at Moses and rueing the day they left Egypt. How often do they have to bring this up one wonders. And the Lord has had enough. Do any of you have children that have had to be punished so many times that nothing you can do will actually teach them not to repeat their offences? They have choked on a surfeit of quale, found worms in their manna, been slain for worshiping idols, and now they endure a plague of fiery serpents. But the Lord provides them with a physical remedy, a physical representation of exercising faith in the form of a brass serpent on a pole. Here is Bruce R. McConkie
From Adam to Moses and from Moses to Christ, God's prophets and priests offered sacrifices. Such were in the similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father who was to come. When Moses lifted the serpent on the pole in ancient Israel and told the Israelites that those who would look would live when they were bitten by poisonous serpents, it was in similitude of the fact that the Son of God would be lifted up on the cross and that all who would look to him might live eternally.[2]
Additional Material
No comments:
Post a Comment