What similarities do you see in Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness and God’s people living just prior to the Second Coming of Jesus? (See 1 Corinthians 10:1-11.)

Throughout history, God’s people have been roaming in the wilderness as they seek the Promised Land. This wilderness has many faces. Right now, it looks like an endless media barrage, the constant beeps of incoming messages, and the deep roar of interminable entertainment. It tries to sell us pornography as love and materialism as the answer to our problems. If we just could be a bit fitter, a bit younger, a bit more affluent, a bit sexier — that would take care of all our problems.

Like the Israelites, we are restless in our search for peace, and so often we look for it in the wrong places.

How did the Israelites react to God’s judgment in Numbers 14:39-45?

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Israel’s reaction to the divine judgment is typical. “We have sinned,” they said. “We will go up to the place which the LORD has promised” (Numbers 14:40).

Half-hearted commitment is like a poorly administered vaccination — it doesn’t work. Today, doctors recommend a Hepatitis B vaccination right after birth within the first 24 hours of life. That’s a good beginning. However, following that first shot, if there are not two or three booster vaccinations administered at the right time and in the right doses, then there is no protection against Hepatitis B whatsoever.

Israel’s rebellious turnaround, reported in the last verses of Numbers 14, results in death and disappointment as the Israelites now refuse to accept God’s new directions and stubbornly launch an attack without the ark of the covenant or Moses’ leadership.

Presumption is costly; presumption leads to death. Very often, presumption is powered by fear. Because we are afraid of something, we make decisions that we later regret.

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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What opportunity is God offering Moses in the face of this rebellion? Read  Numbers 14.11-12.

God is offering to destroy the Israelites and make a whole new nation with Moses as the father of them all.

How does Moses respond to this outright rebellion, not simply against him but against God? (Numbers 14:13-19).

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This is the moment that we can see the true man of God. Moses’ answer, frozen into time, anticipates the Intercessor who, more than 1,400 years later, would pray for His disciples in their afflictions (John 17). Indeed, in what Moses did here, many theologians and Bible students have seen an example of what Christ does for us. Their guilt, our guilt, is not even questioned. And yet, Moses pleads, saying, “according to the greatness of Your mercy” (Numbers 14:19), please forgive these people. And just as the Lord did then because of Moses’ intercession, thus He does for us because of Jesus, because of His death and resurrection and intercession for us.

Thus, Moses pleads: “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now” (Numbers 14:19). Grace combats rebellion and restlessness at its core. Forgiveness offers new beginnings.

Yet there are costs. Grace can never be cheap. Though forgiven, the people will face the consequences of their rebellions, and that generation will not enter into the promised land (Numbers 14:20-23).

Yes, God will sustain them for another 38 years in the wilderness. He will feed them. He will speak to them from the sanctuary. He will be at their side in the wilderness. But then they will die, and a new generation will have to pick up the baton and find rest in the Promised Land.

It sounds like judgment; yet, it really is grace. How would this generation be able to conquer Canaan’s powerful city-states if they had not yet learned to trust Him? How would they be a light to the nations when they themselves were stumbling in the darkness?

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Rest. The word used most frequently in our Sabbath School Lesson pamphlet this quarter. “Thou shalt rest, Thou shalt rest!” These are words repeated each verse of
Hymn 387 – Come, O Sabbath Day, our theme hymn for this quarter.

It is on Monday that we find hymns that will help us with our extreme dependence on God, just as Moses was shown: Hymn 658 – Heavenly Father Hear Our Prayer and
Hymn 684 – Hear Our Prayer, O Lord.

To help us not struggle to walk by faith, we have hymns:
Hymn 517 – My Faith Looks Up to Thee,
Hymn 533 – O for a Faith,
Hymn 608 – Faith Is the Victory,
Hymn 523 – My Faith Has Found a Resting Place,
Hymn 602 – O Brother, Be Faithful and
Hymn 304 – Faith of Our Fathers

Numbers 14:19 (on Wednesday) requests
Forgive Our Sins As We Forgive – Hymn 299. “Forgiveness offers new beginnings”. This is then followed by the trust that we wish to learn (answering the question at the end of the study), in
Hymn 279 – Only Trust Him,
Hymn 510 – If You Trust in God to Guide You,
Hymn 524 – ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,
Hymn 590 – Trust and Obey and our response to these in
Hymn 535 – I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus.

Thursday tells us that ultimately
Faith Is the Victory – Hymn 608. We then have
Wonderful Peace – Hymn 466 and
Hymn 463 – Peace, Perfect Peace.

In the end, we are to
Take Time to Be Holy – Hymn 500 and know that
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father – Hymn 100.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing, but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Key Thought: When we are restless at heart, we struggle to walk by faith. Too little rest affects our emotions, causes bad choices, and unhappiness.
.July 10, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Numbers 11:1-15.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What are the Israelites complaining about?
3. Personal Application: Why is it so easy to remember the past as better than it really was? Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “Why did the Israelites complain as much about being free from Egypt and slavery? Did they really want to be slaves in Egypt rather than free in the desert?” How would you respond to your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Numbers 12:1-3.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What were Miriam and Aaron upset about? How does God respond to this complaint?
3. Personal Application: Is it better to pray for our church leaders or complain and criticize and wish we had different leaders? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “If we are forgiven from our sins, do we still have to live with the consequences of these sins? How does sin negatively affects us?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Numbers 14:11-15.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What opportunity does God offer Moses in the face of rebellion?
3. Personal Application: Are you more concerned with interceding with people who don’t seem to know God, or moving on to reach those who would be more interested? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Why did Moses respond the way he did to God? If he had went along with God’s proposal, would it have been done?“ How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read I Corinthians 10:1-11..

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What similarities do you see in Israel’s wanderings and God’s people living just before the second coming?
3. Personal Application: What is the difference between acting on faith and acting on presumption?” Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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The story begins on a positive note. The Israelites have finally reached the borders of Canaan, and 12 spies are sent to explore the land. Their report is extraordinary.

Read the spies’ report in Numbers 13:27-33. At which point are the expectations of the Israelites dashed?

In spite of Caleb’s intervention, the voices of the doubters and skeptics prevail. Israel does not set out to conquer what God had promised them. Restless at heart, they choose weeping and murmuring over marching and shouting for victory.

When we are restless at heart, we struggle to walk by faith. Restlessness, however, affects not only our emotions. Scientists tell us that there is a straight line of cause and effect between too little rest (including lack of sleep) and bad choices, resulting in obesity, addictions, and more restlessness and unhappiness.

Read Numbers 14:1-10. What happened next?

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Things move from bad to worse. Caleb’s desperate plea, “only do not rebel against the LORD” (Numbers 14:9), goes unheeded, and the entire assembly prepares to stone their leaders. Restlessness leads to rebellion, and rebellion ultimately leads to death.

“The unfaithful spies were loud in denunciation of Caleb and Joshua, and the cry was raised to stone them. The insane mob seized missiles with which to slay those faithful men. They rushed forward with yells of madness, when suddenly the stones dropped from their hands, a hush fell upon them, and they shook with fear. God had interposed to check their murderous design. The glory of His presence, like a flaming light, illuminated the tabernacle. All the people beheld the signal of the Lord. A mightier one than they had revealed Himself, and none dared continue their resistance. The spies who brought the evil report crouched terror-stricken, and with bated breath sought their tents.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prohets, p. 390.

Right then, however, the glory of the Lord manifests itself publicly. When we read the story in Numbers 14, it seems as if the entire scene has been frozen, and we are now privy to listen in on God’s conversation with Moses. God recognizes that even though the stones are meant for Moses and Caleb and Joshua, ultimately the rebellion is directed against God Himself.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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