Call Sealed with ProHrise

Unit 3: Called to Obey

(Lessons 9-13)

DOUBTING AND REBELLING

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INTRODUCTION DEVOTIONAL READING:

A. L ONG ]OU&.1\JEYS PSALM 78:5-17
A friend recently described a transoceanic, 8,000-mile flight he had ex­ BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE:
perienced (endured?). His description of being confined inside the tight NUMBERS 14:1-25
quarters of a Boeing 747 ·with hundreds of other people for many hours ; PRINTED TEXT:
made it sound like an experience that no sane person would ever agree to. ! NlIMBERS 14:1-12
Yet a century ago, this journey would have been by ship and would have
taken weeks, even months. A millennium ago this trip \-·vould have been
unimaginable. I took my friend's complaints with a grain of salt, for I knew
that he had been warm, fed, and safe, having gone halfway around the LESSON AIMS
world in less than 24 hours. After participating in this
The book of :'\lumbers tells the crucial story of Israel's odyssey from the lesson, each student will be
bondage of Egypt to the freedom of the promised land of Canaan. It was able to:
not an easy journey. There were no hotels along the way, no 747s to \vhisk 1. Summarize the people
people about. It was a move that required utter trust in the Lord and in his of Israel's complaint as they
appointed leader, Moses. rebelled against Moses and
Today's lesson focuses on a tragic tum of events in this story. It shows that Aaron and refused to enter
Israel let the hardships and uncertainty of its situation tum into doubt and the promised land.
rebellion. The result was the delay of entry into the promised land for a gen­ 2. Tell how doubt leads
eration and an unnecessary sojourn in the wilderness for 40 years. people today to nject God's
promises and his will for their
B. LESSON BACKGROUND ; lives.
The first five books of the Bible (sometimes called the Pentateuch) tell 3. Write a devotional
the story of God's plan to create a people for himself (Exodus 6:7). This thought that encourages faith
plan included the selection of Abram (later renamed Abraham) as the . in the face ofrebellion.
man of faith to be the father of this nation (Genesis 15:6). Abraham's de­
scendants multiplied greatly, but ended up in Egypt as a nation of slaves
under the bondage of the Pharaoh. God's plan was far from complete-his:
chosen people were hardly a nation, and they were in the wrong place
(Egypt). God had promised Abraham that they would inherit the land of
Canaan (Genesis 15: 18).
The Exodus story is the account of God's miraculous liberation of an en­
tire people-group from the slavery imposed by the Ebryptians. The Egyptian
threat was finally put to rest by Israel's experience at the Red Sea. While
in the Sinai Peninsula, the people received revelations from God that were KEY VERSE
intended to form them into his holy people. They were to be controlled by \Vhy is the LORD bringing
his law, worshiping at his holy tabernacle. We might say that most of the us to this land only to let us
process of nation-building had then been accomplished. The identity of Is­ . fall by the ~vord? Our wives
rael was clear: a holy people whose God was the Lord. and children will be taken as
The book of :'\lumbers shows that God intended a three-part plan for his plunder. \Vouldn't it be better
people: rescue from Egypt, reception of the law, and movement to a new for us to go back to Egypt?
homeland. Israelite spies indeed saw the richness of the land before them, -NwnbtTs 14:3
 LESSON 10 NOTES
WHAT Do You THINK?
In what circumstances
does ourJear minor that oj
the Israelites? How do we
conect this?
How TO SAY IT
Aaron. AIR-un.
Abraham. AY-bruh-ham.
Abram. AY-brwn.
Caleb. KAY-leb.
Canaan. KAY-nun.
Egypt. EEjipt.
Jephunneh. Jih-FUN-eh.
Joshua. JOSH-yew-uh.
Moses. MO-zes or MO-zez.
Pentateuch. PEN-ta-teuh.
Pharaoh. FAIR-o or E4Y-roe.
Sinai. SIGH-nye
or SIGH-nay-eye.
describing it as flov,ing '\vith milk and honey" (Numbers 13:27). They
brought back a cluster of grapes so large that it required two men to carry it
(13:23).
\Vhile the report of the spies verified the richness of this land, the major­
ity of the spies also reported that the residents were too formidable. The
result was that the Israelites were terrified as they concentrated on the re­
port of opposing armies rather than the report of a land \\ith overflowing
abundance.
There was a minority repon as well. It came from 2 of the 12 spies. They
were of the opinion that the time was ripe to sweep in and claim the land
that God had promised them. Unfortunately, this minority opinion was
drowned out by the fearful cries of the Israelite people in generaL They be­
lieved that they had been led to a dead end and would be destroyed. \Ve
should remember that these were the same people who had watched God
destroy the great army of the Egyptians in the waters of the Red Sea.
The prize was within their grasp, and yet they let fear overcome faith. They
listened to the opinion of 10 cowards rather than claim a spirit of boldness.
This is the immediate background of today's lesson.
I. ANXIETY & REVOLT (NUMBERS 14: 1-4)
A. DESPAJR OF FEAR (v. 1)
1. That night all the people oj the community raised their voices and wept
aloud.
The spies' repon leads to mass hysteria and despair. The Israelites wallow
together in this despondent response as they vent their frustrations and fears.
The detail that they weep that night probably signifies that no one gets much,
if any, sleep.
Many of us have had crises so intense that we were unable to sleep. This
can become a vicious cycle, for lack of sleep wears us down and makes us
even more susceptible to despair. The despair of the Israelites is brought on
by a lack of faith in God and in their leaders.
B. MISERY OF DOUBT (w. 2, 3)
2. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assem­
bly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!
A common component of the despair that comes from doubt is the desire
to blame someone else for the situation. In this case, the blame is directed to­
ward the two-brother leadership team of Moses and Aaron. This is more than
simple griping about minor inconvenience. Shockingly, the people express
the belief that they would be better off dead than being in their current situa­
tion! To their minds, this despair has gone beyond any hope of remedy.
3. "Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us Jalllry the sword?
Our wives and children ""rill be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be betterJor us to
go back to Egypt?"
Think of what the phrase go bach to Egypt really implies: in Egypt, the peo­
ple of Israel were slaves under brutal taskmasters. The Israelites are not now
. reminiscing about "the good old days." Their base fear is that their men will
be killed in battle in the current situation, leaving their families as plunder for
their victorious enemies. Thus a return to Egypt is seen as the lesser of two
evils.
C. RASHNESS OF REBELLION (V. 4)
4. And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
The result af the cammunity's gripe sessian is that they propase taking mat­
ters into their awn hands. Surely they must remember the awe-inspiring pawer
af Gad displayed in the plagues and at the Red Sea! But yesterday's leader is
nat gaad enaugh far taday. Earlier the Israelites had been willing to' believe that
God had provided Mases to be their leader: They had trusted Mases through
frightening events (see Exadus 14:31). Naw they are ready to' cast him aside
and choose their OW11 man to lead them back to Egypt.

II. TRUSTING & BLESSING (NUMBERS 14:5-9)

A. REACTION TO REBELLION (w. 5, 6)
5. Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly
gathered there.
Moses and Aaron display an instinctive reactian to' this papular uprising: WHAT Do You THINK?
they fall facedown befare the peaple. They dan't seem to' knaw what else to' Why do you think Moses
dO'. Symbalically at least, they have given up. They have dane their best and · and Aaron (the very top
their best has been rejected. This is a dangerous situatian, and same students leaders) fell on their faces
think that these twa are begging far their lives. If the natian chaases a new · before the assemb~1 of the 1s­
captain, the peaple may want to dispase af the aId leaders. . raelites? \¥hat circumstances
6. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son ofJephunneh, who were among those who . in life could (or should) cause
had explored the land, tore their clothes us to do the same, at least
Mases and Aaron are nat the anly champians far Gad's plan. There is alsO' • figuratively?
Joshua son ofNun and Caleb son ofJephunneh. These are men af credibility,
having been chasen as 2 af the 12 spies (see Numbers 13:3, where the spies
are identified as "leaders" af the Israelites). They see this situatian spiraling
aut af cantral, taward disaster. They respand publicly in a way that draws at­
tentian to' themselves. TO' tear ane's clothes shaws extreme agitatian. This is a
demanstratian af great sarraw (see Genesis 37:34). DAILY BIBLE RE4.DINGS
Monday, Aug.
B. CR4.LLENGE TO TRUST (w. 7, 8)
Rebelling Against God (Psalm
7.... and said to the entire Israelite assembly, ''The land we passed through
: 78:5-17)
and explored is exceedingly good.
Tuesday, Aug. 4­
The peaple have drawn a line that leaves them vvith twa chaices. They Reaping the \Vhirlwind
can reject Mases (and the Lard) and attempt to appaint a new leader to' take (Hosea 8: 1-1 0)
them back to' Egypt; ar they can cantinue to' accept Mases (and the Lard) \Vednesday, Aug. 5-An
and prepare to' enter the land af Canaan despite their great fears. • Offeringfor Transgression?
Jashua and Caleb give them twa reasans to' fallaw Mases. First, they re­ (Micah 6: 1-8)
mind the peaple that the land befare them is exceedingly good. They had seen Thursday, Aug. 6­
the grape cluster sa heavy it had to' be carried an a pole between two men Moumingfor Our Rebellion
(again, Numbers 13:23). This is a prize warth fighting for. Canaan is the (Lamentations 1:16-21)
"mast beautiful af all lands" (Ezekiel 20: 15). The secand reasan fallows. Friday, Aug. 7-Retum
8. "If the LORD is pleased with us, he ~illlead us into that land, a land flowing to the Lord (Lamentations
~ith milk and honey, and will give it to us. 3:39-50)
Jashua and Caleb's secand reason is that the Lord is an their side. Gad has Saturday, Aug. 8--A
promised this land to them. God's gifts are never inferiar ar defective. This is Compassionate God (Micah
a land fl~ing with milk and hont)'. This is much mare than a land af caws and 7: 14-20)
bees, which produce those twa things; this is, rather. a figure af speech far ag­ Sunday, Aug. 9-Go
ricultural wealth. It is a land af abundance, purpased by Gad to' be the land . Back to Egypt? (Numbers
af the natian af Israel. • 14:1-12)
 C. FREEDOM FROM FEAR (Y. 9)
9. "Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of
the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the
LORD is 'With us. Do not be afraid of them. "
Joshua and Caleb equate the Israelites' fear of the people of Canaan \vith
rebellion against God himself. If the assistance of God is spumed, then the
people should be afraid. These two spies know that this does not need to
be the ca'ie. \Vith God's help the Israelites can swallow up their adversaries.
WHAT Do You THINK? The territory and influence of those in Canaan is ready to be eaten up and
\Vhat actions and at­ claimed by the people of Israel. Those inhabitants will not be able to stand
titudes ofJoshua and Caleb · against the power of the Lord, so there is no reason to fear.
can we live by today?
PIECE OF CAKE
Piece oj Cake \vas a novel \x,Titten in 1983 by Derek Robinson. It tells the sto­
ry of a Royal Air Force fighter squadron based in France during the early days of
World \Var II. During the lackadaisical days of what was called the Phony \Var­
the period of time when Germany had not yet unleashed its armies against the
'Western powers--the pilots of Hornet Squadron had a good life.
But when the real fighting started in April 1940, their lot changed. The easy
times were over. The jolly young pilots had had heaps of fun to that point, but
now they were being killed regularly. First in France, then later during the Battle
of Britain, Hornet Squadron took heavy casualties. ~10st of its pilots were killed in
action. The surviving commanding officer had to instill discipline to get his men
to learn that being one of "the good guys" did not automatically lead to victory
in aerial combat.
The phrase piece ojcake is meant to describe something that is easy or pleas­
ant to accomplish. What the pilots first thought would be a piece of cake turned
into a difficult, deadly confrontation. The Israelites went the other way. They
thought conquest of Canaan to be an impossible task; Joshua and Caleb said
it would be a piece of cake (as the King]mnes Version puts it, "they are bread
for us"). If the Lord is on your side, hard tasks can become a piece of cake.
-lB.N.
WfL4.T Do You THINK?
Have you ever expetienced III. REBELLION & PUNISHMENT (NUMBERS 14:10-12)
a time when church metnbers A. GOD ApPEARS (Y. 10)

strong(y opposed their lead­ lOa. But the whole assembly talked about stoning them.

ers? How was the situation
resolved?
[Use this question with
caution ifyour church has
had probletns here!]
The them of this verse is Moses, Aaron,joshua, and Caleb. The emotion
of the people is so strong that they tum into a murderous mob, ready to kill
those who oppose their 'wi.ll.
1Db. Then the gloty of the LORD appea'red at the Tent of Meeting to all the
· Israelites.
The four are saved by the Lord's miraculous intervention: the mob is
stopped cold by an appearance of the glOJY ~f the Lord. This takes place at the
Tent of Meeting, which was probably the site of the earlier confrontation too.
God's glory does not shine way off in the distance, but right in the middle of
the people. The witnesses to this glory include all the Israelites.

· B. GOD QUESTIONS (Y. 11)

11. The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with con­
tempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite ofall the miraculous
signs I have petformed among thetn?
 God does not address the nation as a whole, but speaks directly to Moses. • WHAT Do You THINK?
It is possible, however, that the people also can hear God's voice. At any rate, How do you trust God at
they understand that God has responded to their act of rebellion in a dra­ . those times when it seems
matie way. They are not going to get away with their schemes. hardest to do so?
God brings two charges against IsraeL First, they have provoked him,
meaning they have called forth his \vrath. Second, they have stubbornly re­
fused to believe him, to trust him. God has given them ample evidence of his
power through many signs, but their unbelief persists. God rhetorically asks
Moses haw long he should put up \vith these acts of rebellion. This situation
cannot continue. Just because God is "slow to anger" Ct\umbers 14: 18) does
not mean that he overlooks rebellion. God is patient, but rebellion against
him is futile for he eventually \vill punish it.
SIGNS
\Vhen I was but a mere lad Cmanyyears ago!), ljoined the local Boy Scouts
troop. It was not an exceptionally good experience because of poor leadership, but
it was a learning experience nonetheless. One incident I well remember was an
overnight camping venture into a forested area about an hour's drive from to\\11.
\Ve did a variety of things out in the woods, and at one point we had a lesson in
follO\ving signs.
Acouple of the older boys went off into the woods and were to leave various
"signs" behind for us to follow. \Vhen the rest of us starred out, we ,vere looking
for those signs (this was long before the days of handheld Global Positioning Sys­
tem devices!). At one location we found etched in the pathway an arrow pointing
straight ahead, so we followed. At a fork in the path there was a branch broken to
indicate the direction we should take. Other signs led us on, and eventually we
found the older boys waiting for us.
Think about it: if we had come across a clear, unmistakable sign, it would have
been pretty silly to say "I think we made a mistake; let's backtrack and starr over
in a different direction." God's signs are unmistakable, particularly those found
within his written \Vord. Understandably; there can be concern when we go a
while without apparent reaffirmation, but each new sign confirms all the previous
ones. The ancient Israelites reacted to God's signs in a less than faithful way. Will
we repeat their mistakes? -J B. N.
C. GOD THREATENS (v. 12)
12. "1 will strike them dm-vn with a plague and destroy them, but 1 will make
you into a nation greater and stronger than they"
God proposes a new plan to Moses: he will destroy Israel and take away
their inheritance of the land of Canaan. He ,viII abandon them in the ,vil­
derness to suffer and die. This does not mean that God will abandon his
promise to Abraham, though. God proposes that he will raise up a new
nation from the descendants of Moses himself, and thereby continue his
promise.
Just as not all of the sons of Abraham shared in God's promise, neither
will all the sons ofJacob. The way things are looking at this point, God
intends the 12 tribes to be no more. Instead, God proposes that there is to
be a new nation built on a new father That person \ViII be God's faithful Visual for Lesson 10.
servant Moses. Point to this visual as you
It may seem incredible to us, but Moses rejects this offer from the Lord. ash, "\\!hat are some ways to
The rest of Numbers 14 relates that Moses asks God to forgive the people, make this idea a reality?"
PRAYER
Holy Father; we believe
that YaH have prepared a
placefor us, a marvelous land
ofpromiseflowing with milk
and honey. let our vision of
these blessings is dimmed by
the daitv challenges that test
ourfaith. May our doubts
never" progress to rebellion.
May we always rest with as­
surance in your promises and
your love for us. We pray this
in the narne ofyour greatest
blessing, Jesus Christ, your
on0' Son. Amen.
and God agrees. Yet God does impose a punishment: this generation of the
nation of Israel \\:ill not be allowed to enter Canaan. They will spend 40 years
in the wilderness before the promised land becomes available again to their
descendants (Numbers 14:22, 23).
CONCLUSION
A. Do WE REPEAT THE PROBLEM?
I recently watched a basketball game in which a talented team suffered a
devastating loss. This losing team actually led most of the game, sometimes
by double digits. It was clear to anyone watching that the losing team had su­
perior players when it came to basketball skills.
Victory seemed to be within their grasp. But in the end, when they needed
to trust each other and their coach, they crumbled. They began to bicker.
They quit listening. The result was a humiliating, embarrassing, and avoid­
able defeat.
Today's lesson relates a similar defeat for the nation of Israel. The Lord had
used Moses and Aaron to lead them to the edge of the land of Canaan, the
territory that had been promised to them through their ancestor, Abraham.
Yet when they were on the cusp of a mighty victory, they gave in to fear and
doubt and suffered a national defeat that took 40 years to overcome.
B. WILL WE RECOGNIZE THE PROMISED LAND?
John Steinbeck's gritty novel Of Mice and Men tells the story of two tran­
sient farm workers in the 1920s. Their dream is to be able to buy a little
farm of their own and then "live off the fatta the Ian'." To live off the fat of
the land means having a life where there is rich abundance with very little
effort. Such an existence is the goal of many people today. To win the lor­
tery, to find out that the painting in the garage is worth $4 million, scoring
the bigjackpot on Deal or No Deal-these would bring us into the prom­
ised land of the easy life.
The story of Israel in this lesson shows us another side of the promised
land quest. Is it possible that we, like Israel, 'won't recognize the prom­
ised land even when it stares us in the face? Are we forever trapped in a
cycle of distrust and despair, leading to a desire to denounce God and the
church and go our O\vn way? Or is it possible that we are in the promised
land right now but it doesn't seem like it because life is not as easy as we
thought it would be?
iluly trusting God is very difficult at times. There is a central human de­
sire to be in control of our situation, to call our 0\\/11 shots. Israel, in the bleak
\\ildemess and facing strong adversaries, yielded to this desire and proposed
moving away from God and making its ovm way. Israel had lost sight of the
biblical principle that trust in God brings blessing.
All of us have experienced periods of doubt in our lives. \Ve know first­
hand the dilemmas of uncertainty, the perils of a lack of confidence. The
Bible teaches that doubt is the enemy of faith (see John 20:27). The sorry his­
tory of Israel in today's lesson shows how doubt led to a direct challenge of
God. with disastrous results.
Being a faithful follower ofjesus allows us to claim his promises. It does
not allmv us to ex-pect that our lives \vill be devoid of hardship or frustration.
The book ofjoshua shows that Israel had to wage war in order to claim the
promised land of Canaan. But they waged that war 'vith God on their side,
and eventually the land was theirs. Our lives may seem to be battlegrounds,
but God fights for us too. We, the church, are heirs to the promise (Galatians THOUGHT TO R£\1EMBER
3:29). May we not despise the promised land that God has given us today Never rebel against God.
(Psalm 106:24). Always trust him.

Discovery Learning

The following is an alternative lesson plan emphasizing learning activities.

Classes desiring such student involvement will find these suggestions helpfuL At the

back of this book are reproducible student pages to further enhance activi~y learning.

INTO THE LESSON leaders: it is bad when trust in God is lacking.

Open your study \vith some humorous "good
news/bad news" scenarios. Either devise your own
or say the follo~ing.
"I've got good news: the stock market just set
a new one-day record. The bad news? The record
was the greatest Single-day drop in history."
"I've got good news: your favorite baseball
team held the other team scoreless for nine in­
nings. The bad news? The other team scored five
unanswered runs in the tenth inning."
'Tve got good news: a new government study
says coffee is good for your health. The bad
news? Coffee prices just doubled."
''I've got good news: our community has a
new business coming that vi/ill employ five hun­
dred people. The bad news? It's a distillery for
whiskey."
Option: Just say the good news part, then ask
your students to create their own bad news.
Make a transition by saying, "Today's study
features both good news and bad news. A certain
report by spies had some really good news. The re­
action was really bad."
INTO THE WORD
Give each learner a sheet with the two column
headings GOOD and BAD in bold. Tell your learn­
ers that you want them to look at each verse in
today's text (Numbers 14:1-12) and see if they can
find something that is good (or has the potential of
being good) and something that is bad in each.
Here are possible responses: Verse 1: It can be a
good thing to show unity of opinion; it is bad when
that unity results in crying in fear all night. Verse
It is good to take one's concerns to the delegated
Verse 3: It is good that the men ~'Press concern for
their wives and children; it is bad to blame God for
anything. Verse 4: It is good to realize that the right
leader is necessary for a contemplated action; it
is bad to second-guess God regarding whom that
leader and action should be. Verse 5: It is good for
leaders to respond to their followers: a bad situa­
tion may be indicated when it becomes necessary
for leaders to humiliate themselves before their
followers. Verse 6: It is good that leaders are atten­
tive to what others say; it is bad when such leaders
must show signs of deep grief over wrong attitudes.
Verse 7: It is good that there is a favorable report
made to the assembly; it is bad to have to offer
good news from a minority position. Verse 8: It is
good that God is ready to give a blessing; it is bad
when the people contemplate doing something
that displeases God. Verse 9: It is good that God
is on the side of the Israelites; it is bad that God's
people are afraid of the \\icked. Verse 10: It is good
that God's glory makes a miraculous appearance
to the assembled nation; it is bad that mob action
is what calls it forth. Verse 11: It is good that God
reveals himself in miracles and signs; it is bad that
disbelief lingers and contempt arises. Verse 12: It is
good that God has the power and wHl to continue
his kingdom plans even if some reject them; it is
bad that God must consider destroying the special
people he has called and nurtured.
Conclude by observing that some folks never
seem to be able to embrace good news because of
the presence or possibility of bad news. Remind the
class that \vith God's bleSSing, "\Ve know that in all
things God works for the good of those who love
him" (Romans 8:28). (Option: Use the reproduc­
ible activity "Good News/Bad :Kews in Israel" from
page 509 in this segment; this will push the dis­
cussion to focus on either a good or a bad in each
verse rather than both.)
INTO LIFE
Distribute handouts that each have this list of
phrases: A Tear-Filled Night; The Lesser of Two Evils;
Think About the Wives and Children; Falling 011 Your
Face; Tearing One's Clothes; If the Lord Delights in
Us; That \Vhich Causes Fear; Stones Hurt; "Vl1en
Glory Appears; All the Signs; Smitten and Disinher­
ited; and A Greater, Mightier Nation.
Note that all these ideas are part of today's
lesson. Challenge your students \Vith this assign­
ment: "Select from these ideas to prepare your
O\vTI devotional notes in your personal times this
week. If any of you want to bring your devotional
back to class next week, we 'will welcome your
reading it." Distribute copies of the reproducible
activity "Good :Kews/Bad News in My Life" on
page 509 as a take-home.