Look to God and Live

ATTENTION ACTIVITY 

Write the word Egypt on the chalkboard. Place a poster with the words The Promised Land at the other side of the room. Challenge a class member to walk from the chalkboard to the poster while looking over his or her shoulder at the word Egypt.

If the class member has difficulty reaching the poster, ask the following question:

•Why is it difficult to go straight forward as you look backward?
If the class member reaches the poster easily, ask the following questions:

•How far do you think you could go without wandering from the straight line? Why is it difficult to go straight forward as you look backward

Because your brain is signaling to your feet to go one way while your feet are moving in the opposite direction. 

This demonstration can be compared to the Israelites’ journey from Egypt. Despite the blessings the Israelites received from the Lord, their fear and lack of faith often caused them to wish they had not left Egypt. Their yearning for Egypt delayed and complicated their journey to the promised land.

I think so often when we look at these accounts of the Israelites journeying through the wilderness and think "how could they be so faithless, how could they murmur so much? Why are they always complaining about their present or future circumstances and wishing to go back to Egypt instead of living in and embracing the Lords promises? 

It's easy to judge these people and to feel this way when much of this account is outlined for us within a few chapters. But as I was preparing this lesson, I was humbled. I thought about all the times in my life that I'd looked passed the blessings of The Lord and complained about not being where I wanted to be in my life, or being stuck in a trial I didn't think was fair, or even wishing I could go back and relive/redo a moment in my past. 

This metaphorical journey of how the Israelites responded as they traveled through the wilderness is not too far removed from our own journey through life. 

I hope as we go through the lesson that we see the similarities and dissimilarities between us and the Israelites and that we learn by their experience how we see the Lords hand in our life, complain less, be more faithful and look more towards our future instead of our past. 

We are going to read through about 3-4 chapters and the different situations that caused the Israelites to complain. You're going to see this cycle as we go a long, which is intended to teach us an important lesson (draw cycle on board): complaint—wrath of God—repent—Moses speaks to God—deliverance 

As we go throughout the lesson today I want you to ask yourself if you see this cycle in your life. 

NUMBERS 11

1. The Lord answers the Israelites’ desire for meat by sending them quail and smiting them with a plague.


In the opening verses of Numbers 11 The Lord had sent a fire to kill some of the Israelites because of their complaining and Moses spoke to God and the fire was kindled 

Numbers 11:4 And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

So here we see them start complaining once again about having nothing to eat but manna, and looking back at their life in Egypt and the delicacies they enjoyed there. 

I came across an interesting medical study on the human brain about the link between ones past memory and ones future circumstance

There was a case of a patient who had developed amnesia after a motorcycle crash. He couldn’t remember anything that happened more than a few minutes ago. He can retains facts and skills, but can’t remember actually doing anything or being anywhere.

Tellingly, not only can he not recall the past, he can’t envision the future. When researchers ask him to picture himself somewhere he might go, he says that all he sees is “a big blankness.” He can explain the future in the abstract, but says he can’t imagine himself in it.

The bottom line of this study and countless studies that have been developing is that memory is essential to constructing scenarios for ourselves in the future.

I want to go a head and read a quote from this study to you: 

“In his study, a scientist noted that we store only bits and pieces of what happens in our lives; however, a smattering of impressions we weave together feels like a seamless narrative. When we retrieve a memory, we also rewrite it, so that the time next we go to remember it, we don’t retrieve the original memory but the last one we recollected. So, each time we tell a story, we embellish it, while remaining genuinely convinced of the veracity of our memories.”

*Anecdotal evidence backs this up. Our ability to project forward and to recollect the past both develop around age 5, and people who are good at remembering also report having vivid thoughts about the future.
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*The fun thing about neuroscience is that you can do the experiments on yourself. David Eagleman of the Baylor College of Medicine proceeded to treat us as his test subjects. By means of several visual illusions, he demonstrated that we are all living in the past: Our consciousness lags 80 milliseconds behind actual events. “When you think an event occurs it has already happened,” Eagleman said.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2011/09/15/time-on-the-brain-how-you-are-always-living-in-the-past-and-other-quirks-of-perception/
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These scientific findings can be applied so well to this example of the Israelites continuing—throughout their entire journey—to look at the past and being unable to dis attach themselves from their identity while living in Egypt. And because they clung to these past memories, and consistently made comparisons to their present circumstances—as you'll see towards the end of the lesson—their future was greatly affected. 

What are some things that are difficult for us to forsake today? Maybe due to habits we've formed in the past or scenarios or memories we are still clinging to? 

How can we turn away from old habits or worldly attitudes?

Remember that Moses was still the sole leader of these hundreds of thousands of people (600,000 to be exact). Like Sister Lewis taught us last week, imagine the heaviness that one would feel if they had to solely carry all the responsibilities of the church (I.e. Moses didn't have counselors, he didn't have a quorum of the 12). 

I love, love, love this account in Numbers because it makes Moses one of the most relatable prophets. As I read his reaction to the complaints of the Israelites, I thought to myself, "I would definitely have the same reaction." In fact, I do have the same reaction with my two year old whining and complaining multiple times a day :). 

Numbers 11:10 ¶Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

11 And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too aheavy for me.

15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, aout of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

2 weeks ago we talked about The Lord allowing us to go through afflictions, but ultimately being there to balance out the heavy weight we carry. The Lord did the same for Moses, he sees his distress and he shifts the weight that was placed on his back by having Moses call and ordain 70 men to help in the responsibility of caring for all these people. 

The Lord then resolves the food situation by telling Moses he will give the people meat for a full month as long as they kind of ration it out. 

I love the dialogue between Moses and God—there's such intimacy and friendship in their exchange. And there's a lot we can glean from in relation to the finite mind of man verses the infinite wisdom of God. 

Num 11:21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

Even Moses, who was capable of parting the Red Sea, lacked faith in Gods ability to provide meat for 600,000 people for a full month.

How many times has The Lord come through for us yet we still doubt his abilities or willingness to help us? 

Listen to the Lords infinite response: 

23 And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

I laughed when I read this. It reminded me of my 2 year old freighting about the littlest thing and me knowing that it's not that big of a deal, that there will be a resolution, but I can't explain it to him because he won't even begin to understand, so instead I kinda brush him off--telling him to be on his way, it will work itself out. 

Moses goes on his way, ordains 70 elders and then The Lord fulfills his promise

31 ¶And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought aquails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

The Lord had told them previous to take the meat in stride—save for a rainy day concept—but they were greedy and ungrateful and at the end of Numbers 11 The Lord inflicts a plague upon them 

In relation to the manna and then the meat that they finally received and over indulged in, what are the dangers in wanting more than we have? 

We end up living in greed, being ungrateful for what we have, and not seeing the hand of The Lord in our lives. 

*What are some modern-day examples of people giving up great blessings in order to satisfy immediate desires?

2. The Lord chastens Miriam and Aaron for speaking against Moses.

•Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses as their presiding authority, pointing out that they too had received revelation (Numbers 12:2). What was the Lord’s reply to their complaint?

Num 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a aprophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a bvision, and will speak unto him in a cdream.

7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

8 With him will I aspeak bmouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he cbehold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.

What are the limits to our right to receive revelation?

QUOTE 1: 
Elder James E. Faust said: “The prophets, seers, and revelators have had and still have the responsibility and privilege of receiving and declaring the word of God for the world. Individual members, parents, and leaders have the right to receive revelation for their own responsibility but have no duty nor right to declare the word of God beyond the limits of their own responsibility” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1989, 9; or Ensign, Nov. 1989, 8).

•The Lord chastened and punished Miriam and Aaron for complaining about Moses’ marriage to an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1, 9–10). 

How are we and others affected when we criticize Church leaders? 

Read Numbers 12:3 now the man Moses was very ameek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth

What does it mean to be meek?

QUOTE 2

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Meekness implies a spirit of gratitude as opposed to an attitude of self-sufficiency, an acknowledgment of a greater power beyond oneself, a recognition of God, and an acceptance of his commandments” (“With All Thy Getting Get Understanding,” Ensign, Aug. 1988, 3–4).

•How did Moses show his meekness when Miriam was punished for rebelling against him?

Num 12:13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, aHeal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

14 ¶And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

Rather than being pleased with his authority to preside over his sister, he pleaded with the Lord to heal her. He and his people postponed their journey until she was healed.

How can we be meek, even when people criticize or turn against us? How does it help us to respond to criticism with meekness?

It's pretty hard to feel hate or speak out against someone who is showing you love—Christ obviously being the ultimate example of this. 

3. Moses instructs 12 men to search the land of Canaan.

When the Israelites reached the border of the land of Canaan, Moses sent 12 men to check out the land--see if it was fruitful, see if there were people there, what resources they had, etc. Note in chapter 13 that the tribes are being distinguished, verse 6: Of the tribe of Judah, aCaleb the son of Jephunneh.
& 8: Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
(Osea was later called Joshua). 

The 12 returned to report back that the land was very fruitful—of milk and honey. However, 10 of men—except Caleb and Joshua— said that they couldn't overtake the land, that the cities had high walls, the men that lived there were like giants and were much stronger than the Israelites--likening themselves to grasshoppers 

QUOTE 3 (this is what P. Hinckley said about us sometimes making the same error as these 10 men—coming back with a false or faithless report):

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

“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).

Interesting that at the end of that quote he totally backed up that scientific study: "With doubt concerning its past, they have no vision concerning its future”

In other words we are what we focus on; we are what we think. It's important that we question our train of thought; it's important that we focus on the good in our life so that those are the memories leading us to a better future. 

Because of these 10 men and their perspectives we read that the Israelites started to lose faith again and complain

Num 14:1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

2 And all the children of Israel amurmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

In verse 30 we read of a different perspective: "and aCaleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."

Num 14:8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

9 Only arebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: bfear them not.

What are some ways that we can follow the example of Caleb and Joshua when we face difficult situations?

Have faith; recall all the ways The Lord has previously blessed, strengthened, and delivered us.

QUOTE 4:
President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

“There is no place in this work for those who believe only in the gospel of doom and gloom. The gospel is good news. It is a message of triumph. It is a cause to be embraced with enthusiasm.

“The Lord never said that there would not be troubles. Our people have known afflictions of every sort as those who have opposed this work have come upon them. But faith has shown through all their sorrows. This work has consistently moved forward and has never taken a backward step since its inception. …

“This is an age of pessimism. Ours is a mission of faith. To my brethren and sisters everywhere, I call upon you to reaffirm your faith, to move this work forward across the world. You can make it stronger by the manner in which you live” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 94–95; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 71–72).

The Israelites didn't want to listen to Joshua and Caleb, and tried to stone them, but The Lord protected them and ended up punishing the Israelites for their constant murmuring and looking back at their life in Egypt 

Num 14:22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my amiracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have btempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

23 Surely they shall not asee the bland which I sware unto their fathers (because remember The Lord had promised Abraham his seed would inherit promised lands) neither shall any of them that cprovoked me see it:

26 ¶And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which amurmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

29 Your acarcases shall fall in this bwilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,

30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness aforty years, and bbear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall aknow my breach of promise.

35 I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall adie.

And the 10 men that delivered the wrong account were killed with a plague while Joshua and Caleb (the tribe of Ephriam and Judah) inherited the land of Canaan 

4. Moses makes a serpent of brass and tells the people that if they look at it, they will be healed.

Although The Lord delivered the Israelites from the Canaanites, they still murmured against him. So The Lord sent serpents to bite them. Let's read the Israelites reaction. 

Num 21:7 ¶Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have asinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses bprayed for the people.

(This cycle once again at play) 

8 And the Lord said unto Moses, aMake thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall blive.

9 And Moses made a aserpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

There are so many wonderful scriptures about this situation and the symbolism of the serpent of brass 

SCRIPTURE 1

1 Nephi 17:41 And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they ahardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying bserpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be chealed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the dsimpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.

SCRIPTURE 2

Alma 33:18 But behold, this is not all; these are not the only ones who have spoken concerning the Son of God.

19 Behold, he was spoken of by aMoses; yea, and behold a btype was craised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.

20 But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would aheal them.


They didn't look because it was too simple, and they didn't believe this Serpent on a stick would heal them. 

Some times we try to make the idea of eternal life more complicated than it really is, looking beyond the simple saving principles of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, and obedience—going back to the basics, it being THAT simple like looking at a serpent to be healed 

Let's read what the serpent symbolized

SCRIPTURE 3

John 3:14 ¶And as Moses lifted up the aserpent in the wilderness, even so must the bSon of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 ¶For aGod so bloved the cworld, that he dgave his eonly begotten fSon, that whosoever gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have heverlasting ilife.

SCRIPTURE 4:

Helaman 8:13 But, behold, ye not only deny my words, but ye also deny all the words which have been spoken by our fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power given unto him, yea, the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah.

14 Yea, did he not bear record that the Son of God should come? And as he alifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he be lifted up who should come.

Just as the children of Israel needed to look at the brass serpent to live, we need to look to Jesus Christ to receive eternal life as Alma and Helaman so beautifully said: 

Alma 37:46 O my son, do not let us be aslothful because of the beasiness of the cway; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would dlook they might elive; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

47 And now, my son, see that ye take acare of these sacred things, yea, see that ye blook to God and live. 

Helaman 8:15 And as many as should look upon that serpent should alive, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might blive, even unto that life which is eternal.

Some times we don't look to Christ because we don't believe he can save us, just like the Israelites didn't believe looking upon the serpent could save them, but just like the Israelites, that's where we are wrong: Jesus Christ is the ONLY one that has the power to save us. 

QUOTE 5
Elder Carlos E. Asay said: “We, like Israel of old, must rivet our eyes and minds upon … Christ if we hope to gain eternal life. … Our looks must not be allowed to wander across the way or to become fixed upon the perishable things of the world. The eye … must be trained to look upward. We must look to God and live!” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1978, 81; or Ensign, Nov. 1978, 54).

Testimony: 

Going back to this idea of past memories preceding future events I want to share with you a testimony I found on a blogpost I was reading the other day, regarding how Christ was able to atone for our sins because of the intimate experiences memories he had of us in the pre-existence (again a past memory influencing a future situation) 

"Because Christ knew all of us before we came to earth, He was able to draw upon the memories and the love He had for each and every one of us. The very thought of our suffering motivated Him to go through with the atonement. He didn’t want to do it. In fact, He asked for that “bitter cup” to be removed from Him, but His familial love is what enabled Him to endure.

You need to know that someone has your back. There is someone out there that loves you more than you love yourself. He’s your oldest brother and he’s been through it all. He’s sacrificed everything for you in order to help you through the unfair things that happen to you throughout your life. He is protective of you and longs for your embrace. He wants to become “At-One” with you and share the load because you guys were so close before you came to this earth…and now He’s asking you to get on the path that leads back home."

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