Thursday, October 29, 2015

Lesson 64 & 65 Numbers 15-21 Mon 11-23

Lesson 64: Numbers 15–19

Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual, 2014

Introduction

After the children of Israel refused to enter the promised land, the Lord reminded them of sacrificial ordinances that would help them receive forgiveness if they repented. He provided further instructions for offering sacrifices and keeping covenants, with provisions for redemption if the people sinned in ignorance. The Lord also said, however, that if people sinned defiantly, their iniquities were upon them and they would be cut off from the Lord’s people. A group of Israelites rebelled against the Lord and were destroyed. Through a miracle, the Lord showed the people whom He had chosen to lead them.

Suggestions for Teaching

Numbers 15

The Lord explains the consequences for ignorant sins and willful rebellion

    Read the following scenarios to the class:
  1. 1.
    A young man who is a recent convert to the Church is driving his car. He becomes upset at another driver and swears. Although he does not take the name of the Lord in vain, he feels an immediate withdrawal of the Spirit.
  2. 2.
    Just before a young woman begins her application for missionary service, she decides to spend time with friends who are not making good choices. When they offer her an alcoholic drink, she willfully drinks it, believing she can always repent later if she wants to so she can still serve a mission.
  • Do you think the consequences for these two people should be the same or different? Why?
Write the headings Ignorant (Unintentional) and Willful on the board. Explain that Numbers 15 distinguishes between two different attitudes of a transgressor—one who defiantly and willfully sins versus one who sins ignorantly or makes a mistake unintentionally and feels guilty about offending God.
Summarize Numbers 15:1–26 by explaining that the Lord taught the Israelites about repentance and the sacrifices they needed to perform after choosing not to follow Him and refusing to enter the promised land.
The Lord continued to teach the Israelites about those who sinned ignorantly or unintentionally and those who sinned willfully. Invite a student to read Numbers 15:27–29 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the priest did for someone who sinned ignorantly.
  • How might the priest’s actions be symbolic of what the Savior does for us when we do wrong unintentionally or out of ignorance?
  • What can we learn about the Atonement of Jesus Christ based on the Lord’s instructions in these verses? (Students may identify a variety of principles and doctrines, but be sure to emphasize the following doctrine: If we repent, we can be forgiven of our sins, including those we commit in ignorance, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Write this doctrine on the board under the heading “Ignorant [Unintentional].”)
Ask students to consider how this truth might comfort someone who has ignorantly sinned. Invite a few students to explain their thoughts to the class.
Invite a student to read Numbers 15:30–31 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Lord said would happen to those who willfully break God’s commandments. To help students understand these verses, explain that the word presumptuously implies willfully and knowingly breaking God’s commandments.
  • What do you think it means that the person “despised the word of the Lord”?
  • What did the Lord say would happen to those who willfully broke His commandments?
  • What may the phrase “his iniquity shall be upon him” in verse 31 mean? (He will be accountable for his sins.)
Under the heading “Willful” on the board, write: If we willfully break God’s commandments and do not repent, then …
Invite students to summarize the Lord’s teaching in these verses by completing the statement on the board. They might express this principle the following way: If we willfully break God’s commandments and do not repent, then we must stand accountable before God for those sins. Using students’ words, complete the principle on the board.
  • What do you think it means to be accountable before God?
Invite a student to read aloud the following excerpt from For the Strength of Youth:
“Some people knowingly break God’s commandments, planning to repent later, such as before they go to the temple or serve a mission. Such deliberate sin mocks the Savior’s Atonement” (For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], 29).
  • According to this statement, why is willfully sinning so serious?
Testify that even though we are accountable for our sins, if we repent we can be cleansed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Encourage students to repent of their sins so they can receive forgiveness.
Summarize Numbers 15:37–41 by explaining that the Lord told the people to make fringes on the borders of their clothing to remind them to follow the commandments in order to remain holy.

Numbers 16–17

The Lord destroys rebellious Israelites and shows Israel whom He has chosen to lead them

Invite students to write a list of popular television shows, movies, songs, and games. After sufficient time, ask them to consider how Satan could use media to influence them.
  • Because media can either uplift us or tear us down spiritually, how can we detect the influences that would weaken us spiritually?
  • How can we avoid such influences when they are embraced by those around us?
Explain that Numbers 16 contains an account of a group of Israelites who willfully sinned by rebelling against Moses and Aaron. This account teaches principles that can help us avoid the influence of those who would seek to entice us to rebel against God. It also teaches principles that can help us know whom the Lord has called to lead His people. Invite students to look for these principles as they study Numbers 16.
Invite a student to read Numbers 16:1–3 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for who rebelled against Moses and Aaron.
  • What does the phrase “famous in the congregation, men of renown” tell you about those who rebelled against Moses?
  • What did these leaders accuse Moses and Aaron of doing? (Placing themselves above the rest of the Israelites.)
Invite a student to read Numbers 16:4–7 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for Moses’s response to the rebellious group.
  • What did Moses tell Korah and his followers?
Explain that a censer was a container for burning incense that the priests carried as they performed certain religious ceremonies in the tabernacle. Moses told Korah and his followers, who were Levites and were not authorized to administer in the high (Melchizedek) priesthood, to bring their censers to the tabernacle the following day. He also told them that the Lord would then show whom He had chosen to be His authorized servant.
Divide the class into small groups and give each group a piece of paper. Ask students to fold the paper into fourths and write each of the following references in a different quadrant: Numbers 16:8–11; Numbers 16:12–15; Numbers 16:16–19; and Numbers 16:20–27. Invite students to read each reference as a group, looking for what happened next in the story. Ask them to write a summary in each quadrant of what happened in the story. After sufficient time, discuss the following questions as a class:
  • According to verse 10, what did Korah and his people seek? (Point out that the Joseph Smith Translation in footnote a clarifies that the word priesthood in this verse is the “high priesthood,” or Melchizedek Priesthood.)
  • What does Dathan and Abiram’s response to Moses in verses 12–14 reveal about them?
  • According to verse 26, why did the Lord tell the people to leave the tents of the wicked and not touch any of their things?
Point out the phrase “depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men” in verse 26.
  • Why is it important for people today to separate themselves from the wicked?
Invite several students to take turns reading aloud from Numbers 16:27–35. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what happened to those who rebelled against Moses.
  • What can we learn from this account about separating ourselves from evil influences? (Students may use different words, but they should identify the following principle: If we separate ourselves from evil influences, then we may avoid the Lord’s judgments that come upon the wicked.)
    To help students better understand this principle, discuss the following questions:
  • What are some evil influences in our day that we need to separate ourselves from?
  • How can separating ourselves from evil influences help us to not be enticed to rebel against God?
Ask students to refer to the list of popular media they made earlier. Invite them to review their list and consider whether any of those items invite negative influences. Encourage students to make a plan to separate themselves from these influences and any other evil or negative influence they may encounter.
Summarize Numbers 16:36–50 by explaining that after these wicked men had been destroyed, the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron. The Lord sent a plague upon them, and many of them were destroyed.
In Numbers 17:1–4, we see that in order to further show the children of Israel who was called to lead His people, the Lord told Moses to gather a rod (a staff or stick) from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Draw 12 lines on the board to represent the 12 rods. Explain that Moses placed each rod in the tabernacle overnight.
Invite a student to read Numbers 17:5 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Lord said would happen to the rod of the person God had chosen. Invite students to report what they find.
Ask a student to read Numbers 17:6–10 aloud. Invite the class to follow along, looking for what happened to Aaron’s staff. Ask a student to draw what happened to the staff on one of the lines on the board.
  • What do you think is significant or symbolic about Aaron’s staff growing leaves and producing fruit?
  • What can we learn from this miracle? (Students may identify a variety of doctrines and principles, but make sure to help them identify the following truth: The Lord will help us know whom He has called to lead His people.)
  • How have you personally experienced a confirming witness that the Lord’s chosen leaders are called by Him?
Encourage students to seek confirming witnesses from the Lord of those whom He has called to lead His Church.

Numbers 18–19

The Lord establishes the duties of the priests and the Levites and gives directions for sacrifice

Summarize Numbers 18–19 by explaining that the Lord again established the duties of the priests and the Levites and gave them additional directions regarding sacrifices to help them be sanctified or cleansed.
Conclude by sharing your testimony of the truths discussed in the lesson and inviting students to act on impressions they received.

Commentary and Background Information

Numbers 15:27. “If any soul sin through ignorance”

Some may wonder why we need to repent of our unintentional sins. The Lord has said that he “cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31). We also know that “no unclean thing can dwell with God” (1 Nephi 10:21). While unintentionally sinning may not be as serious as willfully breaking God’s commandments, unintentional sins still make us unclean before the Lord. The Lord has in His mercy promised to forgive us of our sins as we repent.

Numbers 15:32–36. Picking up sticks on the Sabbath

“To stone a man for violation of the Sabbath seems a harsh punishment. But in its historical context, two things are significant. Moses had just given the law for willful rebellion against God. Did this man know the law of the Sabbath? Moses had clearly taught earlier that one who violated the Sabbath was to be put to death (see Exodus 31:14–15; 35:2). Obviously, here is an example of one who ‘despised the word of the Lord’ (Numbers 15:31).
“But think for a moment of what had just happened to Israel. They, as a nation, had despised the word of the Lord, first, by refusing to go up against the Canaanites when the Lord had told them to, and second, by going up against them after the Lord had told them not to. Thus Israel had been denied entry into the promised land. Now, an individual despised the word of the Lord and refused to enter the rest required on the Sabbath. Just as Israel was to suffer death in the wilderness for their rebellion, so a rebellious individual must be punished with the same punishment. Otherwise, God would be inconsistent” (Old Testament Student Manual: Genesis–2 Samuel, 3rd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 206).

Numbers 16:7–10. The role of the Levites

When Korah and his group of followers rebelled against Moses, they claimed that they should have the same authority as Moses and receive the Melchizedek Priesthood (see Numbers 16:10, footnote a). Moses reminded them that they were already blessed as Levites to be able to carry the ark of the covenant and to carry the sacred emblems contained in the tabernacle. However, those who rebelled were not content with these great privileges the Lord had already given them.

Supplemental Teaching Idea

Numbers 15:32–36. Consequences of rebellion against God

Explain that Numbers 15:32–36 provides an example of the serious nature of willful rebellion against God as well as the seriousness of knowingly defying the law of the land. Invite students to read Numbers 15:32–36 silently, looking for what happened to a person who willfully broke God’s commandment and the criminal law to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remind students that this man was accountable for his actions because he had been taught the consequences for defiling the Sabbath day (see Exodus 31:14).
  • Why might this man have chosen to sin even though he already knew the consequence?
  • What kind of attitude might a person have when they choose to knowingly commit sin?

    Lesson 65: Numbers 20–21

    Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual, 2014

    Introduction

    After almost 40 years since leaving Egypt, the Israelites rebelled against Moses and Aaron because of a lack of water. The Lord directed Moses to bring forth water out of a rock. The children of Israel rebelled again when they were not allowed to pass through the land of Edom on their way to the promised land and instead had to travel a great distance to go around it. In response to their rebellion, the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people. He then instructed Moses to set a brass serpent upon a pole and promised that those who looked upon it would be healed.

    Suggestions for Teaching

    Numbers 20:1–13

    Moses smites a rock and brings forth water to quench Israel’s thirst

    Invite two students to read the following scenarios aloud to the class. Ask the class to listen and ponder how they might respond in each situation.
    1. 1.
      While preparing a talk for sacrament meeting, you receive impressions about what you should say. After you give the talk, a member of your ward approaches you and says, “Thank you so much for what you said today. You are an amazing speaker, and your words were exactly what I needed to hear. I am so grateful for you.”
    2. 2.
      A friend who accepted the gospel because of your example says, “You changed my life. Because of you, I am happy and have direction and peace in my life.”
    • Besides thanking these individuals for their kindness, what are some possible ways you could respond to their praise?
    Point out to students that in both scenarios their actions brought blessings to another person. Encourage them to ponder how they could respond in a way that could bring additional blessings to that person. Invite students to look for doctrines and principles as they study Numbers 20 that can help them bless others’ lives in circumstances like these.
    Summarize Numbers 20:1–3 by explaining that after nearly 40 years since leaving Egypt, the Israelites camped in the desert of Zin. While there, Miriam died and the Israelites once again rebelled against Moses and Aaron.
    Invite a student to read Numbers 20:4–5 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for why the Israelites rebelled. Invite them to report what they find.
    Invite several students to take turns reading aloud from Numbers 20:6–11. As they read, ask two other students to portray Moses in these verses. Invite one student to act out what the Lord instructed Moses to do in verse 8, and ask the other to act out what Moses actually did in verses 9–11.
    • In what ways were Moses’s actions different from the Lord’s instructions?
    • What phrase in verse 10 shows that Moses and Aaron took credit for providing water for the Israelites?
    Invite a student to read Numbers 20:12 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for the Lord’s response after Moses smote the rock.
    • What did the Lord say to Moses and Aaron? (Help students understand that the phrase “to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel” meant that the Lord wanted the children of Israel to know that it was He, not Moses and Aaron, who provided the water for them.)
    • What did the Lord say the consequence would be for Moses’s and Aaron’s actions?
    • Why do you think the Israelites needed to understand that it was God who provided the water?
    Invite students to write in their class notebooks or scripture study journals a truth they learned from this account. Ask a few students to share with the class the truth they identified. (Students’ responses may vary, but they should identify the following truth: The Lord desires that we help others see His power and influence in their lives.)
    • Why is it important to direct others’ attention to the Lord’s power instead of to ourselves?
    • In addition to the two scenarios we discussed earlier, what are situations in which we might be able to help others focus on the Lord’s power and goodness instead of on ourselves?
    Encourage students to look for how Moses directed the Israelites’ attention to the Lord and His power as they study the rest of Numbers 20 and 21.

    Numbers 20:14–29

    Israel is not allowed to pass through Edom, and Eleazar is made high priest when Aaron dies

    Summarize Numbers 20:14–29 by explaining that Moses sent messengers to ask the king of Edom if the Israelites could pass through his kingdom on their way to Canaan. The king of Edom refused to let the Israelites pass through his land, and he sent an army to ensure that they did not.
    Invite students to read verses 28–29 silently to discover who died at this point in their journey and who was called to take his place.
    • Who died at this time?
    • Who became the high priest in Aaron’s place?

    Numbers 21

    Moses raises a brass serpent on a pole to heal those bitten by poisonous serpents

    snake
    For a dramatic effect, quickly pull a toy snake from a bag, or display a picture of a poisonous snake.
    • What would you do if you were bitten by a poisonous snake?
    • What are possible cures for poisonous snakebites?
    Before class, put a picture of Jesus Christ into a box and label the box Snakebite Kit. Show students the box and tell them that inside it there is a cure for snakebites. Explain that as they study Numbers 21, they will learn how the cure for snakebites relates to us spiritually.
    Explain that because the Israelites were not allowed to travel through the land of Edom, their journey was more difficult. Invite a student to read Numbers 21:4–5 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how the Israelites felt and responded because of the difficulty of the way they had to travel.
    • How did the children of Israel respond to the difficulty of journeying around the land of Edom?
    Invite a student to read Numbers 21:6 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what happened because the children of Israel spoke against Moses and the Lord. Direct students to verse 6, footnote a, to help them understand that the word fiery means poisonous.
    Invite a student to read Numbers 21:7–9 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the children of Israel did after they had been bitten.
    • Whom did the Israelites first turn to for help?
    • What did the Lord tell Moses to do to help the people who had been bitten?
    • What did the people need to do to be healed?
    Write the following on the board: Poisonous serpents = sin and its consequences.
    • How do you think sin is similar to being bitten by a poisonous snake?
    • What could the venom of sin do to us if we do not get help?
    Ask students to guess what is in your snakebite kit. Open the box and show the picture of Jesus Christ.
    Moses and the Brass Serpent
    Display the picture Moses and the Brass Serpent (Gospel Art Book [2009], no. 16; see also LDS.org).
    • Whom and what was the serpent on the pole meant to point the people to? (The Savior’s suffering and His Atonement.)
    • According to verses 8–9, what did the children of Israel need to do to be healed?
    • Based on this account, what must we do to be healed from the poisonous effects of sin? (Students’ responses may vary, but make sure they identify the following principle: If we look to Christ, He will heal us of our sins, pains, and sicknesses. Write this principle on the board.)
      To help students understand this principle, discuss the following question:
    • What are some ways we can look to Jesus Christ so that we can be healed of our sins, pains, and sicknesses?
    Write the following scripture references on the board: John 3:14–15; Alma 33:19–22; Helaman 8:14–15. Explain that these scripture passages help us better understand the account of the brazen serpent in Numbers 21:1–9. Consider inviting students to write these cross-references in their scriptures near these verses.
    Divide the class into three groups. Assign each group to read one of the scripture passages on the board, looking for what it teaches about the account of the brazen serpent. After sufficient time, invite one student from each group to teach the class what they learned. Then discuss the following questions:
    • Why do you think some people refused to look at the brazen serpent? Why do you think others chose to look?
    • What is required for us to look to the Savior to be healed of our sins, pains, and sicknesses?
    Invite a student from each group to share his or her feelings about Jesus Christ’s power to heal us of our sins, pains, and sicknesses.
    To help students understand one way we can apply this principle and look to Christ for healing of our sins, pains, and sicknesses, invite them to look again at the picture of Moses and the brass serpent.
    • What did Moses do to help the children of Israel to be healed?
    • How does the pole with the brazen serpent relate to the principle on the board?
    Invite a student read aloud the following statement by President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
    President Boyd K. Packer
    “Jesus Christ has prescribed a very clear method for us to repent and find healing in our lives. The cure for most mistakes can be found by seeking forgiveness through personal prayer. However, there are certain spiritual illnesses, particularly those dealing with violations of the moral law, which absolutely require the assistance and treatment of a qualified spiritual physician. …
    “If you … wish to return to full spiritual health, see your bishop. He holds the keys and can help you along the pathway of repentance” (“The Key to Spiritual Protection,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 28).
    • Why is it sometimes necessary to get the help of a bishop or branch president as we look to Christ for healing of our sins, pains, and sicknesses?
    Invite students to consider what they need to do in order to look to Christ and be healed from the venom of sin. Encourage them to make a commitment to look to the Savior so they can be healed from the effects of sin.
    Summarize Numbers 21:10–35 by explaining that after the children of Israel were healed by looking to Christ, they defeated the Amorites and the people of Bashan who fought against them. Testify that if we will look to Christ as the children of Israel did, we will be given the strength to overcome sin and face the challenges before us.

    Commentary and Background Information

    Numbers 20:12. Consequence for Moses and Aaron

    “Did Moses really sin against the Lord? … Was this one error enough to cancel out years of great faith, obedience, and devotion?
    “At least two other Old Testament passages indicate that Moses did sin in striking the rock at Meribah (see Numbers 27:12–14; Deuteronomy 32:51–52). Other passages, however, help to clarify the matter. Deuteronomy 3:26 and 4:21 indicate that the Lord told Moses that the reason he could not enter the promised land was that the Lord was angry with him “for your sakes” (emphasis added). This statement could imply that there were reasons other than the error of Moses for the prohibition. Two other facts strengthen this supposition. First, both Moses and the higher priesthood were taken from Israel because of the people’s unworthiness, not Moses’ (see D&C 84:23–25). Second, Moses was translated when his mortal ministry was finished (see Alma 45:19). In other words, Moses was privileged to enter a land of promise far greater than the land of Canaan. He had finished his calling in mortality, and a new leader was to take Israel into the promised land. And, Moses was translated—hardly a punishment for sinning against God” (Old Testament Student Manual: Genesis–2 Samuel, 3rd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 208).
    Nevertheless, by punishing Moses, the Lord powerfully taught the children of Israel that obedience was required to enter the promised land—even (perhaps especially) if one happened to be the prophet.

    Numbers 20:12. Mistakes made by members and Church leaders

    President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency taught:
    “There have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine.
    “I suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure. But He works through us—His imperfect children—and imperfect people make mistakes. …
    “It is unfortunate that some have stumbled because of mistakes made by men. But in spite of this, the eternal truth of the restored gospel found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not tarnished, diminished, or destroyed” (“Come, Join with Us,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 22).
    Even though the Church is led by imperfect people who can make mistakes, the Lord’s prophet will never lead us astray. President Wilford Woodruff explained:
    “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God” (Official Declaration 1, “Excerpts from Three Addresses by President Wilford Woodruff Regarding the Manifesto”).









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