Lesson 15: Look Unto God and Live

Our lesson today reminded me how important it is to be grateful for the blessings that are ours, to take the challenges we face and to look to the Lord to comfort and guide us in our mortal journey. While it is easy to complain/murmur, our Father in Heaven is blessing us daily. The question is, are we recognizing His hand in our life. Our study for next week is a continuation of the Israelites journey in the wilderness. We can learn from their experience.This little video is great. Watch and enjoy!


Purpose: To encourage class members to overcome worldly desires and fears and look to the Savior and his prophets for guidance.

Numbers 11–14; 21:1–9

Numbers 11: This chapter begins with the Israelites continued complaints to the Lord. The Lord is "displeased". It is astounding to me that after the many miracles and bounteous blessings that have been showered upon them DAILY, they continue to mummer.

'Remember that "manna" can be symbolic of nourishment and blessing from heaven. "Egypt" can be symbolic of wickedness and the ways of the world (Revelation 11:8). Thus in this chapter, in effect, the Israelites are getting tired of the religious life and desire the lustful ways of the world with the instant gratification that attends them. They have lost their perspective and are valuing appetites of the physical body over being nourished by the Lord.' (OT Made Easier, pg. 180)

Numbers 12: 'Miriam and Aaron grow jealous of their younger brother, Moses, and seek to discredit him. They desire glory for themselves. Moses forgives them and pleads with the Lord to heal Miriam, who was punished with leprosy. MAJOR MESSAGE: One of Satan's well-used tools against us is that of jealousy. While it can be damaging to those against whom it is used, it is far more destructive of those who harbor it within their souls.' (OT Made Easier, pg.185)

Numbers 13: 'The time for entering the promised land is getting close. The Lord instructs Moses to send out twelve spies, one from each tribe, to check out the land of Canaan. They are to return and report what they see. We will pay special attention to the difference in reports given by Caleb and Joshua, who see through the eyes of faith, as opposed to those given by the other ten spies, who see through the eyes of fear and lack of faith in God.

Keep in mind that the Lord has led them to this location. They have followed the cloud by which He led them. His presence has been obviously made known in a cloud by day and fire by night. They have seen miracle after miracle, including the ten plagues of Egypt, which plagued the Egyptians but not the Israelites. They came through the Red Sea on dry land, heard the voice of the Lord as He personally spoke the Ten Commandments from Sinai, have had manna, water from a rock, good and bad experiences with quail, deaths by fire because of rebellion, and on and on. In short, they have had many chances to know Jehovah and that they are being led and blessed by Him, and that Moses is indeed His prophet. They have every reason to believe--based on miracles and obvious, tangible proof--that He can bring them into the promised land, regardless of whatever and whoever might stand in the way.' (OT Made Easier, pg. 187)

Numbers 14: 'The people chose to believe the faithless reports of the ten spies who warned against going into the promised land. In effect, they warned against following the Lord and His prophet. MAJOR MESSAGE: Beware of those today, in and out of the Church, who counsel against following the advice of the current living prophets. They are, in effect, counseling against having faith and following the Lord.

In what quickly becomes a national tragedy for these Israelites, word of the ten spies' report spreads like wildfire among the children of Israel, camped across the Jordan River east of the land of Palestine, the promised land. With fear and open hostility against Moses and Aaron, they adopt a mob mentality (a major tool of the devil) and cry out in complete abandonment of faith and trust in the Lord. The completely ignore the constant reminders of God's power, demonstrated time and time again over the past months.' (OT Made Easier, pg. 190)

Study the following scriptures:

a. Numbers 11. The Israelites complain about the manna and desire to eat meat (11:1–9). As instructed by the Lord, Moses gathers 70 elders to assist him (11:10–17, 24–30). The Lord answers the Israelites’ desire for meat by sending them an overabundance of quail and smiting them with a plague because of their greed and overindulgence (11:18–23, 31–35).

b. Numbers 12. Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses (12:1–3). The Lord chastens and punishes Miriam and Aaron for their murmuring (12:4–16).

c. Numbers 13–14. Moses instructs 12 men to search the land of Canaan (13:1–20). They return with favorable reports of the land’s resources, but all except Joshua and Caleb fear the inhabitants and desire to return to Egypt (13:21–14:10). The Lord tells Moses that the faithless and complaining Israelites will wander in the wilderness 40 years, until all of the adult generation are dead but Joshua and Caleb (14:11–39).

d. Numbers 21:1–9. The Israelites destroy the Canaanites who come against them (21:1–3). The Lord sends fiery serpents as punishment for the Israelites’ incessant complaining (21:4–6). Moses makes a serpent of brass, fastens it to a pole, and tells the people that if they look at it, they will live (21:7–9).

• Why did the Israelites complain about the manna? (See Numbers 11:4–6.) What are the dangers of wanting more than we have?

• 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 (Alma 37:46–47; Helaman 8:15). What does it mean to look to Christ?