“Numbers 11: The Israelites Driven by Their Appetites,” Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2002), 65
“Numbers 11,” Old Testament Seminary Student Study Guide, 65
The Israelites Driven by Their Appetites
Consider how the following questions apply to the Israelites as you read Numbers 11: How do you feel when you do something good for another person and he or she complains in response? What would happen if the Lord gave you everything you asked for, without any consideration of whether or not what you asked for was good for you?
Studying the Scriptures
Do three of the following activities (A–E) as you study Numbers 11.
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Some Complaints and Criticisms Today
Imagine you felt the way the Israelites did in Numbers 11:1–9. Write a note of complaint to Moses that reflects what you think the people were saying at the time.
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Write a Response
Use what Moses said in Numbers 11:10–15 and what you have learned about this journey so far and write how you might respond to the Israelites’ complaint if you were their leader.
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What Happens When We Complain?
Look at Numbers 11:1–4 and Jude 1:14–16 and tell what eventually happens to people who complain or murmur against the Lord and His servants. Notice in Numbers 11:20 what the Lord said the children of Israel were really doing when they complained against Moses.
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Find Important Words
Find what you think are three important words or phrases that describe what the seventy men did and why they were called in response to Moses’ discouragement.
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What Is the Lesson?
Read Galatians 5:16–17 and tell how these verses express what could be considered the main idea of Numbers 11. Think about the meaning of the word lust and what the Lord did to the seventy elders in response to the situation.