~~~~~Lesson: Numbers: Chapters 17-20

1) Again, we find the Israelites raising up their voices against Moses for the situation they are in. We can be forgiven for believing that complaining and blaming is all they did for 40 years...I'm sure there were times of great faith, it probably is simply that the "unrest" times were different enough to be recorded (see last section of lesson).

It is easy to look at their situation and say what they were doing wrong. Can you look at your life and find one thing that you change today to make your life more for God?

2) It is still debated among scholars exactly what Moses and Aaron did wrong: was it actually striking the rock instead of simply standing before it and/or the actual words that they used.

Question: Which (or both) "feels right" to you? Why?

How can we avoid the sin of Moses and Aaron (taking credit for God's work/false pride)?

Question (for fun): imagine wandering around the desert living for even just a year....what would you miss most? What would you dislike most?

3) Simply take note of 20:20-21...we will read a lot about Edom later.

4) When Aaron dies, he is first stripped of his garment (his priestly robe). This is not intended as an insult, so please don't read it that way. If a dead body touches a garment, it becomes unclean. It would be improper for a priestly garment (which was what Aaron wore) to touch a dead body. Therefore, it was passed on to his son before he actually died to avoid uncleanness.

5) When Aaron dies, the whole community mourns, showing that most of the time there was good faith, love between neighbors, and basically, just a "good community." And clearly, Moses and Aaron were respected most of the time as great people, as shown by the 30 days of mourning done by the entire community.

Question: When reading about the wanderings, does it sometimes seem every story is about rebellion? Why do you think this is? (Or why don't you think this is a true statement?)