Numbers 11-14, 20-24

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Let me begin by saying how much I love the Book of Numbers. It has some really fantastic stories in it. And the fun thing is, more than likely, those you’re teaching are not going to be very familiar with them. They’ve probably heard about the story of the brass serpent, but the book of Numbers also contains some lesser-known stories that really teach powerful principles. We’re going to be taking a look at four of those stories today. And as an activity to introduce these stories I often like to show the following pictures and ask my students what they see. For example. In this picture, what do you see? Do you see an old woman or a young woman? And the answer is, it’s both! Depending on how they look at it. Or how about this one? Do you see a rabbit? Or a duck? Well it’s both! Is this a frog or a horse? It all depends on how you look at these pictures. I also like to show them this picture. Looks like a big beautiful spacious pool at this hotel, right? Here's the same pool from a different perspective. Not quite the same thing, is it? The moral of the story is “Perspective is everything.” The way we look at things will determine how we judge them and colors our entire life experience. So today we’re going to study four different stories from the Book of Numbers that will help to enlighten our perspective and give us a better, more accurate view of things. They are perspective changers. So here we go.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGER #1: MURMURING ABOUT MANNA

ICEBREAKER

As an icebreaker, I like to do a little activity called “Complaint Department”. It’s just a brainstorming activity where you make a list of all the things you feel people in your situation complain about most often. So if you’re teaching youth, you might ask them what they feel teenagers most often complain about. Same goes for if you’re teaching young adults, or parents or empty nesters or just adults in general. Since I teach teenagers, I’ll use some of the more common answers I get as an example.

School and Homework

Parents and their rules

Not having the newest phone or piece of technology

What’s for dinner

Wishing they lived in a nicer house or had a cooler car

Church is boring

TRANSITION

Now to get them into the scriptures you can ask them to find what the Children of Israel are complaining about in Numbers 11:4-6?

And what is it that they are complaining about? Manna. They are tired of eating manna. It’s the same thing day in and day out. They say they would rather have flesh to eat. Meat, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. They’re imagining all the delicious things they had when they lived in Egypt—in slavery I might add. Oh, but they had fish, at least. And I just find it really interesting how they refer to the manna in verse 6. They say:

6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

Do you sense the dismissive and condescending tone there? They refer to it as “this manna”, and that they have “nothing at all”. Boy, it sure sounds as if they are going through quite a rough trial here.

SEARCH

But here’s the real question. What was manna? How would you describe it to someone who had never heard of it before?

Manna, was bread from heaven. It was a miracle. It would just show up for them every morning, and all they had to do was just gather it up and eat it. It was what was nourishing them and keeping them alive in the wilderness. And just think, they didn’t have to farm it, or raise it, or take care of it. It just appeared, every day. Mann was an incredible blessing from a gracious and caring God. But how do they see it? As a curse. As a trial.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Now we would never make such a foolish mistake, would we? Do we ever complain about our blessings?

I believe that this one perspective changer has the potential of clearing up a large percentage of our “problems” in life. With a simple change of perspective we may come to see that our problems aren’t really problems at all. We’ve got to learn to see things as they really are. I want us to just consider the possibility that it may be blessings that we’re complaining about. Look back at the list we created earlier. Are all these things really trials? Now some of the things on that list that the class created may be legitimate, real trials. But I imagine that many of them are not. Is school and homework really a trial? Having a chance to get an education? No. It’s a blessing. Is not having the newest, nicest things really a trial? No, the fact that we even have homes and cars, and technology is a huge blessing. Who cares if it’s not “THE BEST”. Are parents and their rules a curse? No. The guidance and experience and love of parents is a blessing. Is Church a curse? I’m afraid we sometimes might treat it as such. Do we groan and complain when it’s time for church or general conference, or seminary, or family scripture study? Are those things trials? That’s a big no. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ, we understand the Plan of Salvation, we get the guidance of living prophets. We are so blessed with the gospel. Isn’t that nuts?! That we complain about our blessings! I know I did that when I was a teenager. I think God is up there at those moments just shaking his head and saying “You are carrying a weight I never intended for you to carry. Why are treating my blessings as burdens?”

When I was a teenager, I’d sometimes complain about what my Mom made for dinner. Well, at least I had dinner, and a mother to make it, and a home to eat it in. I can imagine there are millions of people out there in the world who would love to have what I had. And they would say “You are so blessed!”

I’d complain about school or homework. And I can just see millions of children from all over the world saying, “Wow. You get a chance to have an education? To learn how to read? To have an opportunity to prepare yourself so that you can get a good job in the future? You are so blessed!”

Even now, sometimes I might be tempted to feel discouraged about not having as nice a home or car or phone as somebody else I see. And millions all over the world would look at me incredulously and say, “You have a home! And look how big it is? And you own car? Actually two cars! You have a phone? You are so blessed.”

And how do you think it makes our Heavenly Father feel when he hears us complain about these incredible blessings and miracles he’s bestowed on us?

Read :10-11

10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, (I mean, really? They’re crying about this! Boo hoo. I’m so tired of this daily miracle in my life, Boo hoo) 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?

How does complaining about our blessings make our Father in Heaven feel? It makes him a bit angry and frustrated. It causes displeasure. I think it greatly distresses God to hear us treat the great bounties of his goodness as a trial.

And Moses has just about had it by this point. Look at what he says in :14-15

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

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

So Moses is just like “Take me now, Lord! I can’t do this anymore. Please, just kill me.” Hopefully we don’t cause this kind of distress in those who lead and love us. I wonder if President Nelson ever feels this way.

Well let’s see what the Lord does about this. Is He going to give into their complaints. Is he going to let them have what they want? Read :18-20 and 31-33 for the conclusion of the story.

18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

So is the Lord going to give them what they want? Yep. He is. Interesting. It’s like he’s saying, “So, you want flesh to eat, huh? My manna miracle isn’t good enough for you? I’ll give you flesh then. But not just for one day, or ten or twenty, but a whole month. I’m going to give you so much meat that it’s going to come out your nose. I’m going to bury you in it.

So,

31 And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails 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.

33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.

How much quail fell on the camp? Two cubits high! A cubit is the distance from your elbow to the tip of your finger. So can you imagine that much quail on the ground. Their wading in quail. They’re everywhere. That must have been overwhelming. Scary even. And you know, they never really get to enjoy it either. Sometimes I wonder if what he meant by the plague smiting them “ere it was chewed” was more natural than caused by God. Did they eat it too quickly? Did they eat too much? Were they so busy gathering more and more that they didn’t really give the meat a chance to cure and it made them sick? I don’t know. But for certain, one of the morals of this story could be: Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it. Whether you’re really happy when you do get it is another matter altogether. Interestingly enough, God is often willing to let us have what we really want because He knows that for some of us, that’s the only way we’re ever going to learn that what we really want isn’t good for us. He can tell us all day long until he’s blue in the face that we don’t want something, but He knows that we just won’t be convinced any other way. We’ve got to learn for ourselves by experience. So he gives it to us. And look at the way it was worded in verse 4. The multitude “fell a lusting” for meat. Is the message clear there? Giving in to our lusts will always lead to plaguing problems. The very desires we are seeking to satisfy will eventually become loathsome to us.

So, a discussion question? What are some of the plaguing problems that can come from giving in to our lusts, or worldly desires?

A few examples. People do drugs and alcohol because they want to feel better or high. And what do they get? What they want. They do feel great! For a time. But then the desire to feel that way fills their lives until it consumes every waking moment and they’re drowning in an addiction. The drugs and alcohol become loathsome to them, and they wish more than anything to be rid of that desire.

Gambling may be great for a time until it consumes all our attention and resources.

Cheating your way through school may seem to work for a time, until you realize you never gained an education and aren’t prepared for the real world of work and career.

Sometimes young people fall into a lifestyle of partying and immorality and worldliness. They see Church as boring, restrictive, or old-fashioned and they want to experience the “excitement”, and “freedom”, and “pleasures” of the world. And if you could see me, I’m putting each of those words in air quotes. But typically, after a time, the novelty and excitement and the repercussions of that lifestyle begins to lose its appeal. It becomes loathsome to them. And they say, “I don’t want the meat of the world anymore. I want to feed on the Bread of Life!” And that’s what it takes for some. But I believe there is a better pathway through life. Better that we just trust in the Lord and his prophets without having to experience all that—and learn from the mistakes of others. Still, for some, it’s the only way. Satan tries so hard to convince us that wickedness is happiness, that rebellion is freedom, and that indulgence is satisfying. The problem is, it’s a lie. When we actually get those things that he’s offering, we come to find that it’s just not what it’s was cracked up to be. It’s like, having quail come out your nose.

TRUTH

What truth do you feel this story is teaching you? And we could word this in so many ways.

Ingratitude can turn blessings in curses.

Complaining displeases the Lord.

If I treat God's blessings as curses and desire the lusts of the world, I may get what I want. Whether I'm happy or not when I get it is another matter.

Giving in to my lusts will bring plaguing problems.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Think about some of the things that you’ve complained about lately? Are they really blessings? And maybe they really are trials. I’m not suggesting that we don’t have real trials and difficulties and life. We certainly do. Losing a loved one, disease or physical injury and pain, challenges to our faith, persecution—these are the real trials of life. Better that we not add to them by turning our blessings into burdens. Then we can focus all our efforts and faith on the real trials of life.

How could you show your Father in Heaven more gratitude for the blessings in your life?

CONCLUSION

Well, has this story helped to change your perspective in any way? Has it helped to relieve some of your “problems”? I hope so. I encourage you to make your life easier. Try gratitude. I even believe that if ingratitude can turn blessings into curses, then the opposite must be true as well. Gratitude is so powerful that it can turn even curses or real trials into blessings. I once saw this little sign at a business establishment. It’s labeled “Complaint Department. Please take a number,” and then the number tag is attached to the pin of a hand grenade. Well, you know what. That’s kind of how it works. When we complain about our blessings, we blow up our own happiness, we sabotage our spirituality, and destroy our own peace of mind. This is perspective changer number one: Don’t murmur about manna. Be careful not to see your blessings as curses.

PESPECTIVE CHANGER #2: BE A GRAPE GATHERER, NOT A WALL WATCHER

ICEBREAKER

As an icebreaker, ask the following multiple choice traveling questions. As a teacher, you could come up with some of your own based on locations in your area. And it should be really easy to come up with these numbers if you have a cell phone with a maps app which can tell you exactly how long it should take to drive to a certain location. Here are some examples.

How long does it take to get from Salt Lake City to Provo by car? Answer: 42 minutes

How long does it take to get from Salt Lake City to St. George by car? Answer: About 4 hours

How long does it take to get from Salt Lake City to New York by plane? Answer: About 6 hours.

How long does it take it get to the moon by space shuttle? 3 days

How long would it take to travel to Mars by current technology? 7 months

Finally, how long did it take for the Children of Israel to go from here—Mt Sinai, to here, which is the location where they will they eventually enter the promised land. How long? Forty years.

Now you might look at that distance and say to yourself, it shouldn’t take forty years to go that distance. I mean, even crawling that distance wouldn’t take anywhere near that long. It’s really not that far! Why did it take them so long? There must be more to the story. Likewise, if you told me it took you 4 days to drive to St. George from Salt Lake, I would imagine that something happened—you encountered a fairly serious problem on your journey. And that’s true of the Children of Israel. The simple fact of the matter is that it didn’t take them that long to get there. They do arrive at the southern borders of the promised land fairly quickly after their Mt Sinai experience. But something happens in Numbers chapters 13 and 14 that is going to change everything. These chapters will explain the delay. Let’s turn there.

SEARCH

So, let me summarize the beginning of this story. When they arrive at the borders of the land, Moses chooses one representative from each tribe to be a spy for Israel—to go in and inform the people what the land was like and what they should expect. And, by the way, wouldn’t that be cool if that were still a calling today? Ward spy. “We’d like to sustain Brother Smith to be the ward spy. All in favor, please show by the uplifted hand.” Anyway, so Moses sends them in and when they come back, they deliver their report.

Now, as a marking activity, I want you to take two different colors. The spies are going to bring back reports on two very different aspects about the land. Read 13:23-33, and in one color, I want you to mark the positive report that is brought back about the land, and in the other color I want you to mark the negative report that is brought back about the land. . And if you do that, here’s what you’ll find:

23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

Now that’s a lot of grapes! So many that two men have to carry them. This was their way of communicating to the people that “Look, the land is fruitful. It’s bounteous. There will be plenty for us to eat there! If you’re tired of manna, just wait until we get to the promised land!”

You could also mark verse 27:

27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

And then maybe you caught what a one of the spies named Caleb said about the land:

30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

So he’s like, “We can do this! Let’s go. It’s the promised land. We’ve got this!”

But then, what else do they say about the land. In your other color you may have marked verses 28-29.

28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

The promised land was not vacant. There were already people there. And the children of Israel understood that there would need to be some battles fought to obtain the land. There were still some pretty sizeable obstacles in their way. Then you may have marked verses 31-33. As opposed to Caleb’s declaration, they say:

31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

So we have these two conflicting reports. On the one side, you have the blessings and the bounty of the land as the focus. On the other, you have the obstacles and the difficulties as the focus. Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb feel that the Children of Israel were well able to conquer the land and the people there. The other ten spies don’t feel like they can do it. They’re afraid and intimidated by the walls and the giants. And keep in mind that “giants” here doesn’t mean 20 foot tall me. That just means “great warriors” in this context.

Well, the rest of the children of Israel have a choice to make. Which of the two attitudes are THEY going to adopt? Are they going to direct their attention to the large cluster of grapes and the promise of future bountiful harvests, or are they going to concentrate on the height of the walls and the difficulties they may encounter in conquering the land? And we’re going to give these two attitudes some labels up at the top of the page that coincide with the two colors we just used. On the one hand, they can choose to be Grape-gatherers OR they can choose to be Wall-watchers. Are they going to focus on the grapes or the walls. The milk and the honey, or the giants. Which are those two attitudes do you guess they’re going to adopt? Let’s find out.

14:1-4

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

2 And all the children of Israel murmured 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?

4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

Sad. Right? Here they go again. Let’s go back to Egypt. We can’t take this land. The children of Israel choose to be wall-watchers. You see, God was able to take the people out of Egypt, but they never seemed to be able to get Egypt out of themselves. And I really think it’s interesting how the spies worded their concern in 13:33. They say, “we were in our own sight as grasshoppers” and then they kind of correct themselves and say “and so we were in their sight”. But that basically sums up their problem, doesn’t it. The way that they see themselves. Their perspective is off. We’re just grasshoppers, what can we do?

Now listen to Caleb and Joshua. Here we get another taste of the grape-gatherer mentality, and let’s mark it in that color.

6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.

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 rebel 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: fear them not.

Don’t you just love their faith?! There is no need to be afraid! We have God on our side. God will give us this land just like He’s been promising us all along. We are well able to do this thing. The people are bread for us. Now that’s faith. Caleb and Joshua understood that with God on your side, you can accomplish anything.

It’s the Nephi mentality. “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”

Now knowing what we know now, do you have any guesses as to the identity of the two spies that brought back the grapes between them? I believe it had to be Joshua and Caleb, right? Now we don’t know for sure, but that certainly makes sense to me.

Sadly, how do the people react to Caleb and Joshua?

10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. . .

Yeah. That’s typical. Wall watchers don’t usually like to be around grape-gatherers.

TRUTH

Now let’s examine what these two attitudes lead to. We’re going to create a principle. What eventually happens to grape-gatherers and what happens to wall-watchers. I’m going to give you the following verses to study, and I want you to fill in the rest of our TRUTH. And we’re going to put it in personal terms to make it more relevant.

When I am faced with a challenging commandment, standard, or situation,

If I focus on the blessings of overcoming them,

then _________________________.

If I focus on the obstacles and difficulties in obeying,

then _________________________.

Here are the verses:

1. Numbers 14:23-24

2. Numbers 14:29-30

3. Numbers 14:35

4. Numbers 14:37-38

And how did you finish those statements? On the wall watcher side, you could have said :23 they will not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, :29 your carcasses will fall in this wilderness :30 doubtless ye shall not come into the land, :35 in this wilderness they shall be consumed and there they shall die, and then those ten spies that brought up the evil report :37 died by the plague

You see, with the children of Israel, there was only so much mercy that the Lord was able to offer them. He’s been so patient with them, he’s given them so many chances, he’s borne their murmurings and doubts over and over and over again. But there is a limit to God’s patience, and they’ve reached it. It’s as if he says “All right, after seeing the plagues that freed you from Egypt, the Red Sea part, a pillar of fire, bread from heaven, water from a rock, you still don’t believe that you can obtain the promised land, or that I can work miracles on your behalf. Ok then. Have it your way. You won’t obtain it. Your children will, but not you. Turn around and go back into the wilderness. There you will wander for 40 years.” Why the 40 years then? As terrible as this sounds, it was to allow time for all the wall-watchers to die off. To wait for their carcasses to fall in the wilderness. And I know, that’s such an unceremonious yet apt way of saying it.

On the other hand, :24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. Then in verse :30 he says that Caleb and Joshua will come into the land, and then whereas the other 10 spies die from the plague, verse 38:

38 But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still. Only Caleb and Joshua are ever going to taste of those grapes and enjoy that land. And more than likely, they would enjoy those blessings even more deeply knowing the challenges and obstacles they had to overcome with faith to obtain them. And if you know your Bible stories, when they finally do cross over the Jordan river, what is the name of the first city that they will encounter? Jericho. Jericho is the first city they come to conquer. And what is the most famous thing you know about the city of Jericho. It’s walls. The walls of Jericho. And those walls that the ten spies were so concerned and worried about—what happened to them? They came a tumbling down. You see, they really had no reason to worry about them. And you may be familiar with another story in the Bible about giants. What do we know about facing giants from the Bible. With God on your side, even shepherd boys with slings can defeat giants.

So, to complete our statements. When I am faced with a challenging commandment, standard, or situation, if I focus on the blessings of overcoming, rather than the obstacles, then I will reap the promised rewards. If I focus on the obstacles and difficulties, then my carcass will fall in the wilderness, and I will not obtain.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Now let’s relate their experiences to our lives. Sometimes we too are going to hear the conflicting reports of the spies. We’re also going to have to decide whether we’ll focus on the difficulties of obeying a certain commandment of the Lord, or if we’ll focus on the fruits and the promises that God makes to those who have faith in Him.

As an application activity, you could have your students fill out the following handout. I have a number of different commandments here to examine that may be considered difficult to keep. In the one column, I want you record some of the challenges we might encounter to keeping that commandment. In the other column, write down the promised blessings and the rewards of keeping it.

Study your scriptures daily

Serve a full-time mission

Forgive someone that has hurt you

Repent

Do temple and family history work

In the last row, I want you to come up with one of your own situations. What is a difficult thing that God has asked of you lately? And then do the same exercise. What would be the wall-watcher approach and what would be the grape gatherer approach.

Then a final question at the bottom. What can they do to be more of a grape-gatherer in life?

CONCLUSION

I invite all of us to become grape gatherers. To focus on that second column, rather than the first. When we do, we will surely taste the sweet flavor of those fruits. This is actually one of my favorite principles in the entire Old Testament. I love this story and so much that I named my two first children after these brethren. My oldest son’s name is Caleb. And my second son’s name is Braden, but his middle name is Joshua. I have my very own Caleb and Joshua in my family. And that’s because I want my boys to be like them. I want them to face the challenges and the obstacles of their lives with faith in God. I want them to have “another spirit” in them. I want them to know that they are well able to accomplish all that their Father in Heaven has commanded them to do. I want them to be grape-gatherers and not wall-watchers. And I want that for you too! I know that you can do anything that God asks you to do! Forget the walls and the giants. You have the power to defeat them. Remember the blessings that God has promised those that overcome and then go forth and fight with faith. Maybe a simpler way of wording this principle would be “Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re probably right.” This is a perspective changer. The way you view the challenge makes all the difference. When we deal in despair and doubt, we die in defeat. But when we focus with faith, our future will be fantastic.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGER #3-LOOK AND LIVE

ICEBREAKER

I like to start by talking about poisonous snakes.

Can you name the four species of poisonous snakes in the United States? Or in your own country?

Rattlesnakes, the coral snake, the cottonmouth, and the copperhead.

What’s the most poisonous snake in the world? Answer: the inland taipan, a snake from Australia. There is enough poison in just one bite of the taipan to kill 100 people.

TRANSITION

Let’s take a look at a story in Numbers where snakes play a major role in the narrative. The way I would like to approach this story is with a brief study guide. Read the suggested scripture references and answer the questions.

SEARCH

First, the handout has you read the original story in Numbers 21:4-9. It’s rather brief.

What did the people do that brought about the plague of fiery (or poisonous) snakes?

They’re complaining about manna again. Gosh, you think these people would have learned their lesson by now. It says they are discouraged because of the way and that their “soul loatheth this light bread”. Therefore, the Lord sent this plague of poisonous serpents.

What principle could that teach us?

I think that teaches me that when I begin to loath the Bread of Life, I make myself vulnerable to the poisonous bites of the adversary. But as long as I’m feasting on the words of Christ, his light bread from heaven, that brings light into my life, then I will be able to keep the serpents at bay and live.

Read John 3:14-15

The brass serpent saved anyone who was willing to look at it. What does John tell us the brass serpent symbolizes?

John tells us that the brass serpent represented Jesus and his victory over death and sin.

How is that a good symbol for this?

Maybe a personal thought on this one. Some are confused with this symbol for Christ because the snake usually represents Satan. And I believe that in this case, the snake does represent Satan. I don’t think the snake itself represents Christ. I mean, even in the story itself, the snakes are the problem. But consider this, in Old Testament times, a symbol of victory over something was to hold it up after you killed it. If you killed a certain animal and wished to show your power and conquest of it, you might hold it up for all to see. Those that taxidermize the heads of animals they’ve hunted is a similar idea. They defeated that animal. And, although it’s kind of gruesome to contemplate. If you defeated an enemy, back then you might decapitate them and raise their head on a sword or spear for all to see. You were saying, “I’ve conquered them”. That’s what I feel is going on here. The brass serpent was a representation of a snake being conquered, overcome, and killed. So yes, the brazen serpent is a symbol for Christ in the sense that He defeated the snake. His atonement and resurrection overcome the fiery poisons of death and sin.

What’s the principle taught here?

If I look to Christ and believe in Him, then I will be healed of sin and death and receive eternal life. That’s how I would word it.

Now read Alma 33:19-22

What two reasons does Alma give us for the people not being willing to look at the brass serpent?

The two reasons. They didn’t believe it could heal them AND they were slothful. Unbelief and laziness. Two of the major reasons people don’t look to Christ and his gospel for help. And is there any doubt that our world is suffering—that there is much wickedness, and pain, and suffering in it. Two reasons for this pain? Unbelief and laziness. These two things hold so many back from healing and happiness.

What can Christ’s gospel and atonement do for all spiritual diseases?

It can heal them. If they just look, they will live. If they will just “begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works.” If they do this, they will be healed.

What is the spiritual equivalent to “looking at the brass serpent”? How do we do the same thing today?

Simple. We repent. We believe and work. Work to change, work to live the gospel.

What does this story teach you about repentance and forgiveness?

One of the biggest lessons that I believe this story teaches us is the simplicity of the solution. I don’t believe that it’s saying that repentance or change is easy. That certainly requires a lot of effort and sacrifice. But the solution is easy. Knowing what we need to do is simple. It’s not complicated. Come to the Savior and be healed, that’s it. In fact, I believe the simple solution to all of the world’s major problems is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t think we need all these committees, and think tanks, and governments, and self-help authors, and professors to come up with complicated solutions to complicated problems. If all would just turn to him and look upon his life and his example and strive to live the same way, this world would become like Eden once again. War, greed, abuse, violence, prejudice, cynicism, lust, and corruption could all be solved by looking to Christ. And may I suggest that all of our life’s problems can be solved in the same way. Look and live. Christ has the power to heal all hurt, all pain, all doubt, all regret, and all sin. The snake is defeated in his love and sacrifice.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Are there any problems in your life right now that could be helped by looking to Christ?

Have you ever experienced a time when you felt looking to Christ helped to heal you?

CONCLUSION

Now if you have been bitten, and we all get bitten, please remember that all is not lost. There is a way to be healed. This is yet another perspective changer. To realize that the solution to our problems is simple and not overly complicated. There is a powerful antivenin that works every time. Look to the Savior, and he will heal you. It's just that easy. It works. I've seen it in my own life. Please don’t be put off by the simpleness of the way. Cast your eyes in his direction and you will feel that sickness leaving your soul. Look and live.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGER #4-TALKING TO THE DONKEY

ICEBREAKER

As an icebreaker, I like to show a few animal pictures and ask, “What qualities do we typically associate with these animals?” For example, what quality do we associate with bees? As busy as a bee. Try these ones out:

Ox=Strength “As strong as an ox”.

Lion=Pride “As proud as lion”

Dog=Loyalty “As loyal as a dog”

Mouse=Quiet “As quiet as a mouse”

And then what about this one?

Donkeys or mules. What quality are they known for? Stubbornness. “As stubborn as a mule”. Now there’s a phenomenal story in the Old Testament where the Lord is going to use a donkey to teach us a powerful perspective changing principle.

SEARCH

Let me set this story up for you a bit. I’d like to introduce you to a prophet named Balaam. Balaam lives in Moab. Now it’s fairly apparent that Balaam is a legitimate prophet. He worships Jehovah but is just not a part of the Children of Israel. And as they begin to travel near Moab, Balak, the king of Moab is really worried about this people that were powerful enough to thwart the Egyptians and defeat the Amalakites. So he decides he needs to hire a legitimate prophet to curse the Israelites and protect his people and their interests. So he sends some very important people, some of the princes of Moab, with “the rewards of divination” or money to persuade him to curse the people. Well, it’s apparent that Balaam does indeed desire those rewards, and is flattered by the attention. So he tells the princes to stay and that he will go and ask the Lord for counsel. God’s answer in verse 12

12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

Now that’s a fairly straightforward answer. Don’t go with them. He even says it with a “Thou Shalt” in there, with the wording of a commandment.

And Balaam, to his credit, gives a great answer. He says:

Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

Now when Balak hears that Balaam won’t come, he decides to try again, but this time resolves to sweeten the pot a little and increase the pressure. So he sends more princes, more and more honorable than they. So even more important people and to make Balaam the following promise:

17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

And once again, Balaam gives a pretty darn good answer. He says:

“If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.”

And if that were the end of the story, this would be a very different lesson. We might be holding Balaam up as a Bible hero rather than a cautionary tale. Here is somebody who was willing to reject the bribes and rewards of the world to stand up for what was right. But it’s not the end of the story.

The very next sentence is where Balaam starts to go wrong. What’s wrong with what he says in verse 19.

19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.

What’s wrong with this? He’s asking for a different answer. He doesn’t need to ask again. Perhaps he’s hoping for a different one. We know from a few verses in the New Testament that Balaam is tempted by rewards of Balak.

Jude 1:11

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

2 Peter 2:15

15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

So perhaps we’re missing something from the Old Testament that might clear up the seeming discrepancy between what he says and what he does. Those New Testament verses indicate that he wants those rewards, and though he’s strong enough to say that he can only say what God directs him to, he perhaps is hoping for some other way around it. It’s quite a natural thing to ask again and again for something if we’re not happy with the answer we’ve been given. And here’s where I feel we get yet another example of God giving somebody what they want to help teach them a lesson. And, it also gives God the opportunity to teach all of us something as well. So this time, the Lord’s answer is:

20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

So he allows him to go, but then uses this journey of Balaam’s to teach the lesson through a fantastic and memorable object lesson. A donkey.

So this is where we’ll actually pick up the story verse by verse.

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

Now anyone who has ridden a horse before knows how frustrating it can be when it won’t go the way you want it to. Donkeys are known to be even more stubborn. I wonder if God ever feels like that when he strives to get us to walk the strait and narrow path and we, like donkeys, push against his will and seek to go our own way. Continuing on:

26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

And I don’t know what’s funnier, the fact that the donkey’s actually talking or that Balaam just starts talking right back to it as if nothing is strange about that situation. But again, are we ever like that donkey? Do we refuse to go forward according to the will of the Lord. Do we stubbornly dig in our heals and insist to have things our own way. Balaam’s answer to the donkey is an accurate self-judgment. He says:

Because thou hast mocked me:

What has Balaam done to the Lord’s guidance and counsel? He’s mocked it by going on in his own way. God has given Balaam a chance to know what it’s like to work with an obstinate person—somebody that asks you for wisdom but has no intention of actually following it. In a sense the Lord is saying, “Balaam, you know what you’re acting like right? You’re acting like an ass, a donkey, is what I mean”. You should have been satisfied with my first answer. Joseph Smith learned that same painful lesson with the loss of the 116 pages and Martin Harris.

And now to conclude this story, the donkey answers back:

30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.

31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

32 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

35 And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

TRUTH

When God has given counsel or guidance, accept it! Don’t stubbornly continue to seek a different answer or you may find yourself looking very foolish later.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Now do we ever make the same mistake? Do we ever push back against the answers and counsels of God? Have you ever tried to get a different answer? Have you ever been frustrated with God’s timing and sought to tell him when you feel certain blessings or promises should come? Have you ever tried to rationalize away a commandment or a standard because you felt you should be an exception to the rule. I mean, do we really need to ask the Lord what course of action we should take when its already been spelled out in black and white by his scriptures and his prophets? We know that the Lord wants all worthy young men to serve missions, but do we seek to be an exception to that rule. Do we say things like “Yes, I understand the modesty standards in the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet are there for a reason, but those don’t really apply to my situation. I’m and exception”. Do we really need to ask the Lord if we should pay our tithing? Follow the dating standards? or obey the Word of Wisdom? Do we stubbornly seek for God to change his mind. And when we disregard those counsels, I think that usually it’s because we’re motivated by the honors and the rewards of the world. When we’re tempted to do this, perhaps it would be good to have a little imaginary conversation with Balaam’s donkey. We can picture her staring back at us and asking, “So you know what you’re acting like, right?” It’s very silly and stubborn of us to lean unto our own understanding rather than trusting in the Lord with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6)

CONCLUSION

So the next time we’re tempted to seek a different answer, or counsel, or commandment from God, let’s talk to the talking donkey. It’s very likely she will have some very good advice to give us.

FINAL NOTE

One final note about Balaam. I want you to know a little more about what happens to him. In the succeeding chapters, Balak brings Balaam to a high place overlooking the camp of Israel and asks him to curse them. And instead of cursing them, he blesses them instead. Balak then decides to try a different location. He too is making the same mistake that Balaam just made. He wants a different answer and so he thinks maybe changing locations might help. And there, Balaam once again blesses the Israelites instead of cursing them. And this happens once again. But here’s what’s interesting. It’s apparent that Balaam still really wants those riches, and so he gives Balak some counsel. Look at how this episode is described in the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 2:14

14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Balaam taught Balak a more effective way of causing the Israelites to stumble. He must have said, in essence, “Balak, I am prevented by my Lord and my covenants from cursing Israel. But I can tell you how to get their God to curse them. Involve them in the immoral practices associated with idol worship in your country. These people are very susceptible to peer pressure and idolatry. That’s how you get them.” Thus we read in Numbers 25:1 that “the people began to commit whoredoms with the daughters of Moab,” and that they learned to do so “through the counsel of Balaam.” (Num. 31:16) So Balaam turns out to be a villain anyway. Therefore, I believe that’s why we learn what we do in Numbers 31:8. When the Israelites do attack the area, who do we find amongst the dead? Balaam. He’s numbered with the casualties.