Old Testament Lesson 16

Lesson 16 - I Cannot Go Beyond the Word of the Lord
Numbers 22-24, 31

Background -
The Israelites have moved beyond Mt Sinai. Because of rebellion and fear they do not advance directly into the Promised Land.
Instead, God determines the adults who refused to come into His presence at Sinai, and later feared the inhabitants
in the land of Canaan, would not enter the Promised Land. Israel would instead wander in the wilderness for forty years.

From Map 2 in the LDS Bible, we find that Israel took a very long route to the land of Canaan. Mt Sinai is traditionally believed to be near the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. A quicker and easier route would have been to follow the coast line of the Mediterranean Sea on the ancient highway, the Way of the Sea.

Link to map

1. Rameses Israel was thrust out of Egypt (Ex. 12; Num. 33:5).
2. Succoth After the Hebrews left this first campsite, the Lord attended them in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:20–22).
3. Pi-hahiroth Israel passed through the Red Sea (Ex. 14; Num. 33:8).
4. Marah The Lord healed the waters of Marah (Ex. 15:23–26).
5. Elim Israel camped by 12 springs (Ex. 15:27).
6. Wilderness of Sin The Lord sent manna and quail to feed Israel (Ex. 16).
7. Rephidim Israel fought with Amalek (Ex. 17:8–16).
8. Mount Sinai (Mount Horeb or Jebel Musa) The Lord revealed the Ten Commandments (Ex. 19–20).
9. Sinai Wilderness Israel constructed the tabernacle (Ex. 25–30).
10. Wilderness Camps Seventy elders were called to help Moses govern the people (Num. 11:16–17).
11. Ezion-geber Israel passed through the lands of Esau and Ammon in peace (Deut. 2).
12. Kadesh-barnea Moses sent spies into the promised land; Israel rebelled and failed to enter the land; Kadesh served as the main camp of Israel for many years (Num. 13:1–3, 17–33; 14; 32:8;Deut. 2:14).
13. Eastern Wilderness Israel avoided conflict with Edom and Moab (Num. 20:14–21; 22–24).
14. Arnon River Israel destroyed the Amorites who fought against them (Deut. 2:24–37).
15. Mount Nebo Moses viewed the promised land (Deut. 34:1–4). Moses delivered his last three sermons (Deut. 1–32).
16. Plains of Moab The Lord told Israel to divide the land and dispossess the inhabitants (Num. 33:50–56).
17. Jordan River Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. Near Gilgal, stones from the bottom of the Jordan River were placed as a monument of Jordan’s waters being divided (Josh. 3:1–5:1).
18. Jericho The children of Israel captured and destroyed the city (Josh. 6).

(Outside purple line is the King’s Highway)

Map of the Exile
This journey to Sinai and back took Israel through the lands of other peoples and vast desert wastelands, such as the Wilderness of Paran.
Israel first moved through that desert to the southern borders of the Promised Land at Kadesh-Barnea (12) in the Wilderness of Zin. However, when Israel's twelve spies returned with most insisting they couldn't win, God cursed them for 40 years, as mentioned above. Israel returned into the Wilderness of Paran (path between 12 and 13) to wander for years until most of the rebellious had died there. Eventually they made their way back to Ezion-Geber (11) and the boundary of the Sinai Peninsula.

That said, we see that Israel still moved forward, conquering many of the nations they came across, slowly learning obedience as the new generation of free Israelites replaced the old slave/victim mentality of the first generation of the Exodus.

Edom
Numbers 20
(Number 20:1-13 is the story of the Waters of Meribah, Moses bringing forth water from the rock but not giving credit to God)

⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,⁸ “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” ⁹ So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.

¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

To meet the need for water, Moses was commanded to speak to a rock to get water. But he disobeyed and instead struck the rock with his familiar instrument of divine power, his rod, as he had done before. The previous time had been in compliance with a command, however (see Exodus 17:6–7). Moreover, on this occasion he “took honor to himself” saying, “Must we fetch you water out of this rock?”

President Spencer W. Kimball explained: “Even Moses, like many of us, seemed to let his humility cloak wear thin and threadbare. The wanderers had come to the desert of Zin. . . . But Moses, undoubtedly annoyed to the limit of human endurance, forgot himself and said to them, ‘ . . . Hear now, ye rebels: must we fetch you water out of this rock?’ The Lord was displeased with Moses in assuming to perform the miracle. I can imagine the Lord saying something like this: ‘Who, did you say? Who made the water? Who made the rock? Moses! Who brought the water from the rock?’. . . . Moses had integrity in great measure, but when he had presumptuously taken credit for the Lord’s miracle, for a single moment he had forgotten” (Humility, 7; see alsoIntegrity, 10). (Verse by Verse, The Old Testament, Skinner)

 

As they left the Sinai Peninsula, one of the first nations Israel came across was Edom (Numbers 20:14-21).

¹⁴ Now Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. “Thus says your brother Israel: ‘You know all the hardship that has befallen us, ¹⁵ how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.¹⁶ When we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border. ¹⁷ Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the King’s Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’”

¹⁸ Then Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword.”

The King's Highway passed through the land, offering an easier path to the lands east of the Dead (Salt) Sea and the Jordan River. Israel requested to peacefully pass through the area, offering to pay for water used and any damage caused. But Edom refused. Israel turned to go another way.

Why didn't Israel just invade and destroy Edom as they did previously? Unlike the people in Sinai, this was family. Edom is another name for Esau, Jacob's brother. This was their family. The nation of Israel calls itself "thy brother" to Esau. This was Esau's inheritance, granted by God and Isaac. When Edom sent an army to defend its border, Israel turned away to seek another longer and more difficult route.

Aaron's Death
Numbers 20:22-29
As stated by God when Moses and Aaron disobeyed at Meribah (see vs 7-12), they would not enter into the land of promise.
Moses, Aaron and Eleazar ascend Mount Hor, where the chief priest's garments are removed from Aaron and placed upon his son, Eleazar.

In previous lessons we've discussed the ancient tradition of the holy garment of Adam being passed down from father to son in the legitimate passing of priesthood power. Here the tradition starts anew as Aaron symbolizes Adam passing his own garment and authority on to his son, Seth.
This also symbolizes Christ receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood from his Father. Paul wrote:

"For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins...
"And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
"So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day I have begotten thee.
"As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec" (Hebrews 5:1-6).

In this quote, Jesus receives his priesthood authority from his Father, just as Eleazar would receive it from Aaron.
Moses and Eleazar descend from the mountain top, the new generation high priest ready to faithfully perform his duties.

Israel Destroys the Nations
Numbers 21
Unlike the Edomites, the other peoples in the region are not considered family. When other nations came against them, Israel destroyed their armies first and then the cities were destroyed.

21 The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. ² So Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” ³ And the Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called Hormah.^[a]

and Hormah means “utter destruction”.

Israel passed by Edom (remember Esau), but still sought to use the King's Highway (red path on above map) as an easier path to travel. This time, Israel asked for safe passage through the Amorite nation, just north of Edom and to the east of the Dead Sea. The Amorites had recently conquered the Moabites, driving many of them from the land. They were not interested in allowing a nation with 600,000 men to pass through the center of their territory.

The Amorite king, Sihon, sent an army to stop Israel. However "Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land" (21:24). While not originally a part of the Promised Land, Israel finally had a place to dwell, refresh themselves, and prepare to enter the land of promise.

Israel also gained control of a portion of the King's Highway, a major trade route. Israel could obtain much needed funds by charging trade caravans for using their road and to pass through the land.

One by one, the Israelites conquered cities and nations until they came upon the Moabites.

Balaam, Magician and Advisor of Pharaoh (backstory)
Numbers 22
We first mentioned Balaam in lesson #13 on the Exodus. According to the Book of Jasher, Baalam was a a chief advisor to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He originally fled his home land, when the king of Chittim was slain, and went into Egypt. "And Pharaoh received him with great honor, for he had heard of his wisdom, and he gave him presents and made him for a counsellor, and aggrandized him. And Balaam dwelt in Egypt, in honor with all the nobles of the king, and the nobles exalted him, because they all coveted to learn his wisdom" (Jasher 67:8-10).
Pharaoh dreams a terrible and foreboding dream. Balaam suggests he calls forth his two main counselors to advise him on the dream:

"18 And Balaam the son of Beor answered the king and said unto him, This means nothing else but a great evil that will spring up against Egypt in the latter days.
19 For a son will be born to Israel who will destroy all Egypt and its inhabitants, and bring forth the Israelites from Egypt with a mighty hand.
20 Now therefore, O king, take counsel upon this matter, that you may destroy the hope of the children of Israel and their expectation, before this evil arise against Egypt.
21 And the king said unto Balaam, And what shall we do unto Israel? surely after a certain manner did we at first counsel against them and could not prevail over them.
22 Now therefore give you also advice against them by which we may prevail over them.
23 And Balaam answered the king, saying, Send now and call thy two counsellors, and we will see what their advice is upon this matter and afterward thy servant will speak.
24 And the king sent and called his two counsellors Reuel (Jethro) the Midianite and Job the Uzite, and they came and sat before the king.
25 And the king said to them, Behold you have both heard the dream which I have dreamed, and the interpretation thereof; now therefore give counsel and know and see what is to be done to the children of Israel, whereby we may prevail over them, before their evil shall spring up against us.
26 And Reuel (Jethro) the Midianite answered the king and said, May the king live, may the king live forever.
27 If it seem good to the king, let him desist from the Hebrews and leave them, and let him not stretch forth his hand against them."

Reuel is Jethro, the man who later would be Moses' father-in-law. He was a priest after the order of Melchizedek and would one day ordain Moses to the priesthood (D&C 84:6). He went into a long history of Abraham and his descendants, how Jehovah had protected them from Pharaohs and other kings in the past. It would be best to leave the Hebrews alone, and not go against them and their God.
When asked, Job the Uzite deferred to the king's best judgment. Then Pharaoh asked Balaam his advice.

"42 And the king said to Job the Uzite, What sayest thou Job, and what is thy advice respecting the Hebrews?
43 So Job said to the king, Behold all the inhabitants of the land are in thy power, let the king do as it seems good in his eyes.
44 And the king said unto Balaam, What dost thou say, Balaam, speak thy word that we may hear it.
45 And Balaam said to the king, Of all that the king has counselled against the Hebrews will they be delivered, and the king will not be able to prevail over them with any counsel.
46 For if thou thinkest to lessen them by the flaming fire, thou canst not prevail over them, for surely their God delivered Abraham their father from Ur of the Chaldeans; and if thou thinkest to destroy them with a sword, surely Isaac their father was delivered from it, and a ram was placed in his stead.
47 And if with hard and rigorous labor thou thinkest to lessen them, thou wilt not prevail even in this, for their father Jacob served Laban in all manner of hard work, and prospered.
48 Now therefore, O King, hear my words, for this is the counsel which is counselled against them, by which thou wilt prevail over them, and from which thou shouldst not depart.
49 If it please the king let him order all their children which shall be born from this day forward, to be thrown into the water, for by this canst thou wipe away their name, for none of them, nor of their fathers, were tried in this manner.
50 And the king heard the words of Balaam, and the thing pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Balaam" (Jasher 68).

In other words, kings have tried to slay Abraham and his descendants with flame and sword in the past, and were unsuccessful. However, no one before had ever attempted to drown the male children. In this, perhaps, Pharaoh would find a loophole to destroy Israel and stop the dreamed prophesy from coming to pass. However, Pharaoh still could not succeed. Somehow the majority of the children were preserved, even when Pharaoh's armies attempted to seize and drown them. Jethro/Reuel was disgusted and left Egypt, returning to his home in Midian.
A few years later, as the young child Moses sat eating with the king, the boy grabbed Pharaoh's crown and placed it upon his own head. Balaam insisted this child was the one who would topple Egypt. Only an angel's intercession kept the child from being slain. As Moses grew, he later heard how Balaam was instrumental in the deaths of the Hebrew children, and attempted to have Moses killed. Moses sought his life, but Balaam was warned and fled (Jasher 70).
Here we see that Balaam and Moses have a long history. Balaam, while a man of foresight and counsel, used it to fight against God and his chosen servant. Balaam knew he had a very nice life in Egypt, and a spoiler like Moses would surely ruin it if he wasn't stopped.

Balak, King of Moab seeks Balaam's Help
Numbers 22
One thing is for certain. Balaam is famous. As Balak, King of Moab, sees that Israel has destroyed the Amalekites and other nations in front of them, he realizes that an army is insufficient to stop the Hebrews. Therefore, Balak seeks a different approach to winning against Israel. He sends for Balaam to use his magical prowess to curse Israel. The king realizes that he whom Balaam "blesses [is] blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed" (Numbers 22:6).

Numbers 22² Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. ⁴ So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. ⁵ Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River^[a] in the land of the sons of his people,^[b] to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! ⁶ Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

 

Balaam seems to be a follower of many gods. The Lord Jehovah is one of a pantheon of war-like gods that Balaam deals with. He knows Jehovah has power, yet he often acts as if he can outsmart Jehovah with magic, stealth, and the power of other gods.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie:

“Let me tell you the story of a prophet, in some respects a very great prophet, but one ‘who loved the wages of unrighteousness,’ who ‘was rebuked for his iniquity’ in a most strange and unusual way, and whose actions (which included the uttering of great and true prophecies) were described by another prophet in another day as ‘madness.’ . . .

“Our story took place on the plains of Moab near Jericho; . . . the chief participants were Balak, king of the Moabites, and Balaam, a prophet from the land of Midian. Israel’s hosts, numbering in the millions, had just devastated the land of the Amorites and were camped on the borders of Moab. Fear and anxiety filled the hearts of the people of Moab and Balak their king. Would they also be overrun and slaughtered by these warriors of Jehovah? . . .

“What a story this is! Here is a prophet of God who is firmly committed to declare only what the Lord of heaven directs. There does not seem to be the slightest doubt in his mind about the course he should pursue. He represents the Lord, and neither a house full of gold and silver nor high honors offered by the king can sway him from his determined course. . . .

“But greed for wealth and lust for honor beckon him. How marvelous it would be to be rich and powerful . . .

“Perhaps the Lord would let him compromise his standards and have some worldly prosperity and power as well as a testimony of the gospel. . . .

“I wonder how often some of us get our directions from the Church and then, Balaam-like, plead for some worldly rewards and finally receive an answer which says, in effect, If you are determined to be a millionaire or to gain this or that worldly honor, go ahead, with the understanding that you will continue to serve the Lord. Then we wonder why things don’t work out for us as well as they would have done if we had put first in our lives the things of God’s kingdom? . . .

“And don’t we all know people who, though they were once firm and steadfast in testimony, are now opposing the Lord’s purposes and interests on earth because money and power have twisted their judgment of what should or should not be?

“Balaam, the prophet, inspired and mighty as he once was, lost his soul in the end because he set his heart on the things of this world rather than the riches of eternity” (New Era, Apr. 1972, 7).

 

Balak's messengers arrive and tell Balaam to come and curse the Hebrews for the king of Moab. The Lord commands Balaam not to go with them, for he has chosen Israel. Balaam initially refuses to go. When Balak sends princes and an offer of wealth and power to Balaam, he does not refuse them. He tells them he will go, but will speak the word of God, "I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord to do more or less" (22:18).

At this point, we find a conflict in the writing. Balaam tells the princes he will see what God tells him at night, in which the Lord tells him to go with the men, but only speak God's word. Yet, when he goes with them, "God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him" (22:20-22). Why would God tell him to go, and then seek to hedge up his way? Because Balaam outwardly was professing he would do as the Lord commanded him, but in his thoughts he conspired.

He was hedging his bets, and keeping an open mind as to how he would handle the situation once he was with Balak. What Balaam did not understand is that the Lord could read his thoughts.

The incident with Balaam's ass helps us to understand this. The angel of the Lord stood in the path with a sword to slay Balaam.  And why would he do this?  Balaam was planning to say what was necessary to get gain.  Why else stop him?

²² Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. ²⁴ Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.²⁶ Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there wasno way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. ²⁷ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

²⁸ Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

²⁹ And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

³⁰ So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.³² And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. ³³ The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

³⁴ And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

³⁵ Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. (The Lord clarifies with Balaam what he is allowed to say)

³⁶ Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. ³⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”

³⁸ And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” ³⁹ So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth.⁴⁰ Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes whowere with him.

In Balak’s mind, gods could be bribed. However, when Balaam returns from speaking with God, all he can do is bless Israel. Balak is beside himself, and suggests they do it again from a hill where they can actually see Israel approaching.

Numbers 23⁸ “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

¹² So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”

Once again, Balak offers sacrifice to God, expecting God to change his mind and accept the sacrificial bribe. But Balaam returns and tells him, "God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent...behold I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it" (23:19-20).

In other words, God holds to his word. While men, such as Balak and Balaam, can be bribed or caused to change their minds, God isn't tempted by mortal entreaties.

Balaam had tried to destroy Moses and Israel before in Egypt and failed due to God's power. Now Balaam resigns himself to speak for God. "Surely there is no enchantment against jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!" (23:23). Balak tries one more tactic. Perhaps he could convince Balaam to neither curse nor bless Israel, but just keep things as they were before. Again Balaam says he cannot, and Balak tries once again in another location.

The Star out of Jacob and a Sceptre of Israel
Numbers 24
Balaam instructed Balak to build seven altars and again offer sacrifice to the Lord. Balaam realized that God wanted to bless Israel, so he no longer sought any "enchantments" or legal wrangling to find a loophole in order to curse Israel (24:1). Instead, he tried a new approach. He looked upon the children of Israel in the wilderness, and the Spirit caused him to not only bless them, but to curse those that curse Israel (24:5-9).
Balak exploded in anger, "I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times." Balak warned Balaam to flee back to his home, evidently to avoid the king's wrath. However, Balaam reminded him that he warned the princes that he would only speak God's will. Balaam then foretells the future of Israel and the nations around it. He sees the day when the "Star out of Jacob and a Sceptre" would arise that would overpower the nations around Israel. "Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city" (24:17-19).

Numbers 24

¹⁷ “I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of tumult.^[b]

¹⁸ “And Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
While Israel does valiantly.
¹⁹ Out of Jacob One shall have dominion,
And destroy the remains of the city.”

 

This prophesy has a dual symbolism. King David would be the king of Israel who would conquer the surrounding nations, and establish the first true powerful kingdom and nation of Israel. Yet it would be the Son of David who would completely fulfill the prophesy. Jesus Christ would come as the "Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre" risen from Israel. At his Second Coming, he would smite the enemies of Israel, and take the land as an eternal possession for spiritual Israel.

The word "star" can denote several things in ancient Hebrew lore. Job saw the "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). In this verse, God references the premortal existence and the divine council of heaven. When the plan came forth, all shouted for joy. The "Star out of Jacob" in Job's story would have been Jesus Christ in his role as Jehovah in the premortal existence.
And the star was significant in the New Testament and Book of Mormon. We read, "And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word" (3 Nephi 1:21). In the Middle East, this star was noticed by shepherds and followed by wise men. For the Nephites, it occurred during a time when the unbelievers were set to kill all believers. The people were so astonished at the sign of Christ's birth that they fell to the earth in amazement.
The Sceptre represents kingly authority. It was definitely represented in King David, who was called and anointed by God through his prophet, Samuel. David conquered the surrounding lands and established a strong monarchy. Yet his earthly reign was temporary and fell with the rebellions of his descendants. However, Christ shall come and reign as king of the earth during his Millennial reign. At that time,

"shall be the sound of his trump, saying to all people, both in heaven and in earth, and that are under the earth—for every ear shall hear it, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, while they hear the sound of the trump, saying: Fear God, and give glory to him who sitteth upon the throne, forever and ever; for the hour of his judgment is come" (D&C 88:104).

Israel is led away by the "daughters of men"
Numbers 25
Prior to the flood, the stories are told of the righteous sons/angels of God looking upon the "daughters of men" and being tempted away from their holy responsibility and calling. In falling away, they took their knowledge of God and used it to corrupt themselves and the world they dwelt in. Only the Flood could end their vast apostasy and violence.
The pattern returns as Israel, with a several victories under their belt, and now accustomed to daily miracles bringing them bread, are enticed by the daughters of Moab. It was a very common thing in war, at least until the Geneva Convention, for conquering armies to plunder, pillage and take whatever they wanted. Israel has observed it in the past as the Egyptian and other armies around them have done the same thing.

Numbers 25: 1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

The pattern will be seen again and again. The covenant people of God are tempted by the daughters of men or the riches of the world. They go whoring after unrighteousness, and consume themselves in their lusts. Then they leave worshiping the Lord, and seek to worship the god/idol of the land. Baal-peor was the Canaanite god who was very similar to Jehovah in many respects. Baal means "Lord", and Peor was a mountain in Moab. Here we have a local version of the god Baal. As Israel had once worshiped the Lord Jehovah on His holy Mount Sinai, the Israelites were now worshiping the local god Baal on Mount Peor. A part of the Baal-Peor worship was sensual/sexual fulfillment, therefore the two went hand in hand. The daughters of Moab were essentially priestesses to Baal-Peor, and their duty was to lure men into whoredoms and worship. (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=12&letter=B)
The Lord commanded Moses to slay all those men who followed after Baal-Peor, and it was done by the judges of Israel. A plague hits Israel, and many mourn in front of the Tabernacle, begging the Lord to forgive Israel. Phinehas, son of Eleazar the chief high priest, saw an Israelite man actually bring one of the Moabite women into camp. Phineas grabbed a javelin and thrust the man and woman through. The plague was stayed once Israel showed they would not allow such sin to enter into their camp, or near the Tabernacle of Jehovah.

10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

As in ancient Israel, today we see among us many who would walk away from their covenant and promise in order to worship other gods and idols. Today's idols are often material things that keep us from doing the great work God asks of us. We are too busy to proclaim his word, serve our fellow men, or study our scriptures. Busy with what? Entertainment, work, and other pleasures that aren't necessarily evil, except when they replace God in the center of our lives. Too few of us today are like Phinehas, who quickly served God and his people in his zeal to end a plague. Too many of us allow the plagues of our day to continue, because we do not speak out against them. We tolerate or even promote promiscuity, materialism, selfishness, cruelty, and lifestyles that impoverish mind, body and soul.

Israel, the Next Generation
Numbers 26

Moses and Eleazar the priest number the children of Israel. Forty years in the wilderness has passed and all of the former generation have died, except for two.

63 These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65 For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

God retains his blessings and promises to those who are truly faithful to him. Over the many years, Israel was tried and tested to determine their loyalty to God. Even after 40 years of wandering, many still were tempted to join with the worshipers of Baal-Peor. Only after many years and several plagues, were the Israelites purified enough to enter into the Promised Land. All that remained of the original Israelites, besides Moses and Eleazar (Levi), were Caleb (Judah) and Joshua (Ephraim). Of the four, only three would enter into the Holy Land, representing Levi, Judah, and Ephraim, the three main tribes of Israel.

A Replacement for Moses
Numbers 27
Moses was promised, due to his rebellion that he would not enter into the Promised Land. Now that Israel was across the Jordan River from that land, they were soon ready to cross over. They would need a new prophet to replace Moses. But how does one set apart a prophet?

12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
14 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
15 And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying,
16 Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
17 Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
18 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;
19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Joshua was called as prophet in a process:

1. It was revealed by revelation from a prophet.

2. It was done before all the people.

3. One with authority placed his hands upon the new prophet.

As Paul would later say regarding priesthood authority, "no man taketh this honour unto himself save he be called of God, as was Aaron" (Hebrews 5:4). Aaron's son, Eleazar was in the audience when Joshua was ordained and set before Eleazar and the congregation. The pattern continued through the history of prophets and Hebrew kings.

Midianites destroyed
Numbers 31
All good things and all not-so-good things must come to an end. So it is with Balak and his kingdom. 12,000 soldiers, one thousand from each tribe are sent forward. Eleazar and the other priests go with them, carrying the holy instruments, and the trumpets. Trumpets were used anciently in war for communication. It was a quick and easy way to tell the soldiers to charge, retreat, or regroup. They could also be used to encourage.

The trumpets used were probably shofars, ram's horns shaped into trumpets. They were used by Israel for religious events, musical accompaniments, and to signal the beginning of a war (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shofar). The holy instruments were the sacred instruments of the sanctuary or Tabernacle. These could have included the Ark of the Covenant, which did go into battle frequently with Israel.

The Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence. Imagine having the holy presence of the Lord up on a hilltop as the soldiers ran into battle! Such would be awe inspiring, giving the soldiers courage to defeat the enemy. It also represented the concept of each nation's God pitching in battle against one another. Would Jehovah be stronger than Baal-Peor?
Israel won the battle. All of the males were slain, and the women and children taken into captivity. When they returned to the camp, Moses was upset.

15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
18 But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Israel slew all of the adult women and boys, keeping only the young girls. Why? Because the boys would one day grow up and perhaps challenge Israel's authority, just as Israel had become numerous and challenged Egypt. The women were instructed in the worship of Baal-Peor, which included sexual rites, and these had already led many sons of Israel into apostasy. Moses did not want to take the chance of Israel falling away from Jehovah, and losing the promised covenant.

For many people, it is strange that Jehovah and Moses would teach, "Thou Shalt Not Murder", but then approve the slaughter of small children and defenseless women. In this instance we learn that the commandment could aptly be adjusted to state: "Thou shalt not kill, unless God commands otherwise." We find this same sentiment in the command the Spirit gave Nephi to slay the drunken Laban. For Nephi, it was necessary to slay him in order to obtain the Brass Plates.

12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;
13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

Clearly, if the Lord has a purpose, then killing is justified. In Moses' case, it was to preserve the purity of Israel. In Nephi's case, it was to ensure the Nephites (also Israelites) remained true to the promised covenant. It shows us that God does not view things from a temporary or short term viewpoint, but from the long term, even the eternal viewpoint. Those that were slain would receive opportunity to hear the gospel, be resurrected, and receive the covenant themselves in the latter days. But God had to prepare a people that could be a light unto the world, a people where Jesus Christ, the Sceptre and Star of Judah could come forth and bless all mankind.

Old Testament Lesson 15

Gospel Doctrine Lesson #15, Look to God and Live
Numbers 11-14, 21




Background: The Israelites have spent months at Mt Sinai, where they have received the Mosaic Law and built the Tabernacle, a mobile temple. The people refused to enter into God’s presence, and so lost the main blessings of the Melchizedek Priesthood and the key to the “mysteries of godliness.” In its place, they received the Levitical or Aaronic Priesthood to perform outward ordinances in the tabernacle, with the view that these would prepare them for the higher ordinances later on (D&C 84:19-27).

D&C 84  19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.

 20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.

 21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;

 22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.

 23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;

 24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.

 25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;

 26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;

 27 Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb.

Already the Israelites have shown intent to murmur and rebel, choosing to replace Jehovah with the golden calf, complaining about God leading them into the wilderness to die of thirst and/or starvation, etc. It is only through God and Moses’ patience that the people are not destroyed and replaced. These rebellions will occur frequently and often, just like Laman and Lemuel…

With the Tabernacle (temple or House of God) and the Ark of the Covenant/Mercy Seat (God’s throne) to lead the way, Israel departs from Sinai and heads towards the Promised Land.

Flesh Pots of Egypt again
Numbers 11

After several months of eating manna, the people began to wish for a varied diet. They reminisce about the meat they had to eat in Egypt, and murmured.

Flesh Pots is a term that sounds almost like it has a sexual connotation, but in the OT it doesn’t.  (More modern usage makes this QUITE a sexual term, but here it doesn’t) It simply hearkens back to the pots of food in Egypt.  The boiling cauldrons.  In a way it’s a metaphor for wanting what they can’t have. 

One of the things we didn’t cover last week is in Exodus 16.  In it we read that God provided both manna and quail, supposedly as a permanent solution. Why would they long for meat now, if quail was already provided?

Exodus 16 ¹¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹² “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

¹³ So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. ¹⁴ And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 

 In Numbers 11:13, Moses tells the Lord that he has no idea how to provide enough meat for the people.

Number 11 ¹³ Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ ¹⁴ I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.

 If God had already provided quail in the past, why would Moses now be uncertain on how to provide quail again? Also, was the quail given in Exodus 16 a temporary event, or was it to be a continual event for them? If continual, why would they need to ask for meat again and complain about the Egyptian flesh pots? If temporary, why did they complain again about Egyptian flesh pots, and instead ask God to provide quail again? And if so, why would God satisfy their need at Sinai, but deal with them angrily now?

Number 11 ³¹ Now a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. ³² And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread themout for themselves all around the camp.

The Documentary Hypothesis

This is an example of evidence for the Documentary Hypothesis. As discussed before, some scholars believe that the Old Testament and particularly the Books of Moses as we now have them were compiled from various oral traditions somewhere between 800-500 BC. Here we see the same story told twice, but with a different ending. The two oral traditions were brought into Old Testament text and treated as two separate incidents by later scribes, such as Ezra.

According to the Documentary Hypothesis, there were a variety of sources that combined over centuries to make the Bible as we now have it. The earliest written versions were by “J” (the Yahwist /Jehovah) and “E” (the Elohist / Elohim). Later additions and changes were made by “D” (Deuteronomist), “P” (Priest) and “R” (Redactor – usually thought to be Ezra). Little by little, these various versions were combined into the Old Testament we now have.

We see another example in the story of getting water at Meribah. We see Moses and Israel going twice to a place named Meribah. In the first example, God gladly gives them water by having an angel stand above the rock Moses is to strike (Exodus 17). In the second instance, Moses goes to the rock and angrily chastises Israel asking them if he has to get them water from a rock before they will believe him. God is angry with Moses and Aaron for not giving God credit for the miracle, and does not allow either of them to enter into the Promised Land (Numbers 20).

Here we see the conflict that early authors brought into the sacred writ.

“J” wanted to ensure King David and the temple priests looked good,

“E” sought to show Moses and the patriarchs as strong and righteous individuals.

“J” had God chastise Moses and Aaron at Meribah

“E” did not such thing.

“J” was written in the land of Judah, probably in King Solomon’s reign, or the reign of his son.

“E” wrote his version of the sacred text after the division of Judah and Israel in King Jeroboam’s day, to support their version of the faith and to support their version of the priesthood, based upon Moses’ authority, and not on Aaron’s.

Interestingly, the Book of Mormon does mention Moses at Meribah (2 Ne 25:20).

 20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.

There is no mention of God chastising Moses, but rather that Moses did great miracles by God’s power. This is exactly how “E” would have written the story in the northern kingdom of Israel. Interestingly, there is a potentially stronger tie-in to the Book of Mormon.  (John Barney discussed the documentary hypothesis in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon thought here.) John Sorensen, an LDS scholar “goes on to state as his thesis that the variant Old Testament text of the brass plates corresponds to one of the "documents" from which the Pentateuch was compiled. In particular, he suggests E for this role, due to its origins in the north, the ancestral home of Lehi, and for other reasons.” In other words, Laban’s Brass Plates most likely originated in the northern kingdom of Israel, and may have been the original source for “E”! 

This is one of the reasons it’s important to not be an “offender for a word”, or base your testimony or belief in one word or phrase.  Think of the time span we are talking about here.  If the Torah is compiled from 800-500bce from documents written thousands of years ago, and more than that being compiled from various documents, the J, E, D, R, P…when I discuss the idea that “Jehovah” said a certain thing to “Elohim”, or they relate together in a certain way, keep in mind that these documents are being compiled together in ways we don’t entirely understand, and we do not want to base our testimony on something this shaky.  When I have said earlier this year that Jehovah always appears for Elohim, and Patriarch Johnson or others disagree, intimating that perhaps Elohim himself appeared…we cannot know this from the Torah, from these books of the bible.  We use our best guess. 

Were they compiled together by an inspired prophet such as Isaiah?  Were they compiled by the uninspired Deuteronomists as a political move to push their agenda?  We don’t know.  The history is too old and the compilation is too old to know.  The Documentary Hypothesis is at play here in the OT as well as the NT.  There is a nice 8 part article written by a church member that appears in the Ensign in the early 80s that discusses how the Bible came to be.  It’s an excellent resource to explore this formation.  It is linked at the end of today’s lesson.  The articles that discuss the Brass Plates being a source or THE source for E are linked here in the lesson as well.

The Seventy Elders

Another example…
In Exodus 24 (see previous), we see that 70 elders went with Moses and saw God. In Numbers 11:14-17, we see where the seventy are called up and chosen.

Numbers 11 ¹⁶ So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 

Moses sees that the work is just too much for him to manage, and so God tells him to set apart 70 elders to assist him. Yet, isn't this similar to the Exodus story of Jethro telling Moses to select judges to assist him in the work? Either Moses required both judges and 70 elders to assist him, or we again have two different versions of an event being compiled into the same book.  The Documentary Hypothesis.

The Seventy go to the Tabernacle, where in front of the congregation of Israel, the Lord descends in a cloud "and took of the spirit that was upon him (Moses), and gave it unto the seventy elders" (Numbers 11:25).

²⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

With the Holy Ghost upon them, they too are able to prophesy, having some of the authority given to Moses. It is possible that these elders were given the Melchizedek Priesthood, so as to see God and to perform the work given to them (as D&C says must happen). Yet, while a few in Israel would possess the higher priesthood, the people primarily received the blessings of the Aaronic Priesthood and the temple work was still based on the lesser Aaronic Priesthood. 

Joseph F. Smith

Therefore, in Israel, the common people, the people generally, did not exercise the functions of priesthood in its fulness, but were confined in their labors and ministrations very largely to the Aaronic Priesthood. The withdrawal of the higher priesthood was from the people as a body, but the Lord still left among them men holding the Melchizedek Priesthood, with power to officiate in all its ordinances, so far as he determined that these ordinances should be granted unto the people. Therefore Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Elijah, and others of the prophets held the Melchizedek Priesthood, and their prophesying and their instructions to the people were directed by the Spirit of the Lord and made potent by virtue of that priesthood which was not made manifest generally among the people of Israel during all these years.

President Smith goes on to discuss that he believes that there was always at least one man in Israel that held the MP.

Pentecost-like prophecy
Two of the elders remained in the camp, or in the general congregation of Israel, where the Spirit also fell upon them and they also prophesied. Some were upset that they would attempt to prophesy away from the tabernacle, but Moses' response is one that still registers today:

Numbers 11 ²⁸ So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!”²⁹ Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” 

In other words, Moses wished that all the people had become worthy to stand in God's presence, see him, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and receive all the blessings of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which was now reserved for just a handful in Israel.  Similar things happened to Joseph Smith.  Perhaps those close to Moses are jealous of his position?

Today, many people dwell in the congregation of Israel, but refuse to receive the higher blessings of God. As discussed in a previous lesson, Moses wanted to take Israel onto the mountain of God to see God and receive a fullness of his blessings. How many of us live near a “mountain of God” or temple and never go to it, essentially “turning from it”. 

In rejecting Moses, the Israelites rejected God's fullness, and they were given the lesser priesthood and a Terrestrial or lesser blessing (D&C 84:19-26). Yet there still were a few righteous (the Seventy) that were willing to accept the fullness of the covenant, and receive a fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood and the key to the mystery of godliness.

Aaron and Miriam complain
Numbers 12

About this time, Aaron and Miriam see that much of the power once given to them has now been given to the Seventy. While Aaron and his sons perform the works in the tabernacle, the Seventy see God and manage the judging and affairs of Israel. Aaron and Miriam feel that they should be able to share in the power with Moses, not understanding that God works in a heavenly hierarchy.

You can almost hear echoes of events THIS YEAR in aspiring to things that have not been granted them…

12 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. ² So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. ³ (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

⁴ Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. ⁵ Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. ⁶ Then He said,

“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.
⁷ Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.
⁸ I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?”

⁹ So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. ¹⁰ And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. ¹¹ So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. ¹² Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”

¹³ So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!”

While there are many who can prophesy and be prophets within their own realms of responsibility, there is only one Prophet over the Congregation of Israel at any time. We shall see that throughout Israel's history, the Prophet is never a direct descendant of Aaron, but is almost always from one of the other Tribes of Israel. God seems to separate out the responsibilities of the Aaronic Priesthood and those of the higher Priesthood and authority.

In their complaint, God once again must use harsh actions to restore order. He makes Miriam a leper for seven days. Imagine what would have happened if God would have allowed Aaron and Miriam to continue in their objections and attacks on Moses. Many of the congregation, including the Levites, would have sided with the two, causing rebellion in Israel. 

The Promised Land - so near, yet so very far away
Numbers 13-14

Moses sends out spies to survey the Promised Land. One man from each of the Tribes was selected to go, including Caleb from the tribe of Judah, and Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim. Traveling through the land, they find that it is a land of milk and honey. Yet, upon their return, 10 of the men insist that they cannot enter into the land, for the people are too powerful and numerous. Not only that, the sons of Anak were giants, "we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight" (13:33). The people of Anak did not consider the 12 men a threat, because they were smaller. Sadly, after all of the miracles they had seen, the Israelites did not believe they would be able to overthrow the inhabitants of the land.

Caleb (Judah) and Joshua (Ephraim) begged the people to trust in God and Moses and to go take the land, but they refused.

It’s almost as if Judah and Ephraim will not be one of the “Lost Ten Tribes”, that they will continue until the end…and the Savior returns.

Numbers 13 ³⁰ Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” ³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.

Yet the people mourned, wishing they remained back in Egypt…

Numbers 14 ² And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³ Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

"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. 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" (14:7-9). But the people did fear and did not want to listen to the two men. They picked up stones to slay them.

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? ¹² I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

¹³ And Moses said to the Lord: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them,¹⁴ and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.¹⁵ Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, ¹⁶ ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’ ¹⁷ And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ¹⁸ ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’^[b] 19 Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

The only thing that kept God from smiting all of Israel was Moses plea to spare them. God would raise up a people from Moses' seed, since this people had already rejected the Melchizedek Priesthood and the fullness of the gospel, and were rebelling against key commandments to enter the Promised Land. But Moses begs God to reconsider, as it would make Jehovah look bad in the sight of all nations to have rescued Israel from Egypt, only to have them all die in the wilderness. Moses actually reminds God that he is "longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression..." (14:13-18). The Lord agrees to spare them, but no adults in that generation would be allowed to enter into the Promised Land, except for Joshua and Caleb, who did show faith.

From this story we learn a few things. First, Faith truly is the first great principle of the gospel. People can see great miracles and still not have faith. It is faith that helps us patiently endure the trials, believing that God will save us in his own time. Meanwhile, Fear is the antithesis of faith. The fearful doubt, pushing all faith out. Those who fear do not endure patiently, but murmur quickly and constantly. The fearful seek to remove the faithful from among them, even by murder if necessary. The faithful look forward to God's promises, while the fearful look backwards, yearning for the better days (even if they lived in chains). Those who fear will never see the Promised Land, or heaven. But the faithful will endure until God brings them into the Promised Land, whether in this life or in the next.

Fringe of the Garment
Number 15

Law Concerning Presumptuous Sin

³⁰ ‘But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people. ³¹ Because he has despised the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’”

Clark’s commentary says this: “But the soul that doeth aught presumptuously - Bold daring acts of transgression against the fullest evidence, and in despite of the Divine authority, admitted of no atonement; the person was to be cut off - to be excluded from God's people, and from all their privileges and blessings.
Probably the presumption mentioned here implied an utter contempt of the word and authority of God, springing from an idolatrous or atheistical mind.”

Penalty for Violating the Sabbath

God again highlights the sacredness of the Sabbath and death is indicated for breaking it.

³² Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. ³³ And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.³⁴ They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.

³⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” ³⁶ So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

Tassels on Garments

The people repent and are forgiven, yet still are not able to enter into the Promised Land. They accept God's will, knowing they will learn patience and faith while dwelling forty years in the wilderness. Still, there are those who insist in sinning. Already, Israel has questioned and rebelled against God and Moses on many occasions, and each time God has had to chastise them. It is better to stop the sinning early on with one man, than to have it spread throughout the congregation, requiring large loss of life again.

As part of the repentance process and their covenant, the people are commanded to

³⁷ Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,³⁸ “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. ³⁹ And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, ⁴⁰ and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. ⁴¹ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: Iam the Lord your God.”

A "ribband" is a ribbon used as decoration, but also to attach the tassels onto the fringe of the garments. This fringe would be a visible reminder of what was expected of Israel. They were to learn to bend their own will to that of God's. They were to begin learning to be Celestial, even as Jesus would show them: "not my will, but thine be done." It is easy to forget our place as Christians and children of God. Placing things around us to remind us of our covenants and responsibilities is important.

What are our tassels?  Filling the home with religious pictures and reminders helps everyone in the home to focus upon the things that are truly important. It reminds us to focus on Zion and the Promised Land of God, and not on the flesh pots of Egypt.

Korah's rebellion
Numbers 16

The Levites that were not descendants of Aaron had been given the responsibility to manage, care for, and transport the various parts of the Tabernacle of God. Yet this was not enough for many of them. 250 of them approached Aaron and Moses, insisting they be allowed to offer sacrifice and incense in the Tabernacle. After all, they were also children of Levi, as were Moses and Aaron.

Moses told them to fill censers (incense burners) and to stand near the Tabernacle's door. They did. The Lord told Moses to have the believers in the congregation to remove themselves from near Korah and his followers. When they were separated, the Lord caused an earthquake to occur, which opened up the earth and swallowed up Korah and his followers. This would become a major test for Israel, as they would once again see that God chose Moses over everyone else.

Still, the people became angry on the following day and stood against Moses and Aaron. Obviously Korah and his followers were some very popular people. God sends a plague among Israel to chastise them once again. Moses tells Aaron to take holy incense from the Tabernacle out into the congregation to stop the plague. "And he (Aaron) stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed." Still, almost 15 thousand people died of the plague.

Aaron's Rod
Numbers 17

The people now feared God, but that isn't the same as loving or trusting God. Each tribe was told to provide a rod or wooden staff, each with the markings of their own tribe. These would be compared to the rod of Aaron.

⁵ And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you.”

Moses laid all of them inside the Tabernacle overnight. In the morning, Aaron's rod had not only budded, but it had brought forth blossoms and almonds. Aaron's rod was shown to the people, and then placed inside the Tabernacle, possibly within the Ark of the Covenant where the national/religious treasures were stored. With this miracle, the Lord showed the people that they could trust him as a God that could do more than just kill.

Fiery Flying Serpents
Numbers 21

Israel still does not learn from previous events. In their journeys in the wilderness they go through a desert place.

⁵ And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” ⁶ So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Interestingly, the Book of Mormon gives us interesting insights into this event. Nephi explained, "And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished" (1 Nephi 17:41). 

Nephi notes that the serpent was not only fiery, but also "flying." In the Bible, only Isaiah uses the term "fiery flying serpents" (Isaiah 14:29, 30:6), neither verse ties directly to the story of Moses and the brazen serpent. Why would Nephi take Isaiah's term and use it for this event? Among the ancient stories of Mesoamerica is the story of Quetzalcoatl. His image on ancient temples is that of a flying serpent. He was both a ruler and a god. It is possible that Nephi used imagery in Isaiah to describe Moses' story in such a way as to relate it to ancient beliefs held by peoples already in the land. It would also allow Nephi to compare the God of Israel with one of Mesoamerica's chief gods, showing that the God he preached was equal to their own god.

There are stories of Quetzalcoatl being a bearded white god/ruler, but the stories often conflict and we cannot always distinguish the stories of the god Quetzalcoatl from the mortal ruler Quetzalcoatl. Some early LDS scholars considered the stories of Quetzalcoatl as reminiscent of the Christ in America story in the Book of Mormon. There are however several LDS Mesomerican scholars that do not see Quetzalcoatl as evidence of Christ in America.



Temple of Quetzalcoatl with the flying serpent

Regardless of this issue, Nephi's point is that Christ is our brazen serpent. He has been raised up upon the cross, and if we look upon him in faith, we will be healed of our sins and pains. It shows again that God used ancient actions as symbols for Israel and all people to look forward to Christ, believing that they may be healed in him.

It is interesting to note that Satan used the Serpent to approach Adam and Eve in the Garden, as this is clearly a symbol of the Savior.

And as we struggle through our desert of life, we can murmur and complain, show forth fear and disbelief; or we can place our faith in Christ and live.


Bibliography

For more on the Documentary Hypothesis, please see the following:

“Who Wrote the Bible?” Richard E. Friedman 

LDS member Kevin Barney discusses the Documentary Hypothesis

Fiery Flying Serpents and Quetzalcoatl: Jesus Christ/Relationship to Quetzalcoatl

Overall structure of lessons in this series, thanks to Joel’s Monastery, and Bill Beardall

There is an excellent 8 part series in the Ensign in the early 80s that discusses how the bible came to be. 

How the Bible Came to be, Ensign, Part 1

How the Bible Came to be, Ensign, Part 2

How the Bible Came to be, Ensign, Part 3

How the Bible Came to be, Ensign, Part 4

How the Bible Came to be, Ensign, Part 5

How the Bible Came to be, Ensign, Part 6

How the Bible Came to be, Ensign, Part 7

How the Bible Came to be, Ensign, Part 8