Stories From the Wilderness
Numbers 13-14,16-17, 20:1-13, 21:4-9
This week our children are learning about the God leading his people through the wilderness, their rebellion and lack of faith, and God’s righteousness and mercy as he dealt with them. This cycle of the people rebelling against God’s word, enduring God’s wrath for their sin, and their eventual restoration is a common theme that will be carried throughout the rest of the Old Testament. It begins with the people sending in 12 spies to look at the land God had promised to them. Only two spies gave a positive report. They saw the goodness of the land and trusted God to deliver it to them. The other ten spies only saw the fierce people and giants in the land and could not trust God to deliver the land he had promised. The people followed the lead of the ten spies and plotted a mutiny against Moses to return to Egypt. God stopped their plan, but they continued to rebel against God’s promises and Moses’ leadership. They disobey God’s commands, and trust in their own abilities and understanding. Even Moses’ sister and brother, Miriam and Aaron, turn on him at one point. But through it all, God remained faithful to his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give their descendants a new land and make them into a nation. Below are some questions and themes to help you with your Bible discussion this week.
- Why did the people rebel and disobey God? They trusted more in what they saw than in what God had promised. When they saw the giants in the land they forgot about all the good things. All they saw were challenges they believed were impossible for them to overcome. They forgot that God had promised them to overcome those challenges for them.
- How did God react to their disbelief and disobedience? He punished them. They were not allowed to enter the promised land, but he still showed mercy in giving to the next generation. God is always faithful to his promises.
- What do these stories teach us about faith? Trusting God sometimes means believing in something that we haven’t seen yet. They had not seen God deliver them from giants. But they had seen him rescue them from Egypt. Our faith isn’t blind or without experience that proves God’s goodness. We just have to be willing to trust God even as circumstances seem more and more difficult.
Character Trait: Faith
I believe God will do what he had promised.
Memory Verse:
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
Acts 16:31
