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The Sabbath-School

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 27, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 20.

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The Sabbath-School.

Old Testament History.

THE SIN OF MOSES.

(Lesson 23, June 8, 1889.)
1. WHEN the Israelites came to Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, what took place?
"Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the Desert of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there." Num. 20:1.
2. From what did the people suffer?
"And there was no water for the congregation; and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron." Verse 2.
3. What did they do and say?
"And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord?" Verse 3.
4. What did they charge Moses with doing?
"And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?" Verse 4.
5. What did they say of the place where they then were?
"And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink." Verse 5.
6. Whom did they blame for bringing them out of Egypt? Verses 3-5.
7. Who had really brought them from Egypt?
"And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Ex. 20:1, 2.
8. Then to what was their murmuring equivalent?—To a denial that God had anything to do with their wonderful deliverance.
9. What does the psalmist say of them?
"They forgot God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea." Ps. 106:21, 22.
10. While the sin of the Israelites was exceeding great, is it an uncommon one?
11. What did Moses and Aaron do in this extremity?
"And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them." Num. 20:6.
12. What directions did the Lord give them?
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink." Verses 7, 8.
13. When the people were gathered before the rock, what did Moses say?
"And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" Verse 10.
14. What does the psalmist say of this occurrence?
"They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes; because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips." Ps. 106:32, 33.
15. How did it go ill with Moses?
"And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." Num. 20:12.
16. In what particular did Moses and Aaron trespass against the Lord?
"Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel." Deut. 32:51.
17. When Moses allowed the Israelites by their rebellious words to provoke his spirit, what position toward God did he also assume?
"Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah." Num. 20:24.
"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." Num. 27:14.
18. Do we have any intimation that the Lord in any degree excused his sin because he labored under great provocation?
19. In this giving way to anger, of what grace did Moses show a lack?
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." 1 Cor. 13:4, 5.
20. What evidence have we that, although Moses was prohibited from entering the promised land, he repented of his sin and was fully forgiven?
"So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor; but no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day." Deut. 34:5, 6.
"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." Jude 9.
"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him." Matt. 17:1-3.
21. Then what must even the best of men say to the Lord?
"If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." Ps. 130:3, 4.