A Grumbling People

Discussion Guide

March 25, 2012

1.         Text for Today's Lesson -  Numbers 11: 6b

2.         Imagine walking through the Red Sea turning around and seeing Pharaoh destroyed before your very             eyes.  It would be a great time to sing praises to God for deliverance from slavery.  Move ahead             three   days, and the only water around is bitter and not any good to drink.  It's time to complain about the             accommodations and beverage service.  After all remember what we had in Egypt, those were the             good old days.  The Israelites were complaining about their treatment by God under the leadership of             Moses.  Complaints are a distraction to the life of the faithful and to the leadership to which the             complaints are brought. In this lesson we are going to take a look at grumbling and its affect on             everyone.

Questions for Discussion

A.         What was the reaction of the Israelites to going through the Red Sea?

B.         How long did it take until the grumbling started?

C.         When his people complained of hunger what did God do for them?

D.         What does manna mean in Hebrew?

F.         What are the components of a complaint?

G.         How long after a positive event does it take before complaints start?

H.         What is the effect of grumbling on followers and leadership?

I.          After prolonged grumbling how  does God react to another grumbling sequence?

J.          What are three import things that we can see from the texts concerning the Israelites grumbling and God's responses?

K.         Who was the focal point of first century grumbling?

L.         What is the correlation between the grumbling of the old testament and the new testament?

Scripture:

                Exodus 15:22-27

                Ex 16:1-3

                Exodus 17:1-7

                Nu 11:1-9

                Jn 6:41-51