SSL 3 - NUM. 20:1-13
LAST WEEK: In Num. 13:31-14:10, we heard the "bad" report about Canaan from the 10 spies and saw it erupt into a complete rebellion against God. We drew five major points of application from this lesson: (1) When the 10 spies claimed that the Israelites weren't able to "go up against" the inhabitants of Canaan they were saying, in effect, that God had lied to them and everyone else. God had promised them the land (Deut. 6:10), and since it's impossible for God to lie, the spies were lying. (2) Because God had promised the people the land, the mission of the spies was actually pointless. The idea to send them didn't originate with God or Moses but with the people. No military information was needed because God had already assured them of victory. (3) The peoples' anger toward God was unfounded. Anger expressed toward God is always a sin, because whatever happened, God doesn't deserve our anger because He's not to blame, and if we repent and honestly bring this sin before God, we will realize this. (4) The reactions of Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb in the verse were all motivated the by the fear of faithful men over the wrath of God toward a rebellious nation. What does that say to us as American citizens in the 21st Century? Should we be on our knees for the United States of America? (5) Like the ancient Israelites, when modern Christians fall into rebellion, they often react with anger when confronted with the truth of their sin. Should we just ignore it and take the easy way out? Joshua and Caleb acted on faith and God protected them. That's our model. Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, explained it this way: "And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire" (Jude 22-23).
THIS WEEK: The story of the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness skips the next 37 years to the beginning of the last year before they would enter the Promised Land. This is where today's lesson picks up the story. We learn that after wandering for almost 38 years, the Israelites have returned to Kadesh, south of the Promised Land, where the older generation had refused to enter.
Read Num. 20:1-6 - CONTENTION AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
1 Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there. 2 There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! 4 Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? 5 Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink." 6 Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them;
v. 1: "Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there - Miriam, the older sister of Moses and Aaron, is the only death mentioned of a first generation woman. She was a complex character. She showed great courage in helping Moses and his parents during the Exodus (Ex. 2:4-8) and leading the nation as a songstress and prophetess (Ex. 15:20-21), but she was also disgraced by her rebellion against Moses (Num. 12:1ff). Her death was an important fulfillment of what God promised: that the generation that refused to enter Canaan would die in the wilderness (Num. 14:29-34), and there were no special exceptions for Moses' family. God said that only Joshua and Caleb would survive that generation (Num. 14:30).
v. 2: "There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron" - While the peoples' need for water was a valid concern, their attitude, as expressed to Moses and Aaron, was hostile and contentious, as if they were spoiling for a confrontation. During their past 37+ years in the wilderness, water had been the peoples' greatest physical need, and the LORD had provided it continually. Still, we need to remember that of all the human needs, thirst can be the most maddening. I doubt that any of us has ever suffered this level of thirst.
v. 3: "The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!" - The term "brothers perished before the LORD" probably refers to those who had died in the revolt of Korah and his followers reported earlier in Num. 16:41-50 (about 250 people). This is the same thing their fathers said anytime something went wrong. This wish to have died earlier seems to be an Israelite idiosyncrasy.
v. 4: "Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?" - The Israelites trek through the wilderness had been a meandering route with many twists and turns. If you access Google images, you can find detailed maps of their 40-year journey. With their statement, "for us and our beasts (livestock) to die here," they are implying that it was the intention of Moses and Aaron to bring them there to die. This sounds a lot like the rebellious language their fathers used in the lesson last week in Num. 14:1-14, doesn't it? What does the fact of their parents being a bad influence say to us? It tells us that our words and actions have a lasting effect on our children-so we need to be very careful about the kind of image that we are presenting to them, do you agree? Well, this generational behavior pattern is very evident here.
v. 5: "Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink." - The Iraelites are again treading on dangerous ground by calling the place where God had led them a "wretched place." They seem to have forgotten that no one "made" them leave Egypt. No, in fact they had cried out to God in their oppression and God had called Moses to lead them out of slavery, to redeem them. Ironically, the fruits they mentioned above are the same as those brought back by the spies earlier (13:23).
v. 6: "Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them;" - At this point both Moses and Aaron, humiliated and horrified by the ingratitude and hostility of the people, leave them, and in a virtual repeat of 14:5 from last week, fall down on their faces at the doorway of the Tabernacle in complete submission to God. Again, as in 14:10, it isn't clear exactly how God's glory appeared, whether as a pillar of cloud or fire, but it was obviously seen as a divine presence.
TRUTH 1: The Israelites in this lesson are repeating behavior they learned from their parents. The pattern for contention and rebellion is often generational. What does the fact of their parents being a bad influence on their children say to us? It tells us that our words and actions can have a lasting and deep effect on our children-so we need to be very concerned about the kind of image that we are presenting to them, do you agree?
Read Num. 20:7-8 - GOD'S COMMAND TO MOSES TO PROVIDE WATER
7 and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8 "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink."
v. 7: "and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying" - This message is apparently to Moses only.
v. 8: "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink." - Notice that God is showing mercy to these contentious Israelites rather than exercising His righteous wrath. Commentators say that God was sympathetic toward them on the issue of the water shortage. The "rod," a symbol of God's power, is the staff of Aaron kept in the Tabernacle. This is the same staff with which Moses and Aaron had performed wonders before Pharaoh (Ex. 7:9) and with which Moses struck a rock to bring forth water in Rephidim (Ex. 17:6). Though He told Moses to take the staff, He very specifically commanded him only to speak to the rock for it to produce water. So why does he need the staff if he's only supposed to speak to the rock? You would really have to go back and read the entire text of Num. 17 to understand the significance of Aaron's staff. The short explanation is that Moses was expected to carry it as a sign of God's power while he was dealing with the people's rebellion.
Read Num. 20:9-11 - MOSES DISOBEYS GOD AND STIKES THE ROCK
9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him; 10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" 11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.
v. 9: "So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him" - So far, so good-Moses does exactly as God instructed: to take the rod and gather the people.
v. 10: "and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" - Here's where Moses begins to deviate. God did not command him to lecture the nation, but instead, he lashed out at them in anger and contempt. Before we judge Moses, I need to ask every one you if you ever lost your temper with someone after they pushed you to the limit? The point here is that God showed them mercy while Moses used it to vent purely human anger at them, showing bitterness in his heart. Earlier, when the people had contended with Moses because there was no water, Moses cried out for the LORD, not against the people (Ex. 15:22-25). Note, some scholars suggest at this point that Moses is speaking to both the people and the rock, i.e., "shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock ?" And notice the "we," which ascribes credit to himself and Aaron rather than God.
v. 11: "Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank" - Do you understand what just happened here? Out of disobedience to and utter contempt for God, Moses strikes the rock with the rod not only once but twice. Yet, God allows the miracle-the people were still in desperate need of water-in spite of Moses' disobedience. The rock was a symbol of God's mercy and grace, so that striking the rock was tantamount to striking out at God Himself. Would you say that Moses' had crossed the line and become a rebel himself? Moses' uncontrolled anger had lured him into the same evil trap as that of the rebellious people about whom he was complaining. Is this a demonstration of selfish, pride, even arrogance?
TRUTH 2: The rock was a symbol of God's mercy and grace. Thus, when Moses struck the rock out of disobedience, it was the same as striking God Himself. By doing this, Moses had crossed the line and become a rebel himself.
Read Num. 20:12-13 - GOD'S REBUKE AND CORRECTION OF MOSES
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." 13 Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them.
v. 12a: "But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel" - Moses and Aaron, by their actions, showed a complete lack of faith and trust in God by (1) their angry and contemptuous words directed at the people and (2) their anger and contempt toward God when, instead of talking to the rock, they stuck it not once, but twice as if to nail down their point (i.e., overkill). Rebellion and disobedience are the opposite of trust. And as to how they treated God "in the sight of the sons of Israel," everything they said and did was a direct insult to God's person and holy character.
v. 12b: "therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." - Does seem overly severe, "overkill" on God's part? No, because by his disobedient words and actions, Moses had all but destroyed his intimate relationship with God. His actions were not only an insult to God but also completely disregarded God's mercy and compassion for the Israelites. Moses had played God's hand and forced God to make an example of him. Because of the fact that God had condemned an entire generation to die in the wilderness for their rebellion at in refusing to enter Canaan as learned last week in Num. 12:1-14, He couldn't make an exception even for Moses, the man of God. Moses, just like the like the earlier generation, had rebelled in such a way as to show a complete lack of trust and faith in God.
TRUTH 3: Rebellion and disobedience are the opposite of trust. Moses and Aaron demonstrated a complete lack of faith and trust in God by (1) their angry and contemptuous words directed at the people and (2) their anger and contempt toward God when, instead of talking to the rock, they stuck it not once, but twice as if to nail down their point. And added to that, in front of the entire assembly of Israel, everything they said and did was a direct insult to God's person and holy character.
v. 13: "Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them" - These waters were already named in Ex. 17:7, and they are called the Waters of Meribah Kadesh in Num. 27:14 and Deut. 32:51. God's holiness and authority was preserved because His judgment against Moses and Aaron showed that He was the truly in control of events. The last phrase, "proved Himself holy," is a play on the word "Kadesh," which, in Hebrew, means a holy person or a holy place in the vicinity where this incident took place.
TRUTH 4: God's judgment against Moses and Aaron clearly demonstrated that God was in control. Because of the fact that God had condemned an entire generation to die in the wilderness for their rebellion at in refusing to enter Canaan, He couldn't make an exception even for Moses or Aaron.
Synopsis of study up to this point: We have seen in this study so far, that the circles of holiness within the camp-the outer circle of the twelve tribes and the inner circle of the Levites who surround the Tabernacle-that were so carefully organized in Num. 1-10, have become undone. The people of the twelve tribes in the outer circle of the camp rebelled in Chapters 13-14 and the Levites of the inner circle rebelled in Chapters 16-17. And now, even the leaders closest to God at the very center of the camp, Aaron the priest and Moses the leader, rebel in Num. 20, our lesson today. The fate of the whole generation of Israelites who first came out of Egypt is now sealed. Except for Joshua and Caleb (Num. 14:30), none of them, not even Moses and Aaron, will set foot in Canaan. The holy camp of Israel will have to be wholly reorganized with a new generation of Israelites, as we will learn as we move further into this study.
Two Observations:
1. The march of the Israelites across the wilderness to the Promised Land is often likened and compared to the Christian's journey through life to their Promised Land-heaven. The most important aspect of this is being able to enter the Promised Land. Yes, like the ancient Israelites, there is hardship along the way and the loss of friends and loved ones, but no matter what hardship we may encounter, we must remain steadfast in faith.
2. In the OT, God is often likened to a rock (e.g., Ps. 18:2; 31:3; 42:9; 62:2,6). Paul said, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ." (1 Cor. 10:1-4). Thus, if the rock is a symbol of God's presence, then striking the rock was the same as striking God Himself.
