Numbers 20:2-13

B. SIN OF MOSES AT MERIBAH vv. 2-13
TEXT

Numbers 20:2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people chode with Moses and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? 5. 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. 6. 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.

7. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 8. 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. 9. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10. And Moses took Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11. And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12. 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. 13. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 20:2. Now there was no water for the congregation; and they came together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people argued with Moses, saying, We wish we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. Why have you brought the congregation up into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here? 5. It is no place for seed, or for figs, or for vines, or for pomegranates; and there is no water to drink. 6. Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the congregation to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell upon their faces;

7. and the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 8. Take the rod and gather the congregation together, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock in front of their eyes; and it shall give forth water. You will bring forth water for them from the rock; in this manner you will give the congregation and their animals a drink. 9. So Moses took the rod from the presence of the Lord as he commanded him. 10. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together in front of the rock and said unto them, Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water from this rock for you? 11. And Moses lifted up his hand, and with the rod he struck the rock twice: and water came forth abundantly so that the congregation and their animals drank.
12. And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 13. These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and he was sanctified by them.

COMMENTARY

Kadesh has not been identified with certainty, and it is thought to designate either a large district of desert land in the wilderness of Zin, or a smaller area about a large natural spring. Nothing was said of a shortage of water when the Israelites first camped here. The present cause may have derived from the season or from an unusually dry period. In saying there was no water, Moses may have intended only that whatever supply they had was inadequate to serve the needs of so large a multitude. Since water is essential both to the people and their large herds and flocks, a great quantity would be required regularly. When their requirements are not met, they revert to the manners of their fathers, assembling to protest against Moses and Aaron, (Exodus 17).

Whether the older Israelites had died en masse toward the end of the wandering period or their deaths were spread throughout that time, the surviving ones expressed their preference to join the dead rather than endure the discomforts of being waterless. Certainly the situation would be far from comfortable; but a review of the history of the nation would show that God had never abandoned them in any time of need. This is a time for faith testing, and they are unprepared. Their charge that they have been brought into an evil place, (Numbers 20:4), reflects only their momentary circumstance. They had not, for the most part, seen any of the bondage in Egypt; and on the other hand, their lives had been spent in the time of wandering. Hardships could not have been new and strange to them.

The evaluation of Kadesh is correct: it is not a place for an agricultural people, and it is far from ideal for their animals. while the Israelites are not at this time agricultural, they, like the Egyptians, may have come to depend largely upon the produce of the landa fact of which their fathers had loudly Complained, (Numbers 11:5), when they grew tired of the manna.

Moses and Aaron react properly at first, going before the Lord on their faces to determine His will and His course of action. Without Him they are powerless and at the mercy of the people. But they stand ready to do whatever may be required of them. Their wait was not long when the glory of Jehovah came unto them, and His words have a familiar ring. They are to take the rod (almost certainly that which had been used as a sign before Pharaoh, and at the parting of the waters of the Red Sea), approach the rock (otherwise unidentified, but surely a prominent landmark at the camp site), and produce the water so desperately needed.

Initially it appears that Moses will do exactly as the Lord has asked. He gathers the assembly and, after rebuking them by labelling them rebels, addresses himself to the problem. And what was his sin? Some have pointed to the fact that Moses used the plural we in reference to the miracle soon to be performed, thus seeming to equate his part in the miracle with the Lord'S; or, to say the least, sharing somewhat in it. Others point to the fact that Moses struck the rock twice, whether motivated by anger, righteousness, or impatience; still others remind us that he was told only to speak to the rock, and should not have touched it at all, Any one of these might have been enough, but if we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, God Himself refers to Moses-' failure to glorify His name (Numbers 20:12), thus singling out the greatest offense.

We should not be surprised that water gushed forth from the rock in spite of Moses-' error. God did not intend that the people should suffer, and He sent an abundant supply to care for them and their beasts. His rebuke is properly spoken to Moses and Aaron, and doubtless His verdict was given in private, for their ears alone: they would not be privileged to lead their people in the final triumphant step into the Promised Land. It was a most bitter sentence, but it underscores the grievous nature of the offense. A special weight of responsibility rests upon the shoulders of those entrusted with places of authority and leadership (cf. James 3:1). Since their actions influence many others directly, they must be most careful at all times. The error of Moses was public. Had God ignored it, or had Moses gone unpunished, the people could rightly accuse Him of biased treatment. This God is incapable of doing. His judgments are impersonal, altogether fair and constant.

The name Meribah is used of this place, as it had been used in the early days of Israel's exodus (see Exodus 17:7). The similarity between the two locations rests upon their need for water, their bitter complaints, and satisfaction through divine assistance. Otherwise, the narratives are most dissimilar, and cannot be confused. Even in these unusual circumstances, God was sanctified in them, that is, as PC says, He revealed there his holiness and power, and put to silence their evil murmurings against Him. He was sanctified in them all the more abundantly because Moses and Aaron failed to sanctify him in the eyes of the people; but what they failed to do he brought to pass without their agency, (p. 254).

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

345.

Since the Israelites must have continually relied upon God's providence in the past for the great quantity of water they needed, why should they suddenly show this strong doubt?

346.

Why should the people blame Moses and Aaron for their problem?

347.

What type of country surrounds Kadesh?

348.

Do you believe God deliberately delayed bringing water to the Israelites? If so, for what purposes?

349.

How could the people understand this area to be an evil place?

350.

Compare the list of the foods they now miss with those given when the nation had first removed from Egypt. Explain the differences.

351.

Some have suggested that Moses used Aaron's budded rod in the incident here. Why is this unlikely?

352.

What explanations have been given for Moses-' sin at the rock? Which do you accept, and why?

353.

Explain why God sent water forth from the rock in spite of this fact.

354.

Does it seem fair to you that Moses should be prohibited from leading the people into the Promised Land on the basis of this single act of error? Defend your answer.

355.

What similarities can you find between the two incidents involving Meribah?

356.

What do you learn of God's justice from the incident?