Water from the Rock
1In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
In the face of yet another complaint by...
In the face of yet another complaint by the people of Israel about a lack of water and food (cp. 11:4–35; 21:4–5; Exod 15:22–25), Moses and Aaron disobeyed the Lord and lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land.
2Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron. 3The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD! 4Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? 5Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”
6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
God heard Israel’s complaints, regarded them as legitimate,...
God heard Israel’s complaints, regarded them as legitimate, and commanded Moses to solve the problem.
7And the LORD said to Moses,
The staff was kept before the Ark of...
The staff was kept before the Ark of the Covenant to prevent the Israelites from complaining (cp. 17:10); it represented God’s authority in the hands of Moses and Aaron. The instructions that God gives his representatives are very precise and must be followed exactly (cp. Jas 3:1; see also 2 Tim 2:24–26).
8“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”
9So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded.
Instead of reverently obeying God’s instructions, Moses rebuked...
Instead of reverently obeying God’s instructions, Moses rebuked the people (Must we bring you water from this rock?) and angrily struck the rock twice with the staff (20:11). God regarded Moses’ words and actions as a serious breach of faith; Moses “spoke foolishly” (Ps 106:32–33; cp. Jas 1:20) and did not trust God enough to demonstrate his holiness. By not doing exactly as he was told, Moses demonstrated a lack of faith in God to provide for his people. This lack of faith is also apparent in Moses’ words to the people. The Lord requires obedience and faith; anything less is an affront to his holy character (Num 20:24; 27:14). Such serious lack of obedience and faith had the same result as it had earlier (14:20–23; see also 1 Cor 10:4–12).
10Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.
12But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
13These were the waters of Meribah,† where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.
Edom Refuses Passage
Here the Israelites began their trek toward the...
Here the Israelites began their trek toward the Promised Land. Moving from Kadesh, they left the Sinai Peninsula behind and entered the area east of the Jordan (Transjordan), approaching the Promised Land from the east by a less direct point of entry (see 14:25; cp. Deut 2:2–6).
Israel tried unsuccessfully to establish peaceful relations with...
Israel tried unsuccessfully to establish peaceful relations with Edom, with which it had apparently had no dealings since Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) buried their father, Isaac (Gen 35:29; 36:6–8; cp. Gen 32:28). Moses’ appeal resembles the formal diplomatic correspondence of that era. While contacts with the Canaanites and other people groups were marked by hostility, communication with Edom was polite because of kinship ties (cp. Deut 2:4; 23:7). Those ties, however, were apparently not strong enough to overcome the ancient tension between Jacob and Esau (Gen 27:41).
14From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us, 15how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, 16and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt.
Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
Stay out of my land: As their ancestor...
Stay out of my land: As their ancestor Esau had distrusted Jacob (Gen 27:36), the Edomites now distrusted Jacob’s descendants. So Israel was forced to turn around and find another way to approach Canaan (cp. Deut 2:4–6).
18But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”
19“We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”
20But Edom insisted, “You may not pass through.” And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand. 21So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
The Death of Aaron
Israel did not follow the more direct route...
- Israel did not follow the more direct route through the southern region east of the Jordan, the Edomite heartland (20:21).
- After leaving Kadesh, the Hebrews reached Mount Hor, located on the border of the land of Edom. The precise location of Mount Hor remains unknown, though Josephus (writing in AD 70–100) linked it with the Petra region (at Jebel Haroun, “mountain of Aaron”).
22After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor. 23And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
Aaron’s participation in the rebellion of his generation...
Aaron’s participation in the rebellion of his generation resulted in his death outside the Promised Land (20:10–12).
24“Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land that I have given the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. 25Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. 26Remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and will die there.”
Priestly authority was transferred when Moses placed Aaron’s...
- Priestly authority was transferred when Moses placed Aaron’s priestly garments (cp. Lev 8:7–9) on Eleazar. Afterward, Aaron died at the age of 123, in the fortieth year after the Hebrews left Egypt (see Num 33:37–39).
- all Israel mourned for him thirty days: This was an unusually high honor (see also Deut 34:8), since the normal period of public mourning was seven days (Gen 50:10; 1 Sam 31:13).
27So Moses did as the LORD had commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. 28After Moses had removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29When the whole congregation saw that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.