Disregarding God’s Directive

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Num. 20:1
This could be states as...

“ Now you will recall that the nation had moved to the Desert of Zin and had dwelled for a lengthy period at Kadesh. It was at Kadesh where Israel had rebelled against the Lord, thus losing the opportunity for the people to enter the land of Canaan for an entire generation. In this way the words “Desert of Zin ” and “ Kadesh ” serve as an cloud over the entire chapter.

The larger part of the trek in the desert is left without a record. This may be deliberate on Moses’ part. It is as though the time did not really count in the history of salvation. the Exodus traditions is one of movement and victory, not stagnation.

It is often thought that the people were constantly on the move in the Desert of Sinai during the thirty-eight years of their exile.

Yet the indication of Deut 1:46 is that Israel may have made Kadesh their principal base for the long stay in the desert: “ And so you stayed in Kadesh many days - all the time you spent there. ”

Perhaps the people sent out parties on a cycle of roving travels, following the slight water sources and the sparse vegetation, supported primarily by manna, the bread from heaven. But their circuits would bring them back to the central camp at Kadesh, the scene of their great rebellion ( Num 13-14 ).

The chronological notice in v 1 is incomplete. It indicates that this was the “ first month ” but does not give us the year ( 9:1, “ the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt ” ).

Its possible dropping of the year from this verse. A comparison of 20:22-29 and 33:38 leads us to conclude that this chapter begins in the fortieth year from the Exodus ( 1:1; 9:1 ).

The larger number of the people over the age of twenty at the time of the rebellion at Kadesh ( Num 13-14 ) already would have died.

God’s program of redemption long on hold, was about to resume; the Lord’s saving work was about to begin again.

V 1 notes the passing of Miriam, sister of Aaron and Moses, prophetess of the Lord. it is sad to see that only a clause or two are given to record these events. It seems as though after her challenge of the authority of Moses, along with her brother Aaron ( ch. 12 ), Miriam nearly disappears from the scene.

She may never have fully recovered the position of trust and privilege that she had enjoyed before this rebellion.

It may be even when a person has been forgiven of major sin, the subsequent sphere of influence that person had may be limited thereafter.

Centuries later another Miriam, her namesake, would be the happy agent for the birth of the Promised One; we pronounce her name as Mary.

Num. 20:2-8
“ now there was no water, ” we have a sense of the pass. Think back forty years to the incident at Rephadim when the people screamed to Moses to give them water to drink ( Exod 17:1-3 ). Moses was instructed by the Lord to take the staff he had used to strike the Nile in the curse of plague ( Exod 7:20 ) and to strike the rock at Horeb to initiate a flow of the water of blessing.

Now, forty years later, at the place of Israel’s worst act of rebellion, the story was being rerun.

The people of the rebellious nation now desire to die with those who had already passed away in earlier judgments of the Lord ( vv 3-4; 14:22; 16:31-35 ).

It takes an especially desperate people to wish themselves dead by God’s judgments.

The response of Moses and Aaron to this new assault on their persons was similar to that on earlier occasions; they went to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and fell down in obeisance to the Lord (v 6; 14:5; 16:4, 22, 45 ).

There was the appearance of the Lord ( v 6 ). There was a gentle word, telling Moses to take his staff and to go with Aaron to bring water from the rock for the thirsting community. The instructions of the Lord were quite clear: “ Speak to that rock before their eyes ” ( v 8 ).

We notice that the staff is not the rod of Aaron that had budded but the same staff that Moses has used to do wonders in Egypt ( Exod 17:5 ) and in the desert all these years. While he was to take his staff, the symbol of his power through the Lord, he was merely to speak to the rock; and it would give its water for the people.

Num. 20:9-12
Moses begins by doing exactly as the Lord had instructed him ( v 9 ). He took his staff in hand and went to gather the assembly ( v 2 ) before the rock ( v 10 ).

Then, Moses exploded! Was it the accumulated anger and frustration of forty years. The death of his sister was the end of an era. Yet nothing had changed; the children were as rebellious as ever. He acted out of irritation rather than ignorance.

He addresses the assembly “ Listen, you rebels ” ( v 10 ). In a sense all Moses was saying was what God had said numerous times to the same people and for the same reasons.

The term “ rebels ” describes their rebellious behavior in 17:10 ( 17:25 rebellious sons ” ).

Moses’ words; “ must we bring you water out of this rock? ” express the intense level of his exasperation. Then he reached out with the rod and struck the rock twice ( v 11 ).

In his rage Moses disobeyed the clear instructions of the Lord to speak to the rock ( v 8 ). While the water was released and the people and their livestock were refreshed with its blessing, the rash action of Moses brought a stern rebuke from the Lord.

1. In some way the action of Moses was a lack of trust in the Lord. This is part of the charge of the Lord against him ( v 12 ).

2. In some way the holiness of the Lord was assaulted by Moses’ rash action ( v 12; 27:14 ).

Moses in his wrath had lashed out against the physical symbol of God’s grace.

3. Even the rash words of Moses were an act of rebellion against the Spirit of God. This is the conclusion of the poet in Psalm 106:32-33...

By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses’ lips.

4. Moses was not alone in his action and his words; he was accompanied in word and deed by his brother,

( v 12 the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “ Because you did not trust in me ” ).

The judgment of God had not came against the people, but now it bursts against his faithful servants: “ You will not bring this community into the land ” ( v 12 ).

The result of Moses’ action is neither he nor Aaron would enter the Land of Promise; only Joshua and Caleb would survive to enter the land.

Num. 20:13
The name Meribah, a word that means “ a place of strife ” or “ quarreling. ” The same name was used forty years earlier at the first occasion of bringing water from the rock ( Exod 17:7; also called Massah, “ testing ” ). Psalm 95:8 laments the rebellion at Meribah and Massah, and Psalm 114:8 celebrates both occasions of God’s grace.

Recap

Frustration can be of things we can’t control and can be hard to avoid and sometimes even with ourselves.

We need to step back and bring it to the Lord, even if you don’t get an answer you will feel better by talking to Him rather than yourself.

The first month of the fortieth year of their wandering.

Miriam died at an age “ not mentioned “ a good bit older than Moses, who died a year later at 120 and AAron who died at 123. ( Num 33:39 )

Before we get on their case to much...
How would we have handled the situation? With the complaining of God’s people today it would seem there would be no difference.

I COR 10:12 “ let him who thinks he stands take heed ”

We as God’s creation have an obligation to honor Him, a need to do so. We must give God more than lip service; it must be from the heart.

How could the Israelites have presented a better case than they did?

Can we learn from their situation?

Complaints, dissatisfaction and disobedience all go hand in hand.

Disobedience to God always leads to a loss.

Has the Lord responded to a complaint from you?

Remember God’s holiness always prevails.

Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven I pray we all look into ourselves and our lives and see the complaining we do. It can be against anyone and even You; not realizing what we are saying or doing. Lord I pray You forgives us and give us the Spirit of love and cooperation,of thanksgiving and gratefulness. Thank You Lord.

In the name of Jesus. Amen

TGIF