Numbers 20 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Numbers 20:1-13

1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, ‘If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no corn or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!’

6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell face down, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 ‘Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so that they and their livestock can drink.’

9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’

13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.

A. Find Out:

1. Why did the people next grumble against Moses? v.2-5
2. What was Moses’ & Aaron’s response? v.6
3. What did the Lord tell Moses to do? v.7,8
4. What did Moses do instead? v.9-11
5. How did the Lord chide Moses & Aaron? v.12

B. Think:

1. How, do you think, the people should have acted with no water?
2. How did Moses’ instructions and his actions differ?
3. Why was he chided by the Lord?

C. Comment:

     This is a tragic incident. It is about the eighth time in these chapters that there has been grumbling against Moses. For that reason we might have some sympathy with Moses, but if we did we would find ourselves on the opposite side of the fence from the Lord. He accepts no excuses. Sin is sin is sin.

     The people have come to a place where there appears to be no water, so they grumble. Bad reaction! A good reaction would have been to ask Moses to ask the Lord for help, but they have never learnt that lesson! Do we?

     Moses and Aaron initially respond well – yet again they fall on their faces in prayer before the Lord and the Lord gives them simple instructions. We need to note them carefully. Moses is to take his staff and go and speak to the rock and presumably strike it once, as he had done previously (Ex 17:6). Tragically Moses’ grace has run out and for the first and only time since Sinai he gets it wrong. In an attitude of petulance he snarls at the people , not the rock – you rebels! More than that he elevates himself – must we bring you water! Moses is God’s representative, he knows that and in every way he is to conduct himself differently, he is holy, and this was not a holy act! Moreover he strikes the rock twice, an indication of his uncertainty. For this he loses the honor of actually leading the people into the land. How tragic.

D. Application:

1. Leaders represent God and have a high level of accountability.
2. Accountability means discipline when leaders get it wrong.

Passage: Numbers 20:14-29

14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:

‘This is what your brother Israel says: you know about all the hardships that have come on us. 15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians ill-treated us and our ancestors, 16 but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.

‘Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’

18 But Edom answered:

‘You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.’

19 The Israelites replied:

‘We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot – nothing else.’

20 Again they answered:

‘You may not pass through.’

Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.

22 The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. 23 At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 24 ‘Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Call Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.’

27 Moses did as the Lord commanded: they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. 28 Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, 29 and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.

A. Find Out:

1. Who did Moses ask to be allowed to do what? v.14-17,19
2. What replies did he get? v.18,20
3. What was the outcome? v.20,21
4. What did the Lord tell Moses & Aaron would happen? v.23,24
5. What instructions did He give? 25,26
6. What then happened? v.27-29

B. Think:

1. What does the incident with Edom show about Israel here?
2. Read Num 33:38. When was this happening?
3. What does this tell us about God’s provision of leadership here?

C. Comment:

     For a number of chapters, we have been seeing the grumblings of Israel. We now come to the point of the record where, in the fortieth year they are nearing the time when they are to start moving towards the land. To the north is inhospitable desert and so they seek to skirt round to the east, so that they will then go north to the east of the Jordan , the area we will refer to as the Trans-Jordan (see heading of Ch.32). Before them is Edom and so Moses graciously sends a request to their king to allow them to pass through. This request is rebuffed so Israel had to skirt round the south of Edom before they could go north. Israel are neither sufficiently strong nor confident enough to defeat Edom .

     They come to Mount Hor and, because they are soon to enter the land the time is approaching for Moses and Aaron to depart, for they were told they would not enter. First of all it is Aaron’s turn and the transfer to his son takes place in the sight of the people on the side of the mountain. Aaron goes to the peak where he dies out of sight of the people, and is presumably buried. Observe that the Lord was careful to ensure the people had good leadership with them throughout the period of wilderness wandering. That period has now come to an end, together with the need for the old leadership. The new generation will now go in under God’s leading and God’s new leadership.

D. Application:

1. God keeps His people, just as He promises.
2. God provides for His people, just as He promises.