There is so much to unpack in chapter 20 of Bamidbar, better known as the Book of Numbers. It includes one of the most debated judgments of the Almighty in the Torah in my opinion.
I will begin in Numbers 20:1-13:
1 The entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.
2 The congregation had no water; so they assembled against Moses and Aaron.
3 The people quarreled with Moses, and they said, "If only we had died with the death of our brothers before the Lord.
4 Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord to this desert so that we and our livestock should die there?
5 Why have you taken us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place; it is not a place for seeds, or for fig trees, grapevines, or pomegranate trees, and there is no water to drink.
6 Moses and Aaron moved away from the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell on their faces. [Then] the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
8 Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron,
and speak to the rock in their presence so that it will give forth its water."
You shall bring forth water for them from the rock and give the congregation and their livestock to drink.
9 Moses took the staff from before the Lord as He had commanded him.
10 Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Now listen, you rebels, can we draw water for you from this rock?"
11 Moses raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, when an abundance of water gushed forth, and the congregation and their livestock drank.
12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land I given them.
13 These are the waters of dispute [Mei Meribah] where the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was sanctified through them.
DESPAIR IS A LACK OF FAITH...LACK OF FAITH IS A SIN.
In the third verse of Numbers 20 we hear the Israelites despair when they say, "If only we had died with the death of our brothers before the Lord." The Hebrews are referencing previous times when their despair led to God's judgment.
In each of the incidents the Israelites were complaining about the hardships of the journey in the desert along and the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Here are some examples:
- There was the time when God caused the earth to swallow up the rebellious leaders and fire consumed 250 men offering incense (Numbers 16).
- There was a plague that killed 14,700 people after the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron following Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16:41-50).
- There was the lousy food in the desert and now there is another lack of water in this place called "Kadesh."
Despair signifies a lack of trust in God's goodness, faithfulness, and sovereignty. Despair implies that God is not adequately providing or caring for His people.
Philippians 2:14-15 -- "Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world"
MOSES MISSED A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY
Sacred refers to something holy, set apart, or worthy of religious veneration. Sanctified means to be made sacred or holy, often through a specific ritual or process.
In the Holy place of Kadesh, Moses missed the perfect opportunity. That is the opportunity that Moses missed. Numbers 20.13 -- The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, ..."
God's holiness was highlighted through the Israelites' failures at the Waters of Dispute (Mei Meribah" (מֵי מְרִיבָה).) In verse 13 "where the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was sanctified through them."
MOSE STRUCK THE ROCK TWICE
We have two major failures of faith at the Holy place of Kadesh where Moses struck the rock twice. It's as if God wants to remind us of that.
There is a terribly high price to be paid for a lack of faith. There is also a very great reward. This was very evident in the very next chapter of the Torah.
"Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.' So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live."
God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Anyone who was bitten could look at the bronze serpent and be healed. Those who lacked faith in what God gave the Israelites and did not see, perished.
According to John 3:14-15 in the New Testament,
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life
Why Such a Harsh Punishment?
The Bible describes Moses as a faithful servant in several passages, highlighting his dedication and obedience to God's commands.
Exodus 40:16: "Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him"
He faithfully led the Children of Israel for 40 years through the desert. This is an unimaginably difficult task and responsibility.
Yet, for simply striking the rock rather than speaking to it, Moses is denied access to the Promised Land.
What could possibly have been so important about speaking to the rock? What was Adonai going to reveal differently?
Perhaps the Lord wanted to reveal Himself in such a way that the unbelieving Israelites would have been converted to believers. Adonai was going to perfect the Faith of the Israelites before they entered the last.
Striking the rock to bring forth water could been seen as an act that Moses performed. Speaking to the rock to bring forth water leaves no doubt that the Almighty brought forth the water.
By striking the rock rather than speaking to it as Adonai instructed, Moses missed the opportunity reveal God's saving grace. Rather, Moses's disobedience revealed his personal lack of Faith in God's word. Moses's faith was required for even he to enter the Land.
Leading the people out of Egypt and for 40 years in the desert wasn't sufficient to earn Moses's entry. Faith was all that was required at this critical moment in Moses's personal life.
There are times in everyone's life when we feel despair. These moments are an opportunity to speak to the Lord and lean into our faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
