Numbers 20:1–13
I. The Norm of Complaint (1–5)
Moses’s sister Miriam, who had been a recipient of God’s judgment for an attempted usurpation of power (Numbers 12:1), died in the wilderness in Kadesh (1).
A. The complaints of the people against Moses began immediately after the crossing of the Red Sea.
They had seen a great work, feared the Lord, believed Moses (Exodus 14:31, and sang songs of glorious deliverance (Exodus 15:1–21). Within three days, they found reason to complain (Exodus 15:24). Soon they complained again, in the middle of the second month after leaving Egypt (Exodus 16:2). In Exodus 17:3, they murmured and complained again about water. In Numbers 16:41, they complained about God’s judgment on Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
Even after their thorough defeat of the Canaanites as they approached the Promised land, they complained about no food and water and their disgust with the manna (Numbers 21:5).
B. The problem again is water.
They had seen bitter water turned sweet (Exodus 15:25), had rested by a multitude of waters (Exodus 15:27), had receive water from a rock (Exodus 17:5, 6). They had seen God control the Red Sea. Now, as if forgetful of divine power and distrustful of divine goodness toward them, they murmur and complain again about water to Moses and Aaron.
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- They give lip service to their knowledge of the favor of God toward them by calling themselves the Lord’s assembly. They use their miraculous deliverance as a claim to status, not a motivation for trust.
- They compared the former slavery in Egypt to the present wilderness, a “wretched place,” and gave no sense of repentance for their dissatisfaction or anticipation of the land at the end of their sojourn.
- Again, they bring out visions of food and gustatory delight as a superior kind of life compared to pilgrimage under the power and gracious providence of God. They were promised milk and honey, loads of fruit and abundant grain. But now they are stuck in the wilderness where none of these delights exist.
II. The Desperate Supplication (6a)
As before, they fell on their faces before God in desperation. They were in a mental and spiritual condition of absolute dependence. Their personal resources of argument, resilience, and prowess in leadership were gone. They cast themselves before the dwelling place of God among the people. No words are recorded. Their silence and posture speaks, their gasps for intervention and provision were heard.
III. A Glorious and Gracious response (6b–8)
A. At their posture of supplication, the Lord made a glorious appearance to them.
God knows all things, sees all things, and will sustain His people in pursuit of His purposes. As Nathanael prayed under a fig tree, Jesus saw him (John 1:47–51) and promised greater revelations of His messianic work and accomplishments. Even so, now in light of God’s expanding purpose for this people, God sees their desperate supplication and appears in glory to indicate that the survival of this people is the avenue through which His glory will receive its greatest manifestation. “And we beheld His glory; the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
B. God spoke to Moses, and gave specific instruction to him and Aaron concerning how to treat this complaint.
God shows no sense of anger but commanded an immediate response non-confrontative in nature, concerning how to solve the pressing sense of deprivation.
C. Moses was to take the rod (the symbol of the redemptive purpose, power, and faithfulness of God –Exodus 17:5), gather the people, and speak to the rock.
Thus, by the power of the mere word, water would gush forth both for the congregation of their beasts.
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- In Exodus 17:6, God told Moses to strike the rock. Here the spoken word was sufficient for its effectuality. Paul wrote, “They drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). According to this text, the rock that provided water went with them even as the cloud and fire guided them. Despite different interpretations that reject the idea of a real rock that followed them, this seems to be the case since it is used to provide water in the first three months (Exodus 19:1) and again after about 38 years.
- Since the rock symbolized the presence of Christ in his saving work, the striking of the rock reflected the necessity of His being smitten by God as a propitiation for our sins. The command to speak to the rock was to typify Christ’s intercessory ministry for His people. The Spirit makes intercession according to the will of God on the basis of the completed work of Christ (Romans 8:26, 27) and Christ as well intercedes for us, having died for us and taken His seat at the right hand of the Father (Romans 8:33, 34). God’s response to his people does not require another striking.
IV. A Presumptuous, Selfish Response (9–11)
Moses began the task in accord with the command. “So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him” (9). Then, as commanded, he gathered the assembly before the rock. Then a great defection from the command of the Lord and from ongoing revelation of redemptive truth occurred.
A. Moses did not speak to the rock, but to the people.
He spoke in a way that God Himself did not speak, but scolded and reprimanded the people calling them “rebels” (which they were), but in a way of presumption and personal frustration and authoritative proclamation outside the instruction of God (10). He expressed his personal anger as if that justified his word even in the absence of and independent of God’s intent in this situation. He also said, “Shall WE bring water for you out of this rock?” That was not within his power and certainly not his prerogative. He has, in essence, usurped divine sovereignty.
B. After speaking harshly and in personal anger with the people, Moses did not speak to the rock but struck the rock twice.
In this rash action, Moses disobeyed God and dishonored Christ, He did not manifest any spiritual insight that the rock now symbolized an ongoing source of spiritual energy and transforming power for His people. It has been struck once, and now its efficient provision was a sustaining power for the people. It is feasible that the rock had provided water on other occasions subsequent to that of Exodus 17, but God was showing that apart from the rock’s provision they would wither and die. Now, Moses allowed his desire for gratitude and personal recognition pervert the grace of his calling.
C. God sent forth water in spite of the unfaithful action of Moses.
God’s final purpose of grace to His people cannot be interdicted by incompetency or unfaithfulness on the part of ministers. Each of them will be judged according to his own work whether it is enduring or merely temporal (1 Corinthians 3:11–15). God Himself gives the true increase and Jesus Christ in His person and work has established the foundation (1 Corinthians 3:6, 7, 11). Moses and Aaron will have this event counted as wood, hay and stubble. God, however, continues with His intent to build a living temple on the completed work of His Son (1 Peter 2:4–10; 2 Corinthians 4:7).
V. A Just Judgment (12, 13)
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron were excluded from placing their feet in the land of promise. Their leadership had endured nearly forty years, but they would not lead these people over the Jordan into the land.
A. Their actions were actions of unbelief—“You did not believe me.”
Faith always acts on the basis of the word of God. They chose a method of engaging the rock unwarranted by the direct command of God. God had not left out anything in the command. He had not left blanks for Moses to fill in from his personal experience. Not only had he gone beyond the word of God, he contradicted it by his action.
B. Their actions, reflecting personal interest and frustration, did not conform to the holiness of God.
Their presumption elevated their authority above that of God and their anger assumed that their apparent integrity was more important than the inviolable perfections of the great “I Am.”
C. God reminded them that they were ministers of God with a stewardship clearly defined and governed by divine revelation and long-term purpose.
This land was not given by Moses and neither he nor Aaron would have any part in conquering it or living in it. This was most assuredly “the land which I have given them” (12).
POEM
Comfort in captivity or freedom in rough terrain,
The pilgrimage brought suffering, the journey increased pain.
The people had no godly vision, only could complain.
Again prostrate before the Lord Aaron and Moses fell.
Before they spoke the Lord appeared their anguish to dispel.
“Take your rod, speak to the rock, you’ll find a flowing well.”
So Moses went with rod in hand and to the rock they came.
He spoke in anger to the people, pointed to their blame,
Called them rebels, struck the rock, exalted his own name.
By sovereign mercy, water flowed abundantly and free.
Moses and Aaron heard God’s voice, “You did not hallow me.”
“You disbelieved and chose your way; the land you won’t receive.”
In the sphere of grace and mercy, holiness redounds.
Presumption intrudes on God’s honor; pride must not be found.
God remains just, yet justifies; pure praises must abound.
When from our task He calls us home, we still rejoice in grace.
Soon we must part and go to Him as we complete this race.
We leave our friends, our call is done, sustained in His embrace.
