Water from Rock – Part 2

Numbers 20:1-13

The Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt after 400 years. With Moses and Aaron as leaders, the LORD performed great miracles which forced Pharaoh to let them go. The LORD led them to Sinai, where the ten commandments were given.

Even though the people sinned against the LORD by worshipping a golden calf, through Moses’ intercession, the people are forgiven and are led to the southern boundary of the promised land. Fearing the residents of the land, the people refuse to enter, and the LORD pronounces that He would lead their children into the land after all the adults have died in the desert.

They are on the move again in the wilderness, and Miriam, the older sister of Moses and one of the leaders, dies there and is buried.

There is no water, and they complain to Moses and Aaron, who turn to the LORD for help. The LORD instructs Moses to take the staff, assemble the congregation, and command the rock to bring forth water.

Moses and Aaron gather the people before the rock, and Moses says, “Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses strikes the rock twice with his staff, water comes out, and the people drink.

Later in the chapter, we read that Aaron dies and Israel mourns him for thirty days.

On the surface, this narrative reminds us of an earlier incident found in Exodus 17. That was also in the wilderness of Sin, at Meribah, and people had no water to drink. The LORD instructs Moses to strike the rock with his staff, and when Moses strikes, water comes out of the rock and the people are able to drink.

These are the similarities between the incident in Exodus 17 and Numbers 20:

• Both take place in the wilderness of Sin, at a place called Meribah
• There is no water to drink for the people and livestock
• People complain to Moses and Aaron
• Moses and Aaron turn to the LORD for help
• When Moses strikes the rock, the LORD brings water forth

However, in this morning’s passage, the LORD is unhappy with Moses and Aaron and tells them that they did not trust in Him so they will not be entering into the promised land when the time comes.

So, what was different about this time that things did not end well for Moses and Aaron? Scholars have been pondering this question throughout the ages.

There are some obvious differences. In the prior incident, Moses does exactly what the LORD commands him to do – Gather the people and strike the rock. In the latter incident, what the LORD commands is to gather the people and command the rock to produce water. Moses does a couple of things that were not commanded – His little speech to the people and striking the rock not once, but twice.

Let us look at what Moses said to the people – “Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” The problem is probably the use of “we” in his statement. If Moses meant Aaron and himself, then that would be a big mistake, since there is no way that Moses and Aaron by themselves could bring forth water from a rock. So, Moses probably did not mean that. So that would probably mean that Moses meant, “us and the LORD together”, when he said, “we”.

Moses has witnessed the LORD’s great power from the time he first encountered the LORD and learned His name. Through preparing Moses for his encounter with Pharaoh, through the ten plagues upon Egypt that would force Pharaoh to release the people, the parting and closing of the Red Sea, through His provisions of manna, quail and water – But it is also true that each time, Moses had a role to play. So, the pattern has been, a problem has been identified, Moses turns to the LORD, the LORD tells Moses what he needs to do, and when Moses does his part, the LORD does His.

It would be natural for Moses to assume that there is some sort of a partnership that has been established. Moses does what he is commanded to do, and the LORD will use His power.

When the latest water shortage hit, Moses acted out what he was assuming/feeling – The faithless people are complaining again, and he and the LORD will once again solve the problem for them.

What Moses forgot was that although it was necessary for him to be obedient and do what the LORD commanded him to do, it was not true that the LORD needed him. It was not like unless Moses acted, the LORD was powerless to act. The LORD has His reasons for Moses to do what he was commanded to do, but it was the LORD who has the power to make things happen – Not Moses.

On the surface, we can be sympathetic towards Moses. After all that he has endured in obedience to the LORD, he is not going to be able to enter the promised land. Moses will have to shepherd the mumbling rebellious people for forty years, but when the LORD is ready to take the people in, it will not be Moses that will be in the lead. Instead, Moses will die in the wilderness, just like the rest of adults who rebelled against the LORD by refusing to enter the promised land. By the punishment, we can surmise that what Moses said and did was seen by the LORD as disobedience and lack of trust.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and ask for forgiveness of our sins, our sins are forgiven, we are assured of eternal life with the Lord, and we are given work to do while we are on this earth.

It is a privilege that the Lord chooses us for His work. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit and prayerfully approach our assignments. Although we need to do our part seriously, the real power that gets things done is from the Lord. It is dangerous to start believing that the power comes from us.

This is what Moses momentarily forgot at Meribah the second time. Because of it, Moses will not be allowed into the promised land. Instead, he too will die in the wilderness with the others who did not trust the LORD.

This does not mean that the LORD had rejected Moses as His chosen prophet. Moses just has to face the consequences of what he did. We know that Moses is still in God’s favor, since at the mount of transfiguration, as Jesus looks towards Jerusalem to go die on the cross, it is Moses and Elijah that appear and consult with Jesus.

We too can make mistakes that will have consequences. But if we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, our place in eternity is assured. Our names have been written into the Lamb’s Book of Life.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during worship on October 27, 2024.)