Num 20:10-11 | KingComments | STEP | The rod that Moses must take is that of Aaron, the rod that has flourished. Moses takes it, for he lies before the LORD, and there he takes it away ( ). The rock also has a meaning: “And the rock was Christ” ( ). Moses once struck a rock ( ). Then water came out. That stream of water has been following the people throughout their journey through the wilderness. Probably the stream has dried up because of the unbelief of the people. That is why they are now without water. However, they are not without a high priest. The LORD gives Moses instructions. The LORD does not appear to discipline His people with a plague, as he did before ( ). There is no judgment, no anger. From what He gives Moses will come a new proof of His grace and care for His ungrateful and contradictory people. Moses must now speak to the rock and not strike it. The rock was once struck, by the rod of Moses, the rod that changed water into blood and cleft the Red Sea. It is a rod of judgment. Because Christ was struck by the striking hand of God, streams of water have emerged. That first strike happened at the beginning of the wilderness journey. Christ was struck once, He suffered once as “[the] just for [the] unjust, so that He might bring us to God” ( ). Now He always lives to make intercession for us ( ). Any new appeal to be made to Him must not be made by striking the rock again, but by speaking to it. The source of blessing is at our disposal. We only need to speak to the High Priest, to approach Him in prayer, and He will give blessing and refreshment. Weren’t Moses and Aaron prepared for this demonstration of grace from God for the sake of a people yet again rebellious? In any case they do not act in accordance with the grace the LORD wants to show here. They are reproached by the LORD for acting in unbelief ( ) and resisting His command ( ). Instead of speaking to the rock, they speak to the people. The attitude of the people has excited Moses, he loses his patience and speaks rash words ( ). But the LORD has not said that they should say anything to the people. Yet Moses says to them: “Shall we …?” He forgets that it concerns the LORD. Moses strikes and God responds with … water, much water. This blessing is not proof that Moses acted correctly. God can still give much blessing to believers who gather in a place that is not in His mind. He can even give blessing by an unbelieving pastor. Blessing says nothing about the place or about the person, it says something about the goodness and sovereignty of God. Moses strikes the rock with his rod ( ), all against the LORD’s command. He strikes with the rod of judgment, while God wants to show Himself as the God of grace to His people. Many people speak to God’s people only about a judgmental God. He is, but not only that. God has judged. Therefore, He can be presented as a gracious God. Moses and Aaron are given notice of the judgment. They have committed a “sin to death” ( ) and will not enter the land. This punishment marks the seriousness of the sin, committed by the most responsible of the people. If we do not sanctify God, God sanctifies Himself. The place where this happens is Meribah, which means ‘a place of struggle’. It is the same name that was used forty years earlier on a same occasion ( ). The events there speak, on the one hand, of the rebellion of the people ( ) and, on the other, of the grace of God ( ).

‏ Numbers 20:10-11

Moses Strikes the Rock

The rod that Moses must take is that of Aaron, the rod that has flourished. Moses takes it, for he lies before the LORD, and there he takes it away (Num 20:9). The rock also has a meaning: “And the rock was Christ” (1Cor 10:4). Moses once struck a rock (Exo 17:6). Then water came out. That stream of water has been following the people throughout their journey through the wilderness. Probably the stream has dried up because of the unbelief of the people. That is why they are now without water. However, they are not without a high priest.

The LORD gives Moses instructions. The LORD does not appear to discipline His people with a plague, as he did before (Num 16:46). There is no judgment, no anger. From what He gives Moses will come a new proof of His grace and care for His ungrateful and contradictory people. Moses must now speak to the rock and not strike it.

The rock was once struck, by the rod of Moses, the rod that changed water into blood and cleft the Red Sea. It is a rod of judgment. Because Christ was struck by the striking hand of God, streams of water have emerged. That first strike happened at the beginning of the wilderness journey. Christ was struck once, He suffered once as “[the] just for [the] unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1Pet 3:18). Now He always lives to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25).

Any new appeal to be made to Him must not be made by striking the rock again, but by speaking to it. The source of blessing is at our disposal. We only need to speak to the High Priest, to approach Him in prayer, and He will give blessing and refreshment.

Weren’t Moses and Aaron prepared for this demonstration of grace from God for the sake of a people yet again rebellious? In any case they do not act in accordance with the grace the LORD wants to show here. They are reproached by the LORD for acting in unbelief (Num 20:12) and resisting His command (Num 27:14). Instead of speaking to the rock, they speak to the people. The attitude of the people has excited Moses, he loses his patience and speaks rash words (Psa 106:32-33). But the LORD has not said that they should say anything to the people. Yet Moses says to them: “Shall we …?” He forgets that it concerns the LORD.

Moses strikes and God responds with … water, much water. This blessing is not proof that Moses acted correctly. God can still give much blessing to believers who gather in a place that is not in His mind. He can even give blessing by an unbelieving pastor. Blessing says nothing about the place or about the person, it says something about the goodness and sovereignty of God.

Moses strikes the rock with his rod (Num 20:11), all against the LORD’s command. He strikes with the rod of judgment, while God wants to show Himself as the God of grace to His people. Many people speak to God’s people only about a judgmental God. He is, but not only that. God has judged. Therefore, He can be presented as a gracious God.

Moses and Aaron are given notice of the judgment. They have committed a “sin to death” (1Jn 5:16b) and will not enter the land. This punishment marks the seriousness of the sin, committed by the most responsible of the people. If we do not sanctify God, God sanctifies Himself.

The place where this happens is Meribah, which means ‘a place of struggle’. It is the same name that was used forty years earlier on a same occasion (Exo 17:7). The events there speak, on the one hand, of the rebellion of the people (Psa 95:8) and, on the other, of the grace of God (Psa 114:8).