Num 20:2-13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Num 20:2-13: 20:2-13 In the face of yet another complaint by the people of Israel about a lack of water and food (cp. 11:4-35 ; 21:4-5 ; Exod 15:22-25 ), Moses and Aaron disobeyed the Lord and lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land. 20:2 There was no water: Throughout most of the year, Sinai and the Negev are very hot and dry.

Summary for Num 20:2-13: 20:2-13 ^a In the face of yet another complaint by the people of Israel about a lack of water and food (cp. 11:4-35 ^b; 21:4-5 ^c; Exod 15:22-25 ^d), Moses and Aaron disobeyed the Lord and lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land. 20:2 ^e There was no water: Throughout most of the year, Sinai and the Negev are very hot and dry.
20:3 ^f our brothers! The Israelites identified themselves with Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1-5 ^g), the gluttons killed by the first plague (Num 11:33 ^h), the skeptics who had already died in the wilderness (14:29 ⁱ), the ten unfaithful spies (14:36-37 ^j), Korah, Abiram, and Dathan, the 250 prominent men, and the 14,700 who died in the second plague (16:32 ^k, 35 ^l, 49 ^m).
20:6 ⁿ they fell face down on the ground: As in previous conflicts (14:5 ^o, 10 ^p; 16:4 ^q, 19 ^r, 22 ^s), they prostrated themselves and awaited the glorious presence of the Lord to resolve the crisis.
Summary for Num 20:7-9: 20:7-9 ^t God heard Israel’s complaints, regarded them as legitimate, and commanded Moses to solve the problem.
Summary for Num 20:8-9: 20:8-9 ^u The staff was kept before the Ark of the Covenant to prevent the Israelites from complaining (cp. 17:10 ^v); it represented God’s authority in the hands of Moses and Aaron. The instructions that God gives his representatives are very precise and must be followed exactly (cp. Jas 3:1 ^w; see also 2 Tim 2:24-26 ^x).
Summary for Num 20:10-12: 20:10-12 ^y Instead of reverently obeying God’s instructions, Moses rebuked the people (Must we bring you water from this rock?) and angrily struck the rock twice with the staff (20:11 ^z). God regarded Moses’ words and actions as a serious breach of faith; Moses “spoke foolishly” (Ps 106:32-33 ^aa; cp. Jas 1:20 ^ab) and did not trust God enough to demonstrate his holiness. By not doing exactly as he was told, Moses demonstrated a lack of faith in God to provide for his people. This lack of faith is also apparent in Moses’ words to the people. The Lord requires obedience and faith; anything less is an affront to his holy character (Num 20:24 ^ac; 27:14 ^ad). Such serious lack of obedience and faith had the same result as it had earlier (14:20-23 ^ae; see also 1 Cor 10:4-12 ^af).
20:13 ^ag Meribah: As they had at Rephidim (Exod 17:1-7 ^ah), the Israelites coined a name (“Arguing”) that referred more to the incident than to a geographical location.

• God demonstrated his holiness through his judgment on Aaron and Moses’ sin.