Here begins the fourth and last leg of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.
1. From Egypt to Sinai (Exod. 12-19)
2. From Sinai to Kadesh (Num. 11-12)
3. From Kadesh back to Kadesh--38 years of wilderness wandering (Num. 15-19)
4. From Kadesh to Transjordan (Num. 20-21)
The first two of these journeys each began with triumph but ended in tragedy. The third and fourth each began with tragedy but ended in triumph.
"The focus of the narratives in chs. 13-19 has been the sin of the people and the trouble caused by it. In chs. 20-21 this focus is still present, to be sure (20:2-13; 21:4-9), but it is beginning to shift to victories given by Yahweh as the people approach Canaan (21:1-3, 21-35). It should be remembered that these victories were given to the old generation that was under a death sentence in the wilderness. A new day is coming for the Israelites."166
At the end of 37 years the Israelites returned to the wilderness of Zin and Kadesh. Kadesh was a large area of desert located on the edge of the wilderness of Zin. God had previously judged the older generation of Israelites for not believing Him (ch. 14). Now He judged Moses for the same thing. Miriam and Aaron also died in the wilderness for their sins. The leaders fell before the same temptation as the people.
"Failure to enjoy God's promises was the result of unbelief. At this point in the narrative the writer shows that it was not a failure to keep the law that led to their death in the wilderness."167
Miriam was a significant person in the Exodus drama. The writer recorded her death as having occurred in the first month. He did not give the year. Probably this was the fortieth year because the next dated event, the death of Aaron, occurred on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year (cf. vv. 27-28; 33:38).
The root of Moses' sin in disobeying God (v. 11) was unbelief (v. 12). Quite clearly this was not a failure to believe that God could or would provide water for the people. Rather it was a failure to believe that simple obedience to God's command was best (cf. Gen. 4:1-7).
Moses did more than God told him to do. He failed to believe that God's way was best and took matters into his own hands. His motives may have been one or more of the following. He may have had a desire for the greater glory of God. He may have been proud or may have relied on his own ability to work miracles. We know he was impatient with the Israelites' complaining and felt frustrated by their slowness to learn a lesson God had previously taught them (cf. Ps. 106:32-33). In any case he failed to accept God's will as best, and this is unbelief.
"Faith is the correct response to God's word, whether it is a word of promise or a word of command."168
Instead of speaking to the rock (v. 8) Moses spoke to the Israelites (v. 10) "rashly"(Ps. 106:33; cf. Lev. 5:4). He struck the rock twice with the rod with which he had done many miracles (v. 11) as though this miracle required his power rather than simply the power of God.169Evidently Moses, in his frustration with the people, thought that he was the performer of the miracle rather than only God's instrument. This is a common error in modern ministry, and it still produces great frustration: thinking that we need to be manufacturers rather than simply distributors of blessing to others.170
"The promise was that the moment the word was spoken to the lifeless rock, the miracle would occur before the eyes of all the people and the water would gush from the rock in amounts sufficient to quench the thirst of man and beast. This was God's intention, a change from his attitude in the case of earlier rebellions: here mercy won over judgment. To accept this kindness toward a sinful people demanded even more faith from Moses (especially when we recall Num. 16:15, in which we read that he asked God to turn away from the people who so seriously but falsely accused him). God's power and God's mercy--these are the two focal points that were to be brought once more to the attention of the people."171
Perhaps there was a measure of sacrilege in striking the rock since rock was a symbol of God (cf. Deut. 32:4, 15, 18; Ps. 18:2; 31:3; 42:9; 1 Cor. 10:4; et al.). However I doubt this (cf. Exod. 17:6).
Moses' anger complicated his unbelief. He was a faithful servant of God except on this occasion. If another person had committed this sin it might not have been so serious, but it was very serious because the man in Moses' office committed it. God therefore shortened the term of Moses' office as punishment. Moses would not bring the nation into the Promised Land (cf. 1 Sam. 13:14; 15:26). Leaders of God's people lose their ability to lead when they cease to rely upon God and impede the manifestation of God's power and holiness.
Exactly what was Moses' sin, which the text calls unbelief?
"Judging from the passage alone, the faithlessness of Moses does not appear to have consisted in his striking the rock or in his harsh words but rather lies just out of reach somewhere in the numerous gaps' of the story. We should stress that this is not a result of a deficiency in the story. It rather appears to be part of the story's design. It is just at the point of recounting the nature of their sin that the author abbreviates the narrative and moves on to the divine speech (Num 20:12). Moreover, it is just this divine speech that fills the gap' with the word about faith, giving the story a sense far larger than that of its own immediate concerns. . . . The rebellion of Moses and Aaron (. . ., 20:24), which appears at some point to have been an important feature of the narrative, has been replaced with the focus on their faithlessness (. . ., 20:12). Such an interpretation has raised the actions of Moses and Aaron in the narrative to a higher level of theological reflection--the issue of faith versus obedience to the law. Their actions epitomize the negative side of the message of faith. Moses and Aaron, who held high positions under the law, did not enjoy God's gift of the land. They died in the wilderness because they did not believe."172
Aaron was guilty (v. 12) because he did not prevent Moses from sinning. Evidently he could have done this, and God punished him because he did not. Both men inappropriately took God's place as the center of attention.
Meribah (Contention) is the name the Israelites gave the water that came out of the rock. It is also the name of the site where this incident took place (v. 13). The people had already named another place Meribah (Exod. 17:7). The present incident doubtless brought the former to memory.
In spite of Moses' disobedience God still provided for the people by giving them water. God blesses people even through His disobedient servants. Nevertheless this in no way justifies a light view of sin. Moses experienced severe discipline for his unfaithfulness to God.
"The lesson is clear: grace is never a ground for complacency or presumption. By our carelessness, by our sinful neglect, we can sin away forever some of the privileges of our calling--not salvation itself, but our opportunities for service, our possibility for usefulness, our contribution to the ongoing purposes of God."173
The cloudy pillar led the Israelites, but apparently Moses had reason to believe that God was directing them eastward into the territory of Edom and from there north to Transjordan. Consequently he sent messengers to the King of Edom requesting permission to pass through his land (v. 14).
The Edomites were Israel's "brother"(v. 14) in that they were the descendants of Esau.
The "king's highway"(vv. 17, 19) was a broad major thoroughfare through Edom that caravans and armies as well as private citizens travelled. It was part of a trade route connecting Damascus and Arabia.174The Israelites did not take this route.
Moses took an irenic approach in dealing with the Edomites because they were the Israelites' relatives. They were not Canaanites that God had commanded His people to attack and destroy.
The Edomites refused to let Israel pass. This antagonistic attitude characterized Edom's approach to Israel throughout the history of these two nations and finally drew God's judgment upon Edom (cf. Obad. 10-14).
The Israelites remained in the area west of Edom temporarily and then proceeded to circle around Edom taking a generally southeasterly course toward the Gulf of Aqabah (cf. 21:4).
"A close reading of these narratives shows that the pattern in the account of Israel's failure to believe (Nu 14) is repeated in this account of Moses' unbelief. The complaints of the people (14:1-4; 20:2-5) lead the Lord to conclude that Israel (14:11) and Moses (20:12) are lacking in faith. Moreover, both narratives are followed by an account of Israel's aborted attempt to gain immediate entrance into the Promised Land. In chapter 14, it was Israel's defeat by the Amalekites (14:40-45), and in the present passage it is Edom's refusal to let Israel pass through their land (20:14-21). In these various ways, the author seems intent on showing the similarities between Israel's failure of faith and that of Moses. Both failed to believe God and hence could not go into the land."175
Mount Hor seems to have stood on the western border of Edom (v. 23).176
Aaron died on the first day of the fifth month in Israel's fortieth year (33:37-38). He was 123 years old (33:39).
Before Aaron died, Moses formally removed his brother's high priestly vestments and clothed Eleazer, Aaron's son, with them. Israel now had a new high priest.177
God has not revealed how Aaron died. His disobedience to God at Meribah near Kadesh led to a premature death (v. 12). Aaron appears to have been a man of weak will whom the people rather easily influenced to compromise his obedience to God's word. Nevertheless he was an extremely important individual because of his ministry, his office, and his role as founder of the Aaronic priesthood. His great responsibilities before God were second only to his privileges under God.
"So ends the dark chapter. In it has been recorded the death of a prophetess, the critical sin of Moses and Aaron, the refusal of negotiation, the death of Aaron, and the mourning of the people. The chapter has emphasized the limitations of man--even God's leaders! Now with a brighter spotlight on the grace and glory of God, Numbers resumes its story of advance."178
