Numbers 20

Numbers 20:1

**II. KADESH TO HESHBON (Numbers 20; Numbers 21)

A. DEATH OF MIRIAM Numbers 20:1

TEXT**

Numbers 20:1. Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 20:1. Then the children of Israel, the entire congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed at Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.

COMMENTARY

Now the period of wandering has ended. Presumably, all those who had lived under the sentence of death outside of the Promised Land are either dead or will die within this, the fortieth year since leaving Egypt. Moses stresses the fact that it is the entire congregation which assembles at Kadesh. They may have touched in at this spot many times during the years of wandering, but now they are brought together for a clear purpose: the time has arrived to begin the last phase of their journey and to enter Canaan. Their last great decision had been reached herethat they would not follow Joshua and Caleb in claiming the Promised Land immediately after the spies had returned from their mission. A totally different attitude now seems to pervade the crowd with reference to coming into their assigned inheritance. But is far more than a simple brief trip due north, as geography would indicate. They face a long journey, through hostile country; they will be ungrateful, just as their fathers had been, for God’s provisions; they will murmur when they are in trouble or in short supply of food or water; they will be brought into conflict with many armies among the countries they visit; they will yield to strong temptations in immorality and suffer the bitter consequences. Yet there is a great difference: at least a vast majority will rise to the occasion and their influence will dominate the nation. They will recognize the leading hand of the Lord and follow more willingly, They will be granted victory on the battlefield and physical necessities in the camp, It is a major turning point in their tempestuous history. The very first incident related upon their return to Kadesh is the brief, almost casual, note of the death of Miriam. If this seems curt or indifferent, let the following facts be noted: Miriam had been far from exemplary on occasion; in the entire Bible, the deaths of very few women are noted at all; when the death of anyone is mentioned, it is ordinarily little more than a simple statement of the fact; her death appears to have been from natural causes, since there is no reason to associate the fact with any misconduct, past or present; the thrust of the account demands that we move forward, and undue or excessive details now would interrupt the flow of Moses-’ account; and, finally, neither of her brothers was ultimately to enter Canaan, and all were excluded by their various offenses. Aaron would expire in the fifth month of the same year, while Moses-’ death occurred almost at the close of the year. RCP adds that while Moses and Aaron died by the mouth of God, the phrase is not used here (p. 155).

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

Identify the Wilderness of Zin, establishing its borders on all sides. Distinguish this wilderness from the Wilderness of Sin.

Can you give any reasonable explanation of the fact that so little is said of the wandering period?

Why did the Israelites not simply march north from Kadesh into the Promised Land?

Mention of Miriam’s death seems almost casual. Why is it given so little attention? Discuss your answer.

What evidence is there that we have now entered the fortieth year since the Exodus?

Compute Miriam’s age at the time of her death.

Numbers 20:2-13

B. SIN OF MOSES AT MERIBAH vv. 2-13 TEXT

Numbers 20:2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people chode with Moses and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? 5. And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. 6. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.

7. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 8. Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10. And Moses took Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11. And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
8. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 13. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 20:2. Now there was no water for the congregation; and they came together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people argued with Moses, saying, We wish we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. Why have you brought the congregation up into this wilderness? So that we and our cattle should die here? 5. It is no place for seed, or for figs, or for vines, or for pomegranates; and there is no water to drink. 6. Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the congregation to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell upon their faces;

7. and the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 8. Take the rod and gather the congregation together, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock in front of their eyes; and it shall give forth water. You will bring forth water for them from the rock; in this manner you will give the congregation and their animals a drink. 9. So Moses took the rod from the presence of the Lord as he commanded him. 10. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together in front of the rock and said unto them, Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water from this rock for you? 11. And Moses lifted up his hand, and with the rod he struck the rock twice: and water came forth abundantly so that the congregation and their animals drank.
8. And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 13. These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and he was sanctified by them.

COMMENTARY

Kadesh has not been identified with certainty, and it is thought to designate either a large district of desert land in the wilderness of Zin, or a smaller area about a large natural spring. Nothing was said of a shortage of water when the Israelites first camped here. The present cause may have derived from the season or from an unusually dry period. In saying there was no water, Moses may have intended only that whatever supply they had was inadequate to serve the needs of so large a multitude. Since water is essential both to the people and their large herds and flocks, a great quantity would be required regularly. When their requirements are not met, they revert to the manners of their fathers, assembling to protest against Moses and Aaron, (Exodus 17).

Whether the older Israelites had died en masse toward the end of the wandering period or their deaths were spread throughout that time, the surviving ones expressed their preference to join the dead rather than endure the discomforts of being waterless. Certainly the situation would be far from comfortable; but a review of the history of the nation would show that God had never abandoned them in any time of need. This is a time for faith testing, and they are unprepared. Their charge that they have been brought into an evil place, (Numbers 20:4), reflects only their momentary circumstance. They had not, for the most part, seen any of the bondage in Egypt; and on the other hand, their lives had been spent in the time of wandering. Hardships could not have been new and strange to them.

The evaluation of Kadesh is correct: it is not a place for an agricultural people, and it is far from ideal for their animals. while the Israelites are not at this time agricultural, they, like the Egyptians, may have come to depend largely upon the produce of the landa fact of which their fathers had loudly Complained, (Numbers 11:5), when they grew tired of the manna.

Moses and Aaron react properly at first, going before the Lord on their faces to determine His will and His course of action. Without Him they are powerless and at the mercy of the people. But they stand ready to do whatever may be required of them. Their wait was not long when the glory of Jehovah came unto them, and His words have a familiar ring. They are to take the rod (almost certainly that which had been used as a sign before Pharaoh, and at the parting of the waters of the Red Sea), approach the rock (otherwise unidentified, but surely a prominent landmark at the camp site), and produce the water so desperately needed.

Initially it appears that Moses will do exactly as the Lord has asked. He gathers the assembly and, after rebuking them by labelling them rebels, addresses himself to the problem. And what was his sin? Some have pointed to the fact that Moses used the plural we in reference to the miracle soon to be performed, thus seeming to equate his part in the miracle with the Lord’S; or, to say the least, sharing somewhat in it. Others point to the fact that Moses struck the rock twice, whether motivated by anger, righteousness, or impatience; still others remind us that he was told only to speak to the rock, and should not have touched it at all, Any one of these might have been enough, but if we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, God Himself refers to Moses-’ failure to glorify His name (Numbers 20:12), thus singling out the greatest offense.

We should not be surprised that water gushed forth from the rock in spite of Moses-’ error. God did not intend that the people should suffer, and He sent an abundant supply to care for them and their beasts. His rebuke is properly spoken to Moses and Aaron, and doubtless His verdict was given in private, for their ears alone: they would not be privileged to lead their people in the final triumphant step into the Promised Land. It was a most bitter sentence, but it underscores the grievous nature of the offense. A special weight of responsibility rests upon the shoulders of those entrusted with places of authority and leadership (cf. James 3:1). Since their actions influence many others directly, they must be most careful at all times. The error of Moses was public. Had God ignored it, or had Moses gone unpunished, the people could rightly accuse Him of biased treatment. This God is incapable of doing. His judgments are impersonal, altogether fair and constant.

The name Meribah is used of this place, as it had been used in the early days of Israel’s exodus (see Exodus 17:7). The similarity between the two locations rests upon their need for water, their bitter complaints, and satisfaction through divine assistance. Otherwise, the narratives are most dissimilar, and cannot be confused. Even in these unusual circumstances, God was sanctified in them, that is, as PC says, He revealed there his holiness and power, and put to silence their evil murmurings against Him. He was sanctified in them all the more abundantly because Moses and Aaron failed to sanctify him in the eyes of the people; but what they failed to do he brought to pass without their agency, (p. 254).

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

Since the Israelites must have continually relied upon God’s providence in the past for the great quantity of water they needed, why should they suddenly show this strong doubt?

Why should the people blame Moses and Aaron for their problem?

What type of country surrounds Kadesh?

Do you believe God deliberately delayed bringing water to the Israelites? If so, for what purposes?

How could the people understand this area to be an evil place?

Compare the list of the foods they now miss with those given when the nation had first removed from Egypt. Explain the differences.

Some have suggested that Moses used Aaron’s budded rod in the incident here. Why is this unlikely?

What explanations have been given for Moses-’ sin at the rock? Which do you accept, and why?

Explain why God sent water forth from the rock in spite of this fact.

Does it seem fair to you that Moses should be prohibited from leading the people into the Promised Land on the basis of this single act of error? Defend your answer.

What similarities can you find between the two incidents involving Meribah?

What do you learn of God’s justice from the incident?

Numbers 20:14-21

C. PASSAGE REFUSED THROUGH EDOM vv. 14-21 TEXT

Numbers 20:14. And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: 15. How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: 16. And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border. 17. Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. 18. And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. 19. And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. 20. And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. 21. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 20:14. Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, Thus says your brother Israel, -You know all the difficulty which has come upon us: 15. how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. Egypt treated us badly, as well as our fathers. 16. When we cried to the Lord, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt; and, lo, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17. Let us pass through your country, I pray you. We will not pass through the fields nor through the vineyards, nor will we drink of the water of your wells. We will go by the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your country.-’ 18. But Edom replied to him, You shall not pass through me lest I come out with the sword against you. 19. And the children of Israel said to him, We will go by the highway. And if I or my cattle drink any of your water, I will pay for it. I will do no damage; just let me pass through on foot only. 20. But he said, You shall not pass through. And Edom came out against him with many people and a strong force. 21. In this way Edom refused to allow Israel passage through his border; so Israel turned him away.

COMMENTARY

When the Israelites refused to enter the land of Canaan the first time they came to the region of Kadesh, they were turned away from Kadesh by the warring Amalekites and Canaanites (Numbers 14:45). This may be the reason they now choose not to enter Canaan from the souththe direct routechoosing instead the long march around the south of the Dead Sea and an approach from east of the Jordan. Because Moses does not consult the Lord in the decision, it is safe to assume that he had already been informed that the march would follow such a route.

Even without the detour required around the borders of Edom, going from Kadesh to Jericho via the southern route involved prolonging the trip extensively, through much more formidable territory. But it was a wiser choice than a confrontation with their previous enemies. Such a route required the permission of the king of Edom, through whose territory the large troupe must pass. The Edomites knew of the general circumstances (Numbers 20:14), since news of their origin and travels must certainly have spread throughout all adjacent lands. When Moses recites the history briefly, it is a polite prelude to a fair proposal. He asks permission for his people to pass through Edom without imposing hardship of any kind upon the residents. The population of Edom was never large, and the country had little tillable land. The Israelites might have consumed their resources in a relatively short time. Reassurance that the people would take nothing from field, vineyard, or even the wells should have allayed any fears. It was a strong promise, and perhaps the Edomite king thought enforcement of the pledge, however sincerely given, was impossible.

Not wishing to incur the wrath of the king, nor to engage his forces in battle, Moses is compelled to agree to a detour. Even the pledge to stay on the trade route, and to reimburse the Edomites for any items consumed, even for any water, is fruitless. The adamant stand of the king might well account in part for later feelings of antipathy between the two peoples. The march turns again, and an additional 200 miles is imposed upon them.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

What reasons possibly explain why the Israelites did not move directly north from Kadesh into the land of Canaan?

Consult a good map, and estimate the additional distance the tribes were required to travel when they were refused permission to pass through Edom.

How might the Edomites have heard the story of the history of Israel’s servitude and delivery from Egypt?

Why was the proposed trip through Edom a potentially disastrous event for the Edomites? What safeguards did Moses offer?

Of what was the king of Edom actually afraid?

Trace the genealogical lines of the Israelites and the Edomites to find their relationship.

Numbers 20:22-29

D. DEATH OF AARON vv. 22-29 TEXT

Numbers 20:22. And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor. 23. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, 24. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. 25. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: 26. And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. 27. And Moses did as the Lord commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. 29. And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 20:22. And they traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, the entire congregation, came to Mount Hor 23. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, 24. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: he shall not enter into the land I have given the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. 25. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. 26. Strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and he shall die there. 27. And Moses did as the Lord commanded; and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29. And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the children of Israel mourned for thirty days.

COMMENTARY

About one day’s journey northeast of Kadesh is a tall, easily recognizable peak often thought to be this Mount Hor. Positive identification has not been made, although Jebal Harun is near Petra, well inside the borders of Edom, The essential portion of the country lies north of this point, and it is through this area the Israelites were not permitted to march. Here God chooses to call Aaron to the peak of the mountain on top of a mountain, to be the scene of his death. The second of the famous children of Amram and Jochebed is soon to die in the fortieth year of the wandering.

The death of Aaron, like that of Moses, comes before the Israelites enter the land of Promise; and it is for the same reason: the disobedience at Meribah. They have shared the crime, and they share the punishment. Although the death of Moses is delayed, it still deprived him of what must have been the strongest yearning of his lifeentrance into the new Land. Aaron’s life was plagued by some rather glaring sins, such as the construction of the golden calf (Exodus 32:1 ff.); his self-exaltation and sedition against Moses, along with Miriam’s harsh criticisms (Numbers 12:1-11); and this last, the presumptuous wrong at Meribah. Any of these might have excluded him from Canaan, but God quite apparently considers the final offense to be the worst.

God gave special instructions to be carried out in conjunction with Aaron’s death and his successor. The death would come on top of Hor, and the priestly robes, stripped from his body, should be placed upon Eleazar his third son, as God’s next man chosen for the office of the high priest. The first sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, were victims of their own disobedience, and died in offering strange fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1-2). Besides Eleazar, there was a younger son, Ithamar. Together they had served with Aaron after the death of their brothers (Numbers 3:4); but only one could occupy the high priesthood, and Eleazar is chosen.

Among all the beautiful Hebrew expressions, none is more expressive than the phrase, given at death, he was gathered unto his people. Far more than merely euphemistic, the thought had been used of the patriarchs (Genesis 25:8; Genesis 25:17; Genesis 35:29; Genesis 49:33, and elsewhere), and suggests a continuity of fellowship beyond the grave, and more than an elementary concept of the pleasantness of reunion with those we have known and loved in this life. It is one of the clearest assertions of this doctrine in the Old Testament.

God’s instructions were carefully followed. With the people watching, the two men carry out their roles. Mourning was always a symbolic rite among the Hebrews, and might last for an extended period of timenot usually less than a week if the deceased were of any prominence. The entire nation mourned for Aaron for thirty days, indicating that he was a man of no little respect.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

Identify Mount Hor. Distinguish this from the other mountain of the same name.

Why was Aaron not permitted to enter the land of Canaan?

Which of his sins was responsible for this exclusion? Why?

Why was Aaron’s firstborn son not selected to succeed his father to the high priesthood?

Detail the instructions God gave to be carried out at the death of Aaron.

Show the symbolism and the deeper meanings of the term, to be gathered unto one’s people.

How long had the Israelites mourned for these people: Jacob? Joseph? Miriam? Aaron?

What actions were involved in this mourning?