Numbers 20:10–11: “And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, ‘Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?’ Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.”

January 30th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Exodus 17 and Numbers 20 record two occasions where the Israelites were upset with Moses at being in a desert with no water; interestingly, there are decades separating these two occasions. The first time (Exodus) God told Moses to take his staff and strike a rock, and water came out of it. The second time God told Moses to take Aaron’s rod, which had budded with almonds as a clear message of Aaron’s God-given leadership, and do something quite different. God told him to “speak to the rock.”

God gave Moses specific instructions because He was setting up an important prophetic picture for generations to come. The first time the rock was smitten, but the second time the rock was supposed to be asked. In the New Testament, Jesus is the rock that was smitten for our sins; and we understand today that if we are thirsty for salvation, we have only to speak to the rock.

However, Moses was having a bad day. He’d been with these grumbling people for a long time. He lost his temper and instead of speaking to the rock, he hit it, saying, “Must we bring water for you?” God could have asked, “Wait Moses; who’s bringing the water out of the rock? And why are you angry when I am not?” Have you ever heard a preacher beating the sheep? That’s what Moses was doing here by railing on them. He wasn’t identifying with them; instead he was trying to stand above them, alongside God Almighty. Nevertheless, God was merciful and brought water from the rock again. But He was not pleased that His picture of Jesus, as the Rock, had been spoiled, and that Moses was taking credit for the miracle. To discipline him, God didn’t allow Moses to enter the Promised Land with the people.

However, even in this story of discipline, we see a picture of God’s abundant mercy, when 1400 years later, on the Mount of Transfiguration, in Matthew 17, God took Moses into the land. Jesus met with Peter, James, John, Elijah, and Moses on that Mount. It was God’s mercy that allowed Moses to finally be in the Promised Land, and it is that same mercy that will allow us to be in eternity with God, in the new heaven and new earth. Jesus, the Rock, was struck for us; and if we submit and ask, He will cleanse us from our sin, pouring out His mercy on us. Don’t forget to thank God for that mercy today.

“Thank you, LORD, for being the Rock that gives us life this day.”

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Numbers 20 KJV

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. 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. ⁶And 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 and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he 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. ¹² 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. 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. ¹⁸And 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. 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.