Numbers 20:8
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.
At Meribah at Kadesh God told Moses to take the rod and with Aaron gather the assembly and speak to the rock before their eyes, with the promise that it would give its water to drink for the congregation and their beasts. Israel had come again after nearly forty years wandering to the place where God had proved them, and in a thirsty place with no water they forgot His long provision and murmured against God and against Moses and Aaron. The command required speaking to the rock and not smiting it, because speaking was enough for water to come abundantly by God's power and to make clear before Israel that God and not Moses would provide it and receive the glory. Moses let patience give way under continual murmuring, spoke from irritated passion and claimed the glory to himself, and angrily struck the rock twice, though those who held the other account teach that he struck three times. Because they believed not and did not sanctify God, judgment was pronounced that they would not bring the congregation into the land, which teaches that God's Word must be followed exactly to the letter and that God does not excuse sin in the exalted any sooner than in the humble.
Setting and Command
The command was given at Meribah at Kadesh on the borders of the promised land within sight of the hills of Canaan, as Israel approached Edom on the route to Canaan after nearly forty years of wandering and was brought back to the very place where God had proved them soon after leaving Egypt. The living stream that had followed Israel through the desert and flowed wherever they encamped, first supplied when Moses was told to smite the rock, ceased just before they came again to the rock. Its stopping was to test whether they would trust God's providence and walk by faith and not by sight before entering Canaan, and to signal that the wandering was ending, not that God had abandoned them, for with Edom lying on their route they had permission to buy food and water there.
In that thirsty, evil place with no seed, figs, vines, pomegranates, or water, the people forgot the hand that had supplied their wants for years and God's power that had brought water from the rock before. They murmured against God and against Moses and Aaron for bringing them from Egypt into the wilderness to perish, wishing they had died with their brethren who died before the Lord in the plague in the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Moses and Aaron, two aged leaders who had long borne Israel's rebellion, left the murmuring assembly, went to the door of the tabernacle, fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
Then God told Moses to take the rod of God in his hand and with Aaron his brother gather the assembly together and speak to the rock before their eyes. The promise was that it would give forth its water and he would bring forth to them water out of the rock, so to give the congregation and their beasts drink. The command required speaking to the rock, not smiting it.
Speaking was enough, for the water would come abundantly by God's power and not by a blow from a human hand. The form of the command was meant to sanctify God in the eyes of Israel and to make clear that God, not Moses, would provide the water and receive the glory. God meant the merciful provision as a display of His glory, long-suffering, and tender pity to soften and subdue hearts and lead to repentance.
It was His plan often to prove Israel by bringing them into strait places and then in great necessity exhibiting His power, that He might live in their memory and they might glorify Him. But their unbelief kept them from trusting Him and going on without the miraculous spring, so they had to cross the desert again and drink from it.
Disobedience and Punishment
Moses, though very meek above all men and long patient with rebellion, was provoked, harassed, perplexed and wearied by continual murmuring, complaining, faultfinding, unbelief and rebellion over lack of water, until patience gave way and for a moment faith let go its hold on infinite power. In that moment he lost sight of God's glory and forgot how much God had borne with the people. Forgetting the words directing him to speak to the rock, he thought only of himself, how deeply he was wronged and how little gratitude they showed for his deep love. He took their murmuring against God to himself as a great trial and dishonor to himself, forgetting that Israel was grieving God, sinning against God, dishonoring God and murmuring at God's providence, not against men appointed to carry out His purpose.
Speaking from irritated human passion, he called the people rebels and claimed that he and Aaron would bring them water from the rock, thus giving prominence to self and taking to himself the glory belonging to God alone. Instead of speaking to the rock and declaring that God would show another evidence of His power and ascribing to God the power and glory for causing water to flow again from the flinty rock, he angrily struck the rock twice with the rod. That blow wrongly suggested that human action supplied the power, obscured God's power before the people, and by his angry words wrongly presented human passion as God's judgment. Those who hold to one account describe him as striking the rock three times while angrily rebuking the people.
The act was disobedience showing lack of faith and unbelief, neglecting God's work and failing to believe, honor, magnify and sanctify God before Israel and to show the people their guilt before Him. Without premeditation and surprised into sin, he failed to keep God's law, appropriated God's glory, and placed himself on Satan's side under Satan's claim of control and ownership. Judgment was immediately pronounced that because they believed not and did not sanctify God, Moses and Aaron would not bring the congregation into the land given them but must die with rebellious Israel before crossing the Jordan. Though Moses begged to go over, God refused to rescind the judgment, because excusing open disobedience before Israel would make God's Word of little account. This was Moses' first recorded failure as leader, denied entry to convince all Israel that there must be no departure from God's commandments in spirit or in word.
Moses mourned his sin and felt he had caused Israel to sin, but the sin was Israel's own murmuring and complaining spirit that led him to do wrong. He was not the greatest sufferer and did not feel in his heart the full depth of their sin, for Christ, their invisible leader, was the one they transgressed against and offended and suffered most intensely and would bear their iniquities.
Warning and Obedience
Numbers 20:8 shows that God's Word is precious and must be followed exactly to the letter, without supposing that a deviation will come out just as well. To forget is not profitable, and to become careless in any of God's requirements does not pay. This is as true of the Sabbath commandment, which requires keeping the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord, as of speaking to the rock rather than striking it, for to substitute the first day of the week for convenience is the same kind of departure. To excuse open disobedience before Israel would make God's Word of little account.
The sin of noble, greatly exalted and honored leaders cut short lives that might have been illustrious to the close. God does not excuse sin in those in exalted position any sooner than in the more humble. Those in positions of responsibility learn that God works counter to those who work counter to Him, and that His name alone is to be magnified on the earth. Because Moses held a responsible position as teacher and example, this one mistake cost him the right to enter Canaan, and the judgment was not rescinded when he pleaded.
Moses' failure came after being wearied by forty years of wandering with Israel, when for a moment his faith let go its hold upon infinite power. It proves that Satan assails with the fiercest temptations in the time of greatest weakness. When strength fails and will power weakens and faith ceases to rest in God, even one who has stood long and valiantly for the right can be overcome.
The episode warns God's people against complaining, distrusting God, and dishonoring Him by their conduct. The people's murmuring when water ceased led to punishment in the journey around Edom as a consequence of their sin. God had intended a better course for them, and in turning them aside He punished them lightly.
The faithful record of the sin that overcame Moses stands with the sins of Noah, Lot, Abraham, David, Solomon, Elijah, Jonah, Israel, Peter, and the contention of Paul and Barnabas. Together they show that men favored of God and entrusted with great responsibility were overcome by temptation and fell, even as people of the present day strive, waver, and fall into error. The record is kept for benefit and warning, to teach obedience to the law of God and the sure punishment of disobedience. It is kept also for encouragement, that through God's grace those who fell could gain fresh vigor to rise above evil nature, take heart again and conquer, so that later generations seeing where they struggled and fell and conquered may renew the conflict and press on.