Be Faithful to the Lord – Numbers 20:1-13
20 In the first month the children of Israel, the whole congregation, arrived at the wilderness of Zin, and they camped at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there. (2) Now there was no water for the congregation, so they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. (3) The people contended with Moses and said, We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Jehovah! (4) Why have you brought the assembly of Jehovah into this wilderness? Have you done so in order that we should die here, both we and our livestock? (5) Why did you force us to come up out of Egypt, only to bring us into this terrible place? This is not a land that produces grain, or figs, or grapevines, or pomegranates. There is not even any water to drink!(6) Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; there they fell upon their faces, and the glory of Jehovah appeared to them. (7) Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, (8) Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to the rock before their eyes, so that it may yield its water. You shall bring water out of the rock for them; so shall you provide water for the congregation and their livestock to drink. (9) So Moses took the staff from Jehovah’s presence, as Jehovah commanded him. (10) Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, Now listen, you rebels! Shall we bring forth water for you from this rock? (11) Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock drank. (12) But Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not trust in me, in order to honor* me in the sight of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them. (13) These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel contended with Jehovah, but he was honored* before them.
*Literally, “sanctify,” “sanctified”
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
