The Exodus and the wilderness · Numbers 20
Moses Strikes the Rock at Meribah
In the first month, Israel arrives at Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, where Miriam dies and is buried. There is no water, and the people quarrel with Moses, wishing they had never left Egypt. Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD appears to them. He commands, “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together… and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water.” But standing before the rock, Moses cries out, “Hear now, ye rebels!” and strikes the rock twice with his rod. Water comes out abundantly. The LORD then says to Moses and Aaron, “Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel,” they will not bring the congregation into the promised land. Soon afterward, Aaron dies on Mount Hor.
What happens
- Miriam dies at Kadesh, and the people lack water Numbers 20:1–2
- “Wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt?” Numbers 20:4–5
- The LORD commands: “speak ye unto the rock” Numbers 20:8
- “Hear now, ye rebels!”: Moses strikes the rock twice Numbers 20:10–11
- “Ye believed me not”: Moses and Aaron will not enter the land Numbers 20:12
- Aaron dies on the top of Mount Hor Numbers 20:28
Who is in this story
The lesson
God wants to be sanctified by exact obedience: Moses, though so faithful, is told to speak to the rock and strikes it instead, and he will not enter Canaan. Yet the water flowed all the same: God’s goodness to his people does not depend on the perfection of his servants.
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.
Quick quiz on this story
How many times does Moses strike the rock with his rod?
Moses lifts up his hand and smites the rock “twice” with his rod; the water comes out abundantly, and the congregation drinks, and their beasts also. Numbers 20:11
Who dies and is buried at Kadesh at the beginning of this account?
The text notes that Israel stayed in Kadesh: “Miriam died there, and was buried there.” Aaron dies only later, on Mount Hor. Numbers 20:1
What command does the LORD give about the rock at Kadesh?
The LORD says, “speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water.” The rod was to be taken, but the command was to speak to the rock, not strike it. Numbers 20:8
There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start your free trial.