Numbers 20:
Introduced to 4 types for Jesus Christ:
2nd in Chapter 20:11, “ 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.”. The Water of Life
Anyone who failed to Cleanse themself, was cut off from Israel. Same today: if you refuse God’s offer to accept Christ and receive salvation.Nearing the end of the 40 years Israel has wandered in the Wilderness. Moses was an excellent servant to God, but he lost focus.
[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.
-Not written, but this would be the 40th year
-Exodus 15:20, “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.”.- Older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a Prophetess.
-2nd time Israel has been to Kadesh.
-It was at Kadesh that they sent out the 12 Spies to spy out the Promised Land
[2] And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
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[3] And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
-“chode”= to grapple/ to quarrel
-“Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!”- We wish we had died when the others had died.
-“our brethren”- Numbers 11 and Numbers 13: Korah, the 250, 14,700 due to the plague and those who died over the course of the 40 years, and Miriam from verse one.
[4] And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
-Same sort of complaining that put them in the predicament of wandering the Wilderness for the past 40 years.
[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.
-Faithless discontent
[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.
-DO NOT LOSE your focus
-“fell upon their faces”- In humility/praying
[7] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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[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.
-“speak”- God wanted Moses to sanctify him in the eyes of the people.
-Note: God said ‘speak’ unto the rock: It is believed by some Bible Scholars that this is symbolic for God’s election. How? Well think about it. Will you be willing to let the Holy Spirit speak through you when delivered up to the Antichrist?
[9] And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
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[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?
-“them”= The Congregation.
-Here is where Moses lost focus.
-They say, ‘must we’, like God needs their help to get water out of that rock. God has never nor will ever need to rely on man kind to get things done.
[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.
-Moses did NOT follow God’s commandment
-God had said: Speak to the rock to sanctify the LORD in the eyes of the people.
-It was God who brought water out of the rock. Not Moses and Not Aaron.
-1 Corinthians 10:4, “ And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”.- The rock is symbolic of Christ. He was crucified once and that was enough.
-Note: Moses did NOT speak to the rock. He also struck the rock twice.
[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.
-“and Aaron”- Aaron did nothing to stop Moses
-Aaron has a tendency to just ‘follow along’. Such as at the incidents of: The Golden Calf and when Marian complained.
-“believed me not” - It was because of his unbelief in God. And Unbelief is what has caused all the problems faced by the Congregation.
-Here we have a Leader who was expected more of: to lead this Congregation into the Promised Land. He did not do it, therefore Moses and Aaron will be removed from office. They, both Aaron and Moses, will not enter into the Promised Land.
-Note: This lesson is one in which God gave us to guide us today. It is a type/example for God’s election, when brought up before the Antichrist. Which is when it becomes possible to commit the Unpardonable Sin. When God says to speak, you must speak. But if He tells you to keep your mouth shut, you must remain silent until He tells you what and when to say.
-Luke 12:10, “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.”.
[13] This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
-“Meribah”= Strife
[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:
-Brought most of this travail upon themselves because of their Unbelief
-Moses knows that the pathway into the Land of Canaan, if they had headed North from where they were now, would have caused them to cross the mountains that are in South Palestine. He is planning to go East into Edom and then North (the land of the Moab and Ammon people), then head West and cross the Jordan.
-“thus saith thy brother Israel”- Edom are the descendants of Esau. Esau was the twin brother to Jacob, who was later renamed by God to Israel. He (Israel) was the father of the 12 Patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel. All are Adamic people, including the Moabites and Ammonites (Moab and Ammon were the sons of Lot).
-Deuteronomy 2 and 3- Forbidden by God to attack Edom, Moab and Ammon.
[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:
-*The Messengers from Moses continue to the King of Edom
-“long time”= four hundred years to be exact
-“vexed”= (or) spoiled/ to make bad
-Most of them were under slave labor: producing bricks for Pharaoh’s buildings.
[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:
-“angel”= Angel of the LORD
-Where they were in the North, the only thing separating them from the Promised Land was the Wilderness of Zin (The Desert of Zin).
[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 highway, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
-The Messengers continue
-“fields”- Not going to cause any damage to your crops
-I.e. We will only travel on the main road. We will not cause you any trouble.
[18] And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.
-“pass by”= through
-I.e. You cross the border into Edom, and its war.
[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.
-I.e. You will not even know we were there.
[20] And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
-“he”= the king of Edom
-God had forbidden Israel to war against Edom or Moab or Ammon (Deuteronomy chapters 2 and 3) because all three were Adamic People. (Edom are the descendants of Esau, Jacob (later renamed by God to Israel) is his brother. Moab and Ammon are both the sons of Lot*).
[21] Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
-Nothing is written in these verses concerning the incident with the Edomites about Israel asking God what they should do. Without outwardly saying it, it shows how far the people have grown away from God.
-This generation was condemned to die in the Wilderness. And at the time of these events, it is nearly the end of those forty years.