Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink. Then MosesThis phrase marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. Moses, the leader chosen by God, is central to this story. His actions and decisions are crucial, as he is the mediator between God and the people. Historically, Moses is a revered figure, and his leadership is often seen as a model of faith and obedience. However, this verse introduces a moment of human frailty, reminding us that even the most faithful can falter. raised his hand
The act of raising one's hand in the ancient Near Eastern context often signified authority and intention. It is a gesture of action and decision. In this moment, Moses is about to perform an act that will have significant consequences. The raising of the hand can also symbolize a moment of choice, where Moses must decide how to respond to the people's needs and God's instructions. and struck the rock
The rock is a recurring symbol in the Bible, often representing strength, stability, and God's provision. In Exodus 17, God instructed Moses to strike the rock to provide water for the people, but here in Numbers 20, God commanded Moses to speak to the rock. The act of striking the rock instead of speaking to it represents a deviation from God's command, highlighting the importance of obedience and trust in God's word. twice
The repetition of the action, striking the rock twice, emphasizes Moses' departure from God's specific instructions. It suggests a moment of frustration or doubt, where Moses relies on his previous experience rather than God's current command. This serves as a reminder of the importance of following God's guidance precisely, even when past experiences suggest a different course of action. with his staff
The staff is a symbol of Moses' leadership and God's power. It was used in many miracles, such as the parting of the Red Sea and the plagues in Egypt. Here, the staff is a tool of both authority and divine intervention. However, its use in this context, contrary to God's command, underscores the potential for even divinely appointed tools to be misused when not aligned with God's will. so that a great amount of water gushed out
This phrase highlights God's continued provision and mercy, despite Moses' disobedience. The abundance of water signifies God's grace and the fulfillment of His promise to care for His people. It serves as a testament to God's faithfulness, even when human leaders fail. The imagery of water gushing out also symbolizes life, renewal, and sustenance, essential for the survival of the Israelites in the desert. and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink
The provision of water for both the people and their livestock underscores God's comprehensive care for His creation. It reflects the holistic nature of God's provision, meeting the needs of both humans and animals. This moment serves as a reminder of God's compassion and the interconnectedness of all life under His care. The satisfaction of thirst for both the congregation and their livestock symbolizes the fulfillment of God's promises and the sustenance He provides for His people. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. In this passage, Moses acts in frustration and disobedience. 2. The RockA physical rock in the wilderness of Zin, which God commanded Moses to speak to in order to bring forth water for the Israelites. 3. The IsraelitesThe congregation of God's chosen people, who were wandering in the desert and in need of water. 4. The Wilderness of ZinA desert region where the Israelites were camped, characterized by its arid conditions and lack of water. 5. AaronMoses' brother and the high priest, who was with Moses during this event and also faced consequences for the disobedience. Teaching Points Obedience to God's CommandsMoses' action of striking the rock instead of speaking to it, as God commanded, serves as a reminder of the importance of precise obedience to God's instructions. The Consequences of DisobedienceDespite Moses' leadership and past faithfulness, his disobedience resulted in severe consequences, including being barred from entering the Promised Land. This teaches us that no one is above God's law. God's Provision Despite Human FailureEven in Moses' disobedience, God provided water for the people, demonstrating His faithfulness and mercy. This encourages us to trust in God's provision even when we fall short. The Importance of Faith and TrustMoses' failure to trust in God's word and act accordingly highlights the necessity of faith in our relationship with God. We are called to trust in His promises and act in faith. Bible Study Questions 1. What does Moses' action of striking the rock instead of speaking to it reveal about his state of mind and heart at that moment? 2. How does the event in Numbers 20:11 compare to the earlier event in Exodus 17:6, and what can we learn from the differences in God's instructions? 3. In what ways does this passage challenge us to examine our own obedience to God's commands in our daily lives? 4. How can we apply the lesson of God's provision despite human failure to our own experiences of falling short? 5. Reflect on a time when you faced consequences for disobedience. How did that experience shape your understanding of God's justice and mercy? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 17:6This earlier event where Moses was instructed to strike the rock at Horeb to bring forth water provides a contrast to Numbers 20:11, highlighting the change in God's command from striking to speaking. Psalm 106:32-33This passage reflects on the incident at Meribah, emphasizing how Moses' spirit was provoked, leading to rash words and actions. 1 Corinthians 10:4Paul refers to the spiritual rock that followed the Israelites, identifying it with Christ, which adds a deeper theological layer to the event. People Aaron, Egyptians, Eleazar, Israelites, Miriam, MosesPlaces Edom, Egypt, Kadesh-barnea, King's Highway, Meribah, Mount Hor, ZinTopics Abundantly, Arm, Assembly, Beasts, Blows, Cattle, Community, Company, Congregation, Drank, Drink, Forth, Gushed, Lifted, Lifteth, Lifting, Livestock, Rock, Rod, Smiteth, Smote, Staff, Streaming, Struck, TwiceDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 20:11 5126 arm Numbers 20:1-11 4278 spring of water Numbers 20:1-13 5924 quarrelsomeness Numbers 20:2-11 5580 thirst Numbers 20:2-12 5714 men Numbers 20:7-12 5072 Aaron, spokesman Numbers 20:7-13 4512 staff Numbers 20:8-12 5925 rashness Numbers 20:9-11 5883 impatience Numbers 20:10-11 1416 miracles, nature of Numbers 20:10-12 8718 disobedience Numbers 20:10-13 4354 rock Numbers 20:11-12 8723 doubt, results of Library August 17. "Speak Ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8).
"Speak ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8). The Holy Ghost is very sensitive, as love always is. You can conquer a wild beast by blows and chains, but you cannot conquer a woman's heart that way, or win the love of a sensitive nature; that must be wooed by the delicate touches of trust and affection. So the Holy Ghost has to be taken by a faith as delicate and sensitive as the gentle heart with whom it is coming in touch. One thought of unbelief, one expression of impatient distrust or fear, will instantly …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Waters of Meribah
'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, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Peræa to Bethany. Raising of Lazarus.
^D John XI. 1-46. ^d 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [For Bethany and the sisters, see p. 478.] 2 And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair [John xii. 3 ], whose brother Lazarus was sick. [The anointing had not yet taken place, as John himself shows. For a similar anticipation see Matt. x. 4. There are five prominent Marys in the New Testament: those of Nazareth, Magdala and Bethany; the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 20:11 NIVNumbers 20:11 NLTNumbers 20:11 ESVNumbers 20:11 NASBNumbers 20:11 KJV
Numbers 20:11 Commentaries
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