And the LORD said to Moses, And the LORDThe phrase "And the LORD" refers to Yahweh, the covenant name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush ( Exodus 3:14). This name signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. In the Hebrew text, "LORD" is represented by the Tetragrammaton YHWH, a sacred name that underscores God's unchanging character and His intimate relationship with Israel. Historically, this name was so revered that it was not spoken aloud, and instead, "Adonai" was used in its place. This reverence highlights the holiness and majesty of God, who is both transcendent and immanent, guiding His people with authority and love. said
The word "said" in Hebrew is "amar," which conveys the act of speaking or declaring. In the context of divine communication, it emphasizes the authority and clarity of God's instructions. Throughout the Scriptures, when God speaks, His words are powerful and creative, bringing about change and directing the course of history. This divine speech acts as a reminder of the importance of listening to God's voice, as His words are life-giving and transformative. The historical context of this passage shows that God's communication with Moses was direct and personal, underscoring the unique role Moses played as a mediator between God and the Israelites. to Moses
Moses, whose name in Hebrew is "Moshe," is a central figure in the Old Testament, chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and through the wilderness. His name is thought to mean "drawn out," reflecting his rescue from the Nile River as a baby (Exodus 2:10). Moses' life is marked by his close relationship with God, often described as speaking with God "face to face" (Exodus 33:11). In Numbers 20:7, the mention of Moses highlights his role as a prophet and leader, entrusted with God's commands to guide the people. Historically, Moses is seen as a type of Christ, a deliverer who prefigures the ultimate salvation brought by Jesus. His obedience and faithfulness serve as an example for believers to follow, emphasizing the importance of heeding God's call and trusting in His guidance. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who speaks directly to Moses, providing guidance and instruction. 2. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. He is the recipient of God's instructions in this passage. 3. The IsraelitesThe people of God, who are journeying through the wilderness towards the Promised Land. They are in need of water, which sets the context for God's instruction to Moses. 4. The Wilderness of ZinThe geographical setting where the Israelites are encamped, a place characterized by its arid conditions and lack of water. 5. The RockThe object that God instructs Moses to speak to in order to bring forth water for the people, symbolizing God's provision and power. Teaching Points Obedience to God's InstructionsMoses is given specific instructions by God, highlighting the importance of following God's commands precisely. This teaches us the value of obedience in our walk with God. God's Provision in Times of NeedThe context of this passage is a dire need for water. It reminds us that God is aware of our needs and is able to provide in miraculous ways. The Role of LeadershipMoses, as a leader, is responsible for mediating God's instructions to the people. This underscores the importance of godly leadership and the responsibility leaders have to follow God's guidance. Faith in God's PowerThe instruction to speak to the rock requires faith in God's power to bring forth water. It challenges us to trust in God's ability to work beyond natural means. The Consequences of DisobedienceAlthough not detailed in this specific verse, the broader account shows the consequences of Moses' later actions, teaching us the seriousness of disobedience to God's commands. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the instruction given to Moses in Numbers 20:7 demonstrate the importance of obedience to God's word? 2. In what ways does the setting of the Wilderness of Zin reflect the spiritual challenges we face in our own lives? 3. How can we apply the lesson of God's provision from this passage to our current circumstances? 4. What can we learn from Moses' leadership in this passage about the responsibilities of spiritual leaders today? 5. How does the New Testament reference to the rock in 1 Corinthians 10 deepen our understanding of Christ's role in our spiritual journey? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 17This earlier event also involves Moses bringing water from a rock, highlighting a pattern of God's provision and testing of faith. Psalm 95Reflects on the Israelites' testing of God in the wilderness, urging believers to trust and obey God. 1 Corinthians 10Paul references the spiritual rock that followed the Israelites, identifying it with Christ, emphasizing the spiritual lessons from these events. People Aaron, Egyptians, Eleazar, Israelites, Miriam, MosesPlaces Edom, Egypt, Kadesh-barnea, King's Highway, Meribah, Mount Hor, ZinTopics Saying, Spake, Speaketh, SpokeDictionary of Bible Themes 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
8444 honouring God
8726 doubters Numbers 20:7-13 4512 staff 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 20:7 NIVNumbers 20:7 NLTNumbers 20:7 ESVNumbers 20:7 NASBNumbers 20:7 KJV
Numbers 20:7 Commentaries
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