1. When the Israelites came to Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, what took place? "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." (Numbers 20:1)
2. From what did the people suffer? "And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron." (Numbers 20:2)
3. What did they do and say? "And the people chided with Moses, and spoke, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!" (Numbers 20:3)
4. What did they charge Moses with doing? "And why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?" (Numbers 20:4)
5. What did they say of the place where they then were? "And wherefore have you 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." (Numbers 20:5)
6. Whom did they blame for bringing them out of Egypt? Moses (and Aaron)." (Numbers 20:2-5)
7. Who had really brought them from Egypt? "And God spoke all these words, saying, I am the Lord your God, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:1-2)
8. Then to what was their murmurings equivalent? To a denial that God had anything to do with their wonderful deliverance.
9. What does the psalmist say of them? "They forgot God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea." (Psalm 106:21-22)
10. While the sin of the Israelites was exceeding great, is it an uncommon one?
11. What did Moses and Aaron do in this extremity? "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." (Numbers 20:6)
12. What directions did the Lord give them? "And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather you the assembly together, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak you unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock: so you shall give the congregation and their beasts drink." (Numbers 20:7-8)
13. When the people were gathered before the rock, what did Moses say? "And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, you rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" (Numbers 20:10)
14. What does the psalmist say of this occurrence? "They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips." (Psalm 106:32-33)
15. How did it go ill with Moses? "And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron, Because you believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:12)
16. In what particular did Moses and Aaron trespass against the Lord? "Because you trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel." (Deuteronomy 32:51)
17. When Moses allowed the Israelites by their rebellious words to provoke his spirit, what position toward God did he also assume? "Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah." (Numbers 20:24) "For you rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes; that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin." (Numbers 27:14)
18. Do we have any intimation that the Lord in any degree excused Moses' sin because he labored under great provocation?
19. In this giving way to anger, of what grace did Moses show a lack? "Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil." (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
20. What evidence have we that, although Moses was prohibited from entering the promised land, he repented of this and was fully forgiven? "So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor; but no man knows of his sepulchre unto this day." (Deuteronomy 34:5-6) "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke you." (Jude:9) "And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; And His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with Him." (Matthew 17:1-2)
21. Then what must even the best of men say to the Lord? "If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared." (Psalm 130:3-4)
Notes:
The sin of Moses was a great one, even greater than that of the people; for he had all the light that they had, and more. It is true that the people were the cause of his fall, yet that did not in the least relieve him from responsibility. The real cause, after all, was in his own heart, otherwise nothing that the people could have done would have moved him.
The Lord cannot tolerate sin, no matter in whom it appears; yet He is "The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." (Exodus 34:6-7)
That Moses repented, and was abundantly pardoned, is shown by the fact that after his death he was raised and taken to Heaven and was commissioned to come on a mission of love to Christ. From this we are warranted in concluding that if it had not been for this one sin he would not only have been permitted to enter the land of Canaan, but would, like Elijah, have been translated without seeing death.--Signs of the Times, May 27, 1889--Numbers 20:1-24
E.J. Waggoner