Numbers 20:1-13
Moses’ Error at Kadesh
20 Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.
2 Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. 3 And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink." 6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." 9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."
13 This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among them.
From the time Moses came on the scene up to our text, he was in a constant struggle with the carnal will of God’s people…over time, frustrations grew to a monstrous degree!
Can anyone hear me?
You’re frustrated about your home
You’re frustrated about your marriage
You’re frustrated with the church
You’re frustrated with your children
It’s unending, and it has the potential to rob you of a promising future God has for you…
You’re never frustrated with what you haven’t invested in. wherever there’s an investment, when returns aren’t what you thought they would be, it will lead to frustration…every time.
The stock market can collapse again – it wouldn’t phase you one bit because you don’t play the stock market, and have little to no investment in it at all – but…let your kid(s) fail…let your spouse come home drunk…let someone in church violate you…
Frustrations mount and build and well up inside; if you’re not careful, they reach a boiling point, and frustration must be expressed…you can’t hold it down for very long.
Verse 3 of our text: And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!
It was called the water of Meribah…Meribah means contention. Who have you been in contention with? It’s probably someone who you’ve invested in.
Unresolved frustration – leads to Failure. Suppressing our frustration will only lead to our demise…but the solution isn’t letting someone have it! It’s bringing it to God…
So you see, this is where we draw the revelation from the text…
Think with me here:
The Rock in the Wilderness is Christ Himself…
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
Old Testament Examples
10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The first order was to Strike the Rock
Exodus 17:5-6
5 And the Lord said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
This gives us the foreshadow of Christ being pierced in His side – naturally, He is the giver of life, and He did so in His death, but He only needed to do it ONCE…however, Frustration led Moses to Strike the Rock once again…you should be speaking to the Rock, not striking it(God switched things up on Moses, you know, we hate change)*…this was his mistake and it cost him the future.
There is nothing worse than allowing your frustration to become your own undoing…in the moment of your emotions, you allow it to get the best of you and you’ll strike instead of speak
If you Speak to the Rock (Picture of Prayer), the Rivers of Living Water will flow on our behalf!
I’ve seen this in marriages…your frustration is taken out on the people you love > guys have the compulsion to hit their wives…in essence, they are beating themselves…that just so happens to be the closest person to hit without hurting yourselves…personally – you’re a coward for doing that!
You come home and take out your frustrations on your home / kids / spouse…you’re hitting the rock, when you should be speaking
Moses’ tantrum cost him a future in the Promised Land! Remember that…the people he was upset with were able to move on, but he couldn’t…
Frustration will limit your opportunities…there are people here, and there are people who are at home because of frustration…
Don’t limit yourself, don’t cripple yourself with frustration – give it to Jesus…He knows what to do.
Matthew 11:29
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Moses’ Error at Kadesh
20 Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.
2 Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. 3 And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink." 6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." 9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."
13 This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among them.
From the time Moses came on the scene up to our text, he was in a constant struggle with the carnal will of God’s people…over time, frustrations grew to a monstrous degree!
Can anyone hear me?
You’re frustrated about your marriage
You’re frustrated with the church
You’re frustrated with your children
It’s unending, and it has the potential to rob you of a promising future God has for you…
You’re never frustrated with what you haven’t invested in. wherever there’s an investment, when returns aren’t what you thought they would be, it will lead to frustration…every time.
The stock market can collapse again – it wouldn’t phase you one bit because you don’t play the stock market, and have little to no investment in it at all – but…let your kid(s) fail…let your spouse come home drunk…let someone in church violate you…
Frustrations mount and build and well up inside; if you’re not careful, they reach a boiling point, and frustration must be expressed…you can’t hold it down for very long.
Verse 3 of our text: And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!
It was called the water of Meribah…Meribah means contention. Who have you been in contention with? It’s probably someone who you’ve invested in.
Unresolved frustration – leads to Failure. Suppressing our frustration will only lead to our demise…but the solution isn’t letting someone have it! It’s bringing it to God…
So you see, this is where we draw the revelation from the text…
Think with me here:
The Rock in the Wilderness is Christ Himself…
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
Old Testament Examples
10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The first order was to Strike the Rock
Exodus 17:5-6
5 And the Lord said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
This gives us the foreshadow of Christ being pierced in His side – naturally, He is the giver of life, and He did so in His death, but He only needed to do it ONCE…however, Frustration led Moses to Strike the Rock once again…you should be speaking to the Rock, not striking it(God switched things up on Moses, you know, we hate change)*…this was his mistake and it cost him the future.
There is nothing worse than allowing your frustration to become your own undoing…in the moment of your emotions, you allow it to get the best of you and you’ll strike instead of speakIf you Speak to the Rock (Picture of Prayer), the Rivers of Living Water will flow on our behalf!
I’ve seen this in marriages…your frustration is taken out on the people you love > guys have the compulsion to hit their wives…in essence, they are beating themselves…that just so happens to be the closest person to hit without hurting yourselves…personally – you’re a coward for doing that!
You come home and take out your frustrations on your home / kids / spouse…you’re hitting the rock, when you should be speaking
Moses’ tantrum cost him a future in the Promised Land! Remember that…the people he was upset with were able to move on, but he couldn’t…
Frustration will limit your opportunities…there are people here, and there are people who are at home because of frustration…
Don’t limit yourself, don’t cripple yourself with frustration – give it to Jesus…He knows what to do.
Matthew 11:29
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
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