Moses Strikes the Rock at Kadesh

Numbers 20 begins the account of events that led to the exclusion of Moses and Aaron from the Promised Land. Evidently the water provided for them since the miracle at Horeb (Ex. 17:1—7) some 40 years ago had now been cut off. This was brought about by God in order to test the faith of the new generation that had grown up in the wilderness. The people complained against Moses. God instructed Moses to speak to the rock.

Moses gathered the people and spoke to them as being rebels. The very language God had used concerning their fathers (ch. 17:10). But with Moses it reflected personal anger rather than zeal for God, and herein lay his sin. He spoke as if the watered depended upon himself, not God The use of the personal pronoun applied by Moses to himself and Aaron indicated a disregard of God, as though these two men would have the people think they could perform a miracle by their own power.

Then Moses struck the rock twice. Part of the sin of Moses lay in the double striking of the rock, for God had not told him to strike it. In addition, Moses forgot the patience of God in His dealings with the people, which should have been reflected in his own attitude and demeanor. He spoke and acted as if the murmurings were against himself. God met the situation with an abundant supply of water, in spite of the attitude of Moses and Aaron. Because of their lack of faith they were not permited to lead the children of Israel in to the promised land.