Lesson 6 - Question 38 of 38 

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Breaking Faith With God:

Moses at the Waters of Meribah-kadesh

The First Visit - 1447 BC

The children of Israel made their exodus from their slavery in Egypt in approximately 1447 B.C. (1447 years before the birth of Christ).  In that first year of their exodus, they crossed from Egypt into the wilderness of Zin (or Sin).  The congregation of Israel quarreled with Moses because there was no water there for them to drink (Exodus 17:1-2).  God told Moses to strike a rock and that water would flow from the rock...and Moses obeyed (Exodus 17:5-7).  The place there was named "Massah" (which means "test") and "Meribah" (which means "quarrel"), because Israel had quarreled with Moses and tested God (Exodus 17:7).  Shortly thereafter, God gave the Law of Moses to the people on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20ff).  The children of Israel quarreled and complained often in the journey.  A year later after the people rebelled against God and Moses...God decides that they would have to stay in the wilderness 40 years until that generation died (Numbers 14:33).

Return to Meribah - 1409 BC

Approximately 37 years after the rebellion in Numbers 14, the people (still wandering in the wilderness) returned to the area near Kadesh and Meribah.  Moses' sister Miriam died and was buried in Kadesh (Numbers 20:1).  Again, there was no water for the people there...and they cried out against Moses and Aaron, his brother (Numbers 20:2-5).  Then the Lord spoke:

...and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8 "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink." 9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him; 10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" 11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." 13 Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them. Numbers 20:7-13 (NAS)

Question:

According to Numbers 20:7-13, what did Moses do at the waters of Meribah-kadesh?

  1. Moses stopped believing that God existed.

  2. Moses truly had faith in God but chose not to do what God said.

  3. Moses disobeyed God and struck the rock...even though God had commanded him to speak to the rock.

Stopped Believing Truly Had Faith Disobeyed God

Other Translations - Numbers 20:7-13:

The LORD said to Moses, 8 "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink." 9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." 13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them. (NIV)

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 congregation 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. (NKJ)

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 8 Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink. 9 And Moses took the rod from before Jehovah, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle. 12 And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. 13 These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Jehovah, and he was sanctified in them. (ASV)

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 13 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them. (KJV)

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