Chapter 20
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1Then 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.
2And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
4And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
5And wherefore have ye 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.
6And 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.
7And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
8Take 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.
9And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10And 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?
11And 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.
12And 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.
13This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
14And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
15How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers:
16And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:
17Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
18And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.
19And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.
20And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
22And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
23And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
24Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
25Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor:
26And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.
27And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
28And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
“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.”
Overview
Miriam dies and is buried at Kadesh. The people quarrel with Moses over the lack of water. God tells Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses, in anger, strikes the rock twice and says, 'Must we fetch you water out of this rock?' Water gushes out, but God tells Moses and Aaron that because they did not sanctify Him before the people, they will not enter the Promised Land. Edom refuses to let Israel pass through their territory. Aaron dies on Mount Hor, and Eleazar his son succeeds him as high priest.
Key Themes
Moses' Sin at Meribah
Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it and takes credit for the miracle, failing to sanctify God before the people — even the greatest leader's disobedience has consequences.
The Death of the Old Generation
Miriam and Aaron both die in this chapter, marking the passing of the exodus generation and the transition to a new era of leadership.
God's Provision Despite Human Failure
Even though Moses disobeys, water still flows from the rock — God provides for His people's needs even when their leaders fail, because His faithfulness is not contingent on human perfection.
Study Questions
Why does God judge Moses so severely for striking the rock — what specifically was his sin, and why does it disqualify him from entering the land?
What is the difference between speaking to the rock and striking it, and what spiritual significance does this distinction carry?
How does the death of Miriam and Aaron in the same chapter signal the end of an era, and what does this transition teach about God's ongoing purposes?
Why does God still provide water even after Moses' disobedience — what does this reveal about grace?
How should leaders today understand the lesson of Meribah — that greater responsibility carries greater accountability?
Connection to Christ
Paul identifies the rock as Christ: 'that Rock was Christ' (1 Corinthians 10:4). Christ was struck once at Calvary, and from that one striking flows living water for all who thirst. Moses' sin of striking the rock a second time violated the typology — Christ need not be crucified again; we need only ask and receive.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Numbers 20. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?