Numbers 20:1-13 - Great Gain of Contentment

Numbers 20:1-13

Moses’ Error at Kadesh (Exodus 17:1–7)

1 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.

At Kadesh Moses faltered in his faith in God’s power and glory, not honoring the command to answer the complaints for water with a single strike of God’s rod on the rock for water at His command and provision.  He hit it twice as if to make it his own power or will to bring forth water instead of God.  This was as bad as the contention of the rest of God’s people in their complaining of being led out of Egypt into a barren wilderness, an “evil place” with no food or water.  It was bad for Moses because just like those who spied out the promised land and gave a false report that earned them a promise not to enter that land (only their children), so Moses was prohibited from entering himself for not showing the sovereign power and holiness of the LORD whom he promised to serve himself as he led them into that land flowing with milk and honey after traversing the barren places they then found themselves sojourning through.  Do we complain about the things we have, not honoring and thanking the Lord for all we have been given, are being given, and what is promised in the eternal heavenly country to come?  Then we need to remember Moses at Meribah (Meribah = "strife" or "contention") and confess the sin of discontentment to seek true godliness (1 Timothy 6:6) instead in trust and in the peace of absolute contentment in all the goodness and good things (Romans 8:28) we are daily given (Luke 11:2-3) for his glory and to sustain us as we sojourn through this life until we stand face to face at last (Job 19:26-27) before Him in paradise (Luke 23:43, Revelation 2:7)!  This passage shows us by a bad example the importance of the Great Gain of Contentment in all God gives us.  This is the great gain of contentment in our lot, knowing our Father knows best.