Warm up in pairs: Where is the most desert like place you have ever lived or traveled to? What are your memories? It could be a literal desert or a spiritual desert.
Numbers 20:2-5
- Do you think this was the first time they were out of water? Exodus 17:6 tells of a time water was brought out of a rock at Mt. Horeb in the first year out of Egypt. This occasion was in the fortieth year in the desert.
- In 20:3, what is the perishing with their brothers a reference to? From Numbers 16 when Korah and his family were swallowed by the earth, the fire from heaven killed 250 and a plague that killed 14,000.
- In 20:4, did they know for sure they were going to die or was that an assumption because they had no water? They knew if they didn’t get water they would die. They were forgetting how the Lord had always provided for them thus far all the way from Egypt.
- In 20:5, they called the desert “evil place.” Was it really evil? Was it more evil than Egypt? It was a matter of perspective.
- Where could they have gotten all that good food and water if only they had not listened to the ten scouts and disobey the Lord? The promised land.
- Who were the blaming for their plight? Who was really to blame? They were blaming Moses and Aaron and maybe even the Lord. The people were to blame because they listened to the wrong people and refused to enter the promised land and ended up wandering in the desert. Until we take ownership for our own problems, we will blame others and not overcome our problem.
Numbers 20:6-8
- After hearing the complaints, where did Moses and Aaron go? What did they do? What did the Lord do? The doorway of the tent of meeting and they fell prostrate before the Lord. The Lord’s glory appeared to them.
- What light does Exodus 4:2-5, 20 shed on the history of Moses’ staff? The rod of Moses became the rod of the Lord after Moses was willing to throw it on the ground. The rod Moses used as a shepherd became the Lord’s.
- In these verses, what did the Lord tell Moses and Aaron to do? Take the staff, assemble the people and speak to the rock while the people would watch it bring water.
Numbers 20:9-13
- Instead of speaking to the rock, who did Moses speak to? What did he call the people? Was that term somewhat justified? Was Moses in control or out of control when he spoke those words? He spoke to the people and called them rebels. Discuss whether you think he was in control when he spoke and whether the term “rebels” was somewhat justified.
- Instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded him, what did he do? He hit the rock twice. Why did he hit the rock and instead of speaking to it? He was angry and perhaps wanting the people to think he had some supernatural powers.
- Why did the Lord still bring water even though Moses disobeyed the Lord? The people needed water. Even when leaders behave badly, the Lord can still bless his people.
- How did the Lord respond to Moses after he struck the rock? He said, “You did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in view of the Israelites.” It became a Moses’ thing when it was supposed to be a God thing. When we as individuals, a group, a business or even churches run ahead of God, does it become our thing or a God thing? Our thing and we have prevented others from seeing God’s holiness.
- By striking the rock instead of speaking to the rock, was Moses doing so for his glory or the Lord’s glory? Moses’ glory. How can we guard against seeking our glory instead of the Lord’s glory? By constantly checking our heart motives. By not running ahead of God and waiting for his time. By keeping our hearts in tune with the Lord through his Word and in prayer. By being willing to be accountable to godly people.
- Does the fact that the Lord told Moses and Aaron that they could not enter the promised land because of their actions reveal the severity of disobedience? Most definitely.
- What did Paul have to say about this incidence in I Corinthians 10:11? For our example and instruction. Note I Corinthians 10:1-11 is Paul’s summary and interpretation of what happened in Deuteronomy 20.
- Psalm 106:32-33 also summarizes and interprets this incident in the wilderness. Check it out.