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Reading:
Numbers 20
By
Dan and Brenda Cathcart
There
are big changes in store for the children of Israel in this double Torah
portion Chukat and Balak. The years of wandering in the desert are almost over.
The last of the generation of the men of war who refused to go up to the
Promised Land have probably died. As the fortieth year from the time of their
deliverance from Egypt begins, Miriam dies and the rock that had provided water
for them throughout their time in the wilderness ceased to give water. This
final year in the wilderness opens with the same problem the children of Israel
had when they first came out of Egypt. There was no water for them to drink.
Once more the congregation falls into despair. Why did the rock cease to give
water? What lesson was this new generation of Israel supposed to learn?
As
the final year of the wanderings of the children of Israel begins, the Torah
relates that these two seemingly disconnected events. But there is a
connection, much deeper and profound than one might think. The death of Miriam
and the rock ceasing to provide water, occur at the same time.
Numbers 20:1-2 NKJV 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.
Let’s
examine these two verses a little closer. First, the Torah emphasizes that the
entire congregation is present. There are two main words in Hebrew that are
translated as congregation. They are “qahal,” and “ay-daw.” Qahal, number 6950
meaning to assemble or gather; as a noun, it means an assembly or gathering.
Ay-daw, number 5712, is the word that is used most often for “congregation. As
is the case with Numbers 20:1. It seems to mean almost the same thing as qahal
with the added sense of a fixed gathering or assembly. Ay-daw is the feminine
form of the word “ayd,” number 5707 meaning a witness or testimony. So, the
difference between these two Hebrew words is in the sense of a purpose for the
gathering when the word “ay-daw” is used. For example, the first use of the
word “ay-daw” is in Exodus 12:3 when Moses gathered the congregation to hear
the instructions about choosing a Passover lamb on the tenth day of the first
month. At Passover, the children of Israel killed the Passover lamb and
sprinkled the blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. That night,
they witnessed God’s protection over their own home as the death angel spared
their own firstborn but killed all the firstborn of Israel.
The
entire congregation is gathered at a place called Kadesh in the wilderness of
Zin. Thirty-eight years earlier, the children of Israel were gathered at a
place called Kadesh in the Wilderness of Paran when they sent the twelve spies
into the Promised Land.
Numbers 13:26 NKJV 26 Now they
departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the
children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back
word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the
land.
Are
these two different places with the same name? or is the Kadesh in the
wilderness of Paran the same place as the Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin? Biblical
scholars differ about the answer to this question. The Jewish sages Rashi, ibn
Ezra, and Ramban all agree that these are, indeed two different places. Ramban
comments:
The Paran Wilderness is referenced to
inform [the reader] that this Kadesh (=Kadesha of 13:26) is Kadesh-barnea in
the Paran Wilderness, not Kadesh in the Zin Wilderness where the incident of
the water of Meribah took place in year forty.[i]
So,
is it a coincidence that both times the children of Israel approach the
Promised Land, their launching off point is a city named Kadesh? The name
Kadesh, number 6946, means sanctuary, haven, or holy place. It comes from the
root word “kaw-dash,” number 6942, meaning to be or make clean or holy; to
consecrate, dedicate, defile, or hallow. The Kadesh from which Moses sent the
spies into the land, should have been a place of good memories; it could have
been a place where they set up a memorial of God bringing them into the land.
It instead became a place of judgment. The NKJV Study Bible comments on
this Kadesh in the Wilderness of Paran.
The name Kadesh is associated with the
Hebrew word that means “holy.” Had the story turned out differently, this name
would have been associated with positive memories. It would have been here that
they would have sanctified themselves for their campaign of conquest of the
land.[ii]
Instead
of being a place where Israel was sanctified, it became a place where Israel
was, in a sense, defiled. At Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, we will see that
God will be sanctified and seen as holy by the children of Israel.
With
the entire congregation gathered at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, Miriam
dies, and the water from the rock ceased. The Jewish sages connect these two
events. First Fruits of Zion in Torah Club: Shadows of the Messiah explains
the connection.
The sages discern a cause-and-effect
relationship between the death of Miriam and the lack of water, emphasizing the
relationship between Miriam (Mirm) and water (mayim, Mim). According to Jewish
tradition, Miriam’s merit made the water flow from the rock. When she died, the
water abruptly stopped. This is why the sages referred to the rock as “The Well
of Miriam.”[iii]
The
prophetess Miriam, one of the three leaders of Israel died resulting in the
cessation of the water. During this time of grief and mourning of Moses and
Aaron, the congregation gathered together against them. Like their fathers
before them thirty-nine years earlier, they feared that God had brought them
out of Egypt to let them die in the wilderness.
Numbers 20:3-4 NKJV 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?
The
Hebrew word used for assembly in verse four, is “qahal,” not “ay-daw.” They
refer to themselves as merely a gathering of people with no implied or stated
purpose.
Moses
and Aaron responded as they had done so many times in the past. They went to
the LORD at the door of the tabernacle and sought God’s instructions. God told
Moses and Aaron to bring back the water from the rock!
Numbers 20:7-8 NKJV 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."
Moses
and Aaron were to gather the congregation to see God miraculously provide for
them. The word God uses for congregation is “ay-daw.” They were gathered
together for a purpose, to see, witness and testify about the event. Moses
began to follow God’s instructions as he always had, as the LORD commanded him.
Numbers 20:9 NKJV 9 So Moses took the
rod from before the LORD as He commanded him.
However,
from this point on, Moses deviated from God’s instructions. Instead of
gathering the “ay-daw” he gathered the “qa-hal.” Then, when he addressed the
people, he didn’t bother calling them the “ay-daw” or the “qa-hal; he called
them rebels!
Numbers 20:10 NKJV 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?"
Moses’
error continues to compound. He claims the credit for bringing water out of the
rock to himself and Aaron. There is no mention of them witnessing God’s
miraculous provision and how God cares for His people providing for their
needs. It gets worse! Moses was supposed to speak to the rock before their eyes
so they could see! Instead, Moses angrily addressed the people as rebels and then
struck the rock twice.
Numbers 20:11 NKJV 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.
God
still brought water from the rock, but He was not pleased with Aaron and Moses.
Numbers 20:12 NKJV 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."
Moses,
who had faithfully completed all the tasks God gave him “according to the word
of the LORD,” deviated from God’s plan. God did not appear to be angry about
the demands of the people. In fact, the tone of God’s instructions to Moses in
verse eight is one of kindness and benevolence. Moses’ tone, however, indicated
that God was angry with them and grudgingly provided the water for them. By
misrepresenting God to the people, Moses failed to hallow God in the eyes of
the people. The NKJV Study Bible comments.
God saw Moses’ action as a lack of
respect and awe for His holiness. God’s instructions were not honored. Moses,
who for so long had been concerned with the reputation of God, slighted the
Lord by not following His clear instructions in the presence of the
congregation.[iv]
Remember,
this happened at Kadesh which means to consecrate, dedicate, or hallow. Moses
was to demonstrate God’s holiness in front of the people. Although Moses did
not follow God’s instructions, God’s name was still hallowed. This incident
concludes with God stating that He was hallowed among the children of Israel.
Numbers 20:13 NKJV 13 This was the
water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and
He was hallowed among them.
Although
this event happened at Kadesh, the name of the place where God provided water
was called Meribah. This was the same name that was given to the place where
God first provided water from the rock. This common name along with the similar
situation and resolution links these two events. In each event, the children of
Israel cry out against God because they don’t have any water. This is a serious
situation. Without water, death can occur in just a few days. They were without
resources, far from any known source of water. This was especially dire for
over two million people! There is no human solution to this situation. In each
event, God demonstrated His love for them by miraculously providing water from
a rock.
However,
these events have significant differences. What are these differences and what
is the meaning of these differences? To start with, there is something special
about the rock. Paul says that it followed them in the wilderness and tells us
that the rock is Yeshua.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV 1 Moreover,
brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the
cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud
and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same
spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and
that Rock was Christ.
So,
how do we see Yeshua in these two events? In the first event in Exodus, Moses
is told that God will stand on the rock in Horeb, and Moses is to strike it.
Exodus 17:6 NKJV 6 "Behold, I
will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the
rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses
did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
The
name Horeb, number 2722, means desolate. It comes from the root word
“khaw-rab,” number 2717 meaning to parch as through drought. The rock is in a desolate,
dry place, without water. Death was not far off. But God, stood on the rock
while Moses struck it. If Yeshua is the rock, then Moses metaphorically struck
Yeshua. Yeshua told the woman at the well that anyone who drank the water that
He provided would never thirst.
John 4:13-14 NKJV 13 Jesus answered
and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14
"but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life."
Yeshua
is the source of living water. But before the water could be available for us
to drink, Yeshua had to be struck. In the hours leading up to His crucifixion, Yeshua
was beaten.
Mark 15:15 NKJV 15 So Pilate, wanting
to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after
he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
In
the first incident of the lack of water in the wilderness, it was necessary for
the rock to be struck like Yeshua was struck.
In
the second incident associated with Miriam, and this rock called the Well of
Miriam, the rock was to be spoken to, not struck. When Miriam died, the water
ceased. Strong’s definition for Miriam’s name, number 4813, meaning
rebelliously. However, it comes from the word “mer-ee,” number 4805 meaning
bitter or bitterness. While on the cross, Yeshua drank the bitter wine and
died.
John 19:30 NKJV 30 So when Jesus had
received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His
head, He gave up His spirit.
When
Yeshua died, He went into the grave. His followers were discouraged, fearful,
and doubted that Yeshua was the Messiah until He appeared to them after His
resurrection.
When
Yeshua’s friend Lazarus died, Yeshua said he was glad he was not there.
John 11:14-15 NKJV 14 Then Jesus said
to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 "And I am glad for your sakes
that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to
him."
The
reason Yeshua was glad, was that what He would do when He reached their home,
would help them to believe! This is what God said Moses did not do; He did not
believe.
When
Yeshua arrived where Lazarus had been laid to rest, He had the stone removed
from in front of the burial cave and spoke so that those who witnessed the
event would see and believe.
John 11:41-43 NKJV 41 Then they took
away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up
His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42
"And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are
standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." 43 Now
when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come
forth!"
In
the wilderness after the water ceased, Moses was told that he and Aaron
together were to gather the congregation and Moses was to speak to the rock. By
doing so, the rock would revive and give its water so the people and their
cattle would have water to drink.
When
Yeshua arrived at Lazarus’ grave, He spoke to Lazarus. There was no need to
strike him. At this incident in the Wilderness, Moses merely needed to speak to
the rock; to say something like, “Water come forth,” and water would have
flowed out from the rock as if it were resurrected.
Not
only do these two events in the wilderness demonstrate God’s love for His
people, they, as we have seen, also point ahead to the coming of Messiah Yeshua
the source of living water!
When
Yeshua appeared to John in a vision, He declared that it was finished and
offered the water of life to all who thirst.
Revelation 21:6-7 NKJV 6 And He said
to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the
End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who
thirsts. 7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his
God and he shall be My son.
This
event at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, on the cusp of entering the Promised
Land, resulted in God being hallowed among the children of Israel as they
prepared to take the Promised Land. It also had serious repercussions for Moses
and Aaron. They most likely would have led the way into the Promised Land, but instead,
they died in the wilderness! Miriam died first, and Aaron’s death occurred just
a few months later. Moses would continue to lead the children of Israel right
up until the final month of the fortieth year. Aaron’s son Eleazar would ascend
to the office of high priest and Joshua, who was with Moses from the start,
when the covenant was ratified at Mount Sinai, would lead the children into the
Promised Land.
Study
Questions:
2.
What is the connection between Miriam,
Yeshua, and the living water?
3.
How did Moses fail to believe and hallow
God?
General
Portion Questions
4.
The Torah portion begins with the
instructions for preparing and using the ashes of the red heifer to become
ritually clean after touching a dead body. These instructions were probably
given shortly after the rebellion of Korach 38 years earlier. Why would these
instructions be included here? What is the significance of everyone involved in
this process becoming unclean?
5.
As the children of Israel traveled around
Edom, they once more became discouraged and complained about the lack of water,
and only having the manna for food (Numbers 21:1-9). God sent fiery serpents to
bite them. When they repented, Moses was instructed to make a bronze serpent
and put it on a pole. Why did God choose this means of providing deliverance
and healing? How did Yeshua say that this bronze serpent on a pole represented
bringing salvation (John 3:14-15 and John 12:30-34)?
6.
What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in
this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?
©
2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.
[i] Torah.com.
“Solving the Problem of “Kadesh in the Wilderness of Paran. Dr. David Ben-Gad HaCohen. https://www.thetorah.com/article/solving-the-problem-of-kadesh-in-the-wilderness-of-paran.
[ii] NKJV
Study Bible. General Editor Earl D. Radmacher, Th.D. Thomas Nelson, Inc. ©1997,
2007. Page 243.
[iii] Torah
Club: Shadows of the Messiah. First Fruits of Zion. ©2005, 2014, 2015, 2017 D.
T. Thomas. Page 826.
[iv] NKJV
Study Bible. General Editor Earl D. Radmacher, Th.D. Thomas Nelson, Inc. ©1997,
2007. Page 243.
