Numbers 20:1-13, 22-291Then 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. (Numbers 20:1‑13)
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. (Numbers 20:22‑29).
THE children of Israel lived in the wilderness a great many years. They moved about from place to place. At last they came to a place where there was no water.
How do you think they behaved? Did they pray to God, or did they murmur?
They murmured against Moses and Aaron, as they always did when they were unhappy.
They said, "Oh, that we had died before this time! Why did you bring us out of Egypt into this wilderness? Here there are no figs, no grapes, no kind of nice fruit, and now there is no water to drink.”
They forgot that it was because of their own wickedness that they were still in the wilderness; for if they had obeyed God they would then have been sitting under their own trees, eating their own fruit in Canaan.
Moses and Aaron were very much grieved to hear them murmur, and they went away from the people, and fell on their faces before the tabernacle; and soon God spoke to them.
He said, "Take the rod and call the people, and go to the rock and speak to it, and water shall come out of the rock, and then the people and the beasts shall drink.”
So Moses took the rod (the rod was kept near the ark). Then Moses and Aaron called the people together, and told them to look at what they were going to do.
Moses and Aaron felt very angry with the people, and they said, "Hear now, ye rebels! [which means grumblers]. Must we fetch water for you out of this rock?”
Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and the water came flowing out in streams, and the people and the cattle began to drink.
Do you think that Moses and Aaron had behaved right? Had God told them to strike the rock?
God had said, "Speak to the rock.”
Was it right to speak so impatiently, and to say. "Must we fetch water for you, rebels?”
Moses and Aaron had been in a passion. God was displeased with them.
Do you think that God will punish them? God loved Moses and Aaron; yet He would punish them when they did wrong. He would forgive them and take them to heaven, but He would give them some punishment. You shall hear what the punishment should be.
Soon afterward, God said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have done this, you shall not go into Canaan; you shall die in the wilderness.”
What a great punishment this was! Moses had often longed to see that sweet land of Canaan; he had often wished to see the Israelites happy in their own houses and gardens; he had longed to see the place where Abraham had built altars and worshipped God; but now he must die in the wilderness. He prayed to God to excuse him this punishment, but God would not. God said, "Ask Me no more to do this." Then Moses knew that he must bear this punishment. Moses was the meekest man in all the world. The Israelites had often spoken ungratefully to him, and he had made no answer. Yet at last he himself fell into a passion.
You see how much God hates passion. God wishes us to be very meek, like the Lord Jesus Christ, Who never spoke an angry word.
Are you meek, my dear child? Can you bear to be pushed and slapped, and not push and slap again? If a child takes your place, can you ask him gently to let you have it; and if he will not, can you take another quietly? When children call you rude names, can you be gentle, and not call them rude names, too? A meek child can do all these things. God can make you very "Thou vast a God that forgavest them, though meek, my dear child. Will you pray to God to make you meek, like Jesus? Moses, too, was very meek, though he fell into a passion once.
Was it unkind of God to punish Moses and Aaron?
God cannot be unkind, but He will punish people for disobedience. God wished to show the Israelites that He would not allow any person to be disobedient, not even Moses.
At last the time came for Aaron to die; for God chose Aaron to die first. God said to Moses, "Go up to the top of the hill with Aaron, and take Aaron's eldest son with you; and Aaron will die on the top, and you must put his clothes upon his son." God chose Aaron's son to be high priest instead of Aaron, so he was to wear Aaron's clothes.
So Aaron put on his beautiful high priest's clothes; his blue robe with the golden bells, and his ephod over it, his shining breastplate, and his white miter, with the golden writing upon it. Then Aaron walked with Moses and his son to the top of the hill, and all the people looked at them as they were walking up. Aaron knew that he should never walk down that hill, but still he obeyed God and bore his punishment meekly.
When they were come to the top, Moses took the beautiful clothes off his brother Aaron, and put them upon Aaron's son.
Moses parted from his brother Aaron on the top of that hill; for there Aaron died. Moses and the son left him dead upon the top, and came down the hill together. Then the people saw that Aaron was dead, and that there was another high priest.
Aaron's soul went up to heaven, for God had forgiven him. If he had not spoken so angrily, he would have lived to see the land of Canaan. Moses knew that he should die very soon; but God did not choose him to die yet.
Hymn 30
The mountain steep see Aaron climb,
While two alone his journey share.
How bright his splendid garments shine I
What charming fragrance fills the air I
How sweetly sounds each golden bell,
Oft heard within the holy place!
Listen! It is the priest's farewell:—
Israel no more shall see his face.
The aged priest shall ne'er return,
Ne'er lift his holy hands to bless,
Nor trim the lamp, nor incense burn,
Nor Israel's sins with blood confess.
Upon the mountain's height he stands
And Moses now, with pious care,
Loosens the breastplate's golden bands,
And strips him of his garments fair.
Then Aaron yields the breath he drew,
And sleeps upon that mountain’s brow;
His girdle bright, and robe of blue,
Adorn young Eleazar now.
It is for sin that Aaron dies:
Oh had he still obeyed his God,
Nor let his hasty passion rise,
Sweet Canaan's fields he should have trod.
But though a sinful priest must die,
That none may on his prayers depend,
Our sinless Priest still lives on high,
And His fair days shall never end.
His glorious robes He ever wears,
Still lifts His holy hands to bless;
Like incense sweet presents our prayers,
Perfumed in His own righteousness.