Numbers - Chapter 20

The speaker covers chapter 20 of Numbers, discussing the organization of the camp and the responsibilities of the tribe of Levi. They mention instances of complaining and rebellion among the Israelites, as well as the deaths of Miriam and Aaron. Moses disobeys God's command and strikes a rock instead of speaking to it, resulting in God's punishment. The Israelites face rejection from Edom and mourn the deaths of Aaron and Miriam. The speaker reflects on the consequences of sin and the importance of honoring God. They also mention their experience at an Ash Wednesday service and the significance of Lent. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at bab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we're covering chapter 20 of Numbers. If you remember, the book of Numbers gets its name because it begins with a census in chapter 1. The camp gets organized with the tabernacle, the place where God dwells with them, and it is placed in the center of the camp. God chose the tribe of Levi, which is the tribe that Moses and Aaron are from, to be the people who are responsible for moving, taking care of, and protecting the tabernacle. In chapters 1 through 9 we learn that the people did everything the Lord commanded them, and then in chapter 10 the Israelites leave Sinai. Chapter 10 verse 11 tells us it happened on the 20th day of the second month of the second year. Once the people set out on their difficult journey, the complaining started. Chapter 11 verse 1, now the people complained about their hardships. Chapter 11 verse 4, the rabble with them began to crave other foods, and again the Israelites started wailing. Chapter 12 verse 1, Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses. After the leadership explored the land, 10 of the 12 said, we can't attack those people, they are stronger than we are. Chapter 14 verse 2, all the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Chapter 16 verses 1 and 2, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram became insolent and rose up against Moses, and with them was 250 Israelite men who were appointed leaders and members of the council. In chapter 16 verse 41, the next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Chapter 17 is the budding of Aaron's staff, in verse 5 the Lord said, the staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites. This also showed Aaron's descendants were called by God as well as the Levites to care for the tabernacle. Then chapters 18 and 19 show duties and offerings for the priests and the Levites. Chapter 20 begins, in the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the desert of Zin and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. What we do not know is what year. Now at the end of chapter 20 we have the death of Aaron who died at Mount Hor near the border of Edom. If we keep on reading we find in chapter 33 of Numbers in verses 38 and 39, at the Lord's command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor where he died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. Now in the verses before 38 we see that the Israelites camped at Kadesh in the desert of Zin and from there they moved to Mount Hor. So Miriam's death was not too long before Aaron's death which seems to be in the fortieth year. We also learned yesterday that since the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron and Caleb and Joshua about taking the land the Lord said no one who has treated me with contempt will ever see the promised land. Then verse 29 reads in this desert your bodies will fall every one of you twenty years old and more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Verse 34 says for forty years, one year for each of the forty days you explored the land you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you. The first to die were the ten who gave a bad report. Chapter 14 verse 37 the old generation has been dying off and now the leadership is too. Miriam was first and there was no mention of mourning her all it said is she was buried. So forty years have gone by and we find in verse 3 they quarreled with Moses and said if only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord. They complained about their food and no water. As usual Moses and Aaron went before the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell face down and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. They were to take the staff, gather the people and speak to the rock and water will come forth. Verses 9-12 say so Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them listen you rebels must we bring you water out of this rock. And Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites you will not bring this community into the land I give them. This seems to be the staff that had Aaron's name engraved on it to show that the Lord had chosen Aaron and the Levites as his tribe to tend to the tabernacle. Keep in mind that Moses' sister had just died and the people again were complaining to him. Now this staff had Aaron's name on it and this staff was always before the front of the testimony quote to be kept as a sign to the rebellious this will put an end to their grumbling against me so they will not die end of quote chapter 17 verse 10. Well the grumbling did not stop and we can see by Moses' wording that he did not have a right attitude. He calls the people you rebels and then instead of giving the Lord alone glory as the provider of water he says must we bring water out of the rock then Moses directly disobeyed the Lord instead of speaking to the rock he chose to hit it twice. I wonder if it was not out of anger. The Lord said their actions did not honor the Lord as holy in the sight of the Israelites. Chapter 20 verse 13 says these were the waters of Meribah where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he showed himself holy among them. Dr. Roy Honeycutt said in his commentary not even Moses was exempt from the erosive effects of rebellion. Something to keep in mind is that everyone in the Bible sinned except for Jesus. As they continued their journey they asked the king of Edom descendants of Esau Jacob's half brother this is what your brother Israel says. They asked for passage through their land on the king's highway and they promised not to take anything from them but Edom said no. The Israelites promised they would not take of their land but again they said you may not pass through. Then Edom came out against Israel so the Jews went around them. This led them to Mount Hor and the Lord told Moses and Aaron, Aaron will be gathered to his people he will not enter the land I give the Israelites because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Moses took Aaron and his son Eliezer up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. Verses 28 and 29 say Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eliezer and Aaron died on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eliezer came down from the mountain and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days. My Old Testament professor Dr. Bett said with sin and faithlessness there is always loss not loss of salvation but loss of blessings loss of fellowship and loss of opportunity and I will add sometimes loss of life. This makes me think of Psalm 90 verse 12 the psalm of Moses teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom. This evening I went to an ash Wednesday service and they even put ash on our foreheads. Growing up Baptist I have never had that done before. It also made me think of Psalm 90 verse 3 you turn men back to dust saying return to dust O sons of men. When the pastor put the ash on our foreheads he said you are made from dust and to dust you shall return. Turn away from sin and trust in Christ. They also gave us a card where we are to write down our sins and burn them in a little jar which they gave us and we are to look at the ashes throughout the season of Lent and remind ourselves to turn from sin and trust in Christ. Our life is but a breath. How are we living it? Do we bring honor to the Lord? Do we honor him as holy? If you have heard his voice today please don't harden your hearts like the people at Meribah. Instead let's be women who hear the Lord and obey so our lives honor him as holy. Until next time and thanks so much for listening.