Numbers 20:8-13

God mercifully supplied the water, and there is no doubt at all that Moses was really aggravated to the end, we would think, of his patience. He had to deal with this recalcitrant people who were always on the edge of blowing up, and the poor man could probably hardly ever turn to the left or to the right without being called into account for which way he turned.

God supplied the water which they indeed needed, but He really laid it on Moses. Moses lost his temper, and he lost his temper because his faith wavered for a period of time, and he doubted in that he did not speak to the rock as God said to him, and instead, he hit the rock twice. If that rock represented Christ, it was just like whacking Jesus Christ with his staff. Pretty bold move! Moses had to live with his failure. God judged him. It did not matter how high his rank was. In this case God hit Moses right where it really hurt, and Moses had to live with that the rest of his life. If God had struck him dead, I do not think it would have had the same impact on Moses’ character as to take away from him that strong fervent desire he had to walk in the land. That really stung!

Numbers 20:10-13

Now if there is one thing the Exodus period proved, it showed that signs and wonders were not enough to bring righteousness and faith to a people. God was so upset with those Israelites that He ordered every Israelite above the age of twenty, except Joshua and Caleb, to die in the wilderness during those forty years. Remarkably this included even Moses himself. In spite of all the miraculous events that were manifested to Moses throughout his life, he stood up in rebellion to God at the waters of Meribah (Numbers 20:10-13). It seemed like an innocent thing at the time, but God did not take it that way at all.