Numbers 20:1-29

Human leaders are never permanent, nor are they perfect.  Leaders pass away just like everyone else and they fail just like everyone else.  That is why it is absolutely vital for leaders to prepare their successors so that the work of the Lord can carry on even in the face of the tragic death of a leader.  Moses, Aaron and Miriam have been used of God to free the children of Israel and lead them through the desert but they are now old and there is about to be a great change in the leadership of these people.  These are difficult days for the nation as it wanders through the desert waiting for the forty years of punishment promised by God.

MOSES DISOBEYS THE WORD OF THE LORD: Once again the children of Israel are complaining about the lack of water and are longing to go back to Egypt.  This problem has been repeated over and over again.  Moses must have been sick of this attitude and so he does the right thing by taking this problem to the Lord and seeking for God’s answer.  God tells him to go to the rock and speak to it and the water would come out.  However, Moses allows his anger and pride to control his actions instead of his humility and submissive spirit.  He yells at the people and lifts himself up by asking them if he must bring water from the rock and then he hits the rock instead of speaking to it.  Moses should have let the people know that only God can bring water from rocks and done as God told him to do instead of drawing attention to himself and striking the rock in anger.  Because of his disobedience he is prohibited from leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land.  This may seem like a harsh punishment, but Moses had a fellowship with God like no other man and so his responsibility and consequences for failure were greater than those of every other man.

EDOM DISRESPECTS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: Israel asks for permission to pass through the land of Edom, but they are refused passage.  They appeal again promising to pay for this passage and not to even drink any water in the land.  Edom refuses and brings out an army to prevent Israel from passing through.  The Lord does not speak to this situation at this point so the children of Israel do not go out to war at this time; instead they avoid the conflict and go another way.  This lack of consideration by Edom seems to go unpunished at this time, but it will come back to cost them dearly in the future.  It is important to cooperate with that which the Lord is doing in the world.  Israel was God’s chosen people and Edom would have done well to provide for their needs.  We must take ever advantage of the opportunities that we have to serve the Lord and help His servants as the Lord gives us opportunities to do so.

AARON AND MIRIAM DIE IN THE WILDERNESS: The chapter starts with the death of Miriam and ends with the death of Aaron.  These were important people in the plan of God for establishing the nation.  The people mourn their loss, but death is the eventual end of all human leaders.  The important thing to note here is that Eleazar, Aaron’s son, was prepared to take over the job of the high priest.  There was a transition to the new leader that was made upon Aaron’s death.  If we want our works and ministries to be successful on a long term basis, we must be committed to the process of preparing and mentoring the next generation of leaders.