Now all the Israelis moved their camp again, this time to the Zin Desert. Moses’ sister Miriam died and was buried there.
Once again they ran out of water, and the people rebelled against Moses. “Why didn’t you murder us along with Korah and the others?” They shouted insolently. “You might as well have done that as to kill us now with thirst.”
Then Moses and Aaron went to the Tabernacle and threw themselves flat on the ground before the Lord, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
Then the Lord told them to take Aarons stick from the Tabernacle and as all the people watched, to stand before a certain rock God pointed out to them, “Speak to the rock,” God told Moses, “and water will gush out before their eyes.”
So Moses took the stick from its place in the Tabernacle and summoned the people. But instead of just speaking to the rock as the Lord had told him to, he yelled angrily at the people. “Listen, you rebels, must we get water for you from the rock?” Then he struck the rock twice, though God had not even mentioned striking it. He had only said to speak to it.
Suddenly water began flowing from the rock and all the people and their cattle drank and drank until they had enough.
But God said to Moses, “You didn’t believe Me, did you? You didn’t think it was enough just to speak to the rock as I told you to. So you struck it twice. The people would have respected Me more if the water had started flowing from the rock when you only spoke a word. Your punishment is that you may not lead My people into the Promise Land.”
How sad that Moses did wrong and had to be punished! How he had looked forward to going into the Promised Land! But now he would never get there.
Moses and the people of Israel next arrived at Edom, the country where Jacob’s brother Esau had lived four hundred years before. Esau’s people were still living there; it was their land. And now the people of Israel, who were the descendants of Esau’s brother Jacob, wanted to pass through the land of Esau, now known as Moab, on their journey to Canaan. So Moses asked permission of the King of the land. He sent him this message:
“You know our history, about our ancestor Jacob and his sons and their families. They went to Egypt 400 years ago, and we have lived there ever since. But the Egyptians treated us very cruelly. then we cried to the Lord, and He listened to us and He has brought us our of our slavery in Egypt. Now please let us pass through your fields, or tread down your grain, or drink water from your wells. We will stay on the regular roads.”
But the king of Edom said no, the people of Israel must not pass through; and he came with his army to keep them out. So the Israelis turned back and went around by a different, longer route.
When they arrived at Mount Hor, almost forty years had gone by since they left Egypt. Still they were wandering around and camping in the desert. For God had said that all of the people who had refused to enter the Promised Land because the spies said it was too dangerous, all these people must did before Israel could go in. Only their children, who had now grown to be men and women, could go and live in the Promised Land. At Mount Hor the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and told them that the time had come for
Aaron to die. “You and Aaron and Aaron’s son Eleazar are to go up to the top of Mount Hor,” the Lord told them. When you arrive, take the High Priests garments off Aaron and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will die while you are up there, and Eleazar will be the new High Priest.”
Moses did as the Lord commanded. While all the people watched, he and Aaron and Eleazar went up to the mountain. When they got to the top, Moses took the High Priest’s clothes from Aaron and put them on Aaron’s son Eleazar. Then Aaron died on the top of the mountain. So Eleazar became the High Priest in place of his father.
When Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain and told the people that Aaron was dead, they had a time of mourning for him that lasted thirty days. This was to show their respect and sorrow for him because he was dead.
The Israelis were very tired of travelling, and again they sinned by rebelling against God and against Moses. “We have no bread and no water, and how we hate this manna,” they complained.
The Lord was angry and sent serpents into the camp to bite the people, causing many of them to die.
They ran to Moses, screaming, “We have sinned, for we have complained against the Lord and against you; please pray that the serpents will go away.”
So Moses prayed for them. The Lord told Moses to make a bronze snake that would look like the poisonous snakes that were biting the peope.
“Put the bronze snake on a pole God said.” Whenever anyone is bitten, if he just looks at the snake on the pole, he will get wellagain.”
So Moses mad the bronze snake and put it on the top of a pole. Many people looked at it and lived instead of dying from their snake bits.
But it wasn’t the bronze snake that made them well. It was the Lord who did it. The bronze snake on the pole reminds us of the Savior. (Jesus Christ). He was lifted up on a wooded cross to die for our sins. If we look up to the Savior on the cross, and realize that He died to take away our sins, God will give us eternal life just as He gave life to the people in Moses’ time who did as God said, and looked up at the bronze snake.
Questions:
What did God tell Moses to do to get water for the people?
What did Moses do instead?
What was his punishment?
Pretend that you are Moses talking to the King of Edom. Ask him to let your people go through his land.
I would say: Father God, please let the king of Edom let us go through his land so we have it easier getting to the Promise Land. I thank You, I love You, I praise You and give You all the glory in Jesus Precious Name Amen.
Where did Aaron die?
Wo became the new High Priest?
How could the people be saved from the serpents?
In what way was the bronze snake like the Savior (Jesus Christ)?
"Only Life Changes" 