Numbers 20:1-29 - Sorrows And Trials Of The Way

I. CONSIDER , THEREFORE , WITH RESPECT TO THE POSITION OF ISRAEL —

1 . That he was once more at Kadesh, not one step nearer home than he had been thirty-eight years before. Because he had rebelled then his life had run to waste ever since, and been lost like the fountain of Kadesh in the salads, and only now. after such a lapse of time, and after so much suffering, did he find himself in a position to recommence the march then suspended. Even so it is with Churches which have reached a certain point, and then have rebelled against the voice of God. Their history runs to waste; they exist, but hardly live; there is indeed a movement in them, but it has no definite aim, it leads no whither; they do but return upon themselves. Only after a long time (if God have mercy upon them) do they find themselves once more in a position to start afresh, and not one step further forward than all those years, or centuries, ago. Even so it is with individuals who will not go resolutely on when they are called. They are spent and wasted in movement to and fro which is not progress. After many years perhaps—perhaps after a whole lifetime—of wandering in dry places they find themselves once more at the very point to which they had attained, not one step nearer heaven than so long ago.

2 . That although Israel was once more at Kadesh, yet he was in a far worse position than on the former occasion. Then he might have marched straight into Canaan, now he must reach it by a long and circuitous route. Even so with Churches and with individuals which have done despite to the Spirit of grace. By God's mercy their aimless wanderings may be ended, and they may take up the broken thread of spiritual progress; but they cannot take up the opportunities and possibilities which once were theirs. If their position be the same, they are not the same; the effects of past faithlessness remain, a far more weary course awaits them ere they attain to rest than if they had obeyed from the beginning.

3 . That Miriam died in Kadesh, and went not with them on the lass march. She was a "prophetess," and uttered inspired words of praise and thanksgiving, and was especially associated with the glorious triumph of the exodus ( Exodus 15:20-22 ). Even so the soul which has greatly erred and lost itself, and is at last recovered and sets its face Zionward, may not look to be cheered with song's of gladness and of triumph on its way, but must do without them. And note that Miriam, Aaron, Moses all died this year, a little before the entrance into Canaan under Joshua. The Fathers see in this a figure of the passing away of prophecy, the priesthood, and the law, and their giving place to Jesus. "Videtur mihi in Maria (Miriam) Prophetia mortua; in Moyse et Aaron Legi et Sacerdotio Judaeorum finis impositus, quod nec ipsi ad terrain repromissionis transcendere valeant nec credentem populum de solitudine hujus mundi educere: nisi solus Jesus Deus Salvator."

II. WITH RESPECT TO THE WATERS OF STRIFE (see at Exodus 17:1-16 ). Consider—

1 . That it was in Kadesh that this temptation befell the people, where they had apparently not experienced any want of water before. Even so it often happens that great religious trials and deprivations are permitted to overtake us when and where we are least prepared to face them, and perhaps at the very moment when we hope to begin a new life and make a decided advance.

2 . That of all gifts which were necessary to their life, water was the one the absence of which was most terrible. Conceive the suffering and terror of the multitude! Even so it is the water from the Rock of Ages, the grace of Christ, upon which we daily and hourly depend in this evil world; and there are moments when that grace threatens to fail us, and spiritual death stares us in the face (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:4 ; 1 Corinthians 12:13 ).

3 . That they should have trusted him who had followed them as a spiritual Rock, giving them both water and shade in a thirsty land; but their temper and their very words were the same as forty years before. Even so do we fail again and again under trial, as if all experience went for nothing, and as if fallen human nature were never going to be really altered in us for the better. Nothing is more striking than the way in which a man's behaviour under temptation repeats itself in spite of all that he has learnt.

4 . That the Lord did not show any displeasure with them, but gave them water at once, knowing their sore necessity. Even so patient and long-suffering is he with us, however unreasonable and impatient we are, for he knoweth our feebleness, and our great need, and that we must die without his grace.

5 . That the Lord was angry with Moses because he spoke and acted impatiently and unworthily; for what he overlooked again and again in the ignorant and unstable people, that he could not pass over in the wise and powerful leader, who was to them the visible representative and mouthpiece of the invisible God. Even so the Lord will pass over a thousand errors and faults in the poor and ignorant and miserable more easily than one in him that has known him, and that has a ministry from him, and that stands to others in the place of leader and guide. It is a fearful thing by word or act to dishonour God or his gospel in the eyes of those who look up to us, and who will more or less consciously take their ideas of religion from our practice of it.

6 . That Moses erred because he lost his temper, and regarded the sinful murmuring of the people only as a trial and vexation to himself. He had in fact nothing to complain of, for he was only an instrument in God's hand, and it was against God that they were sinning. Even so we, if we are angry when men do wrongly and foolishly, are sure to err greatly; for anger can only see the bad conduct of others as an offence to itself, and so resent it, thereby placing self in the room of God, and presuming to judge and to condemn in his stead.

7 . That Moses spake unadvisedly with his lips in calling the people "rebels," because he was himself a rebel in heart. He was indeed, considering his position and advantages, more disloyal to his Master at that moment than even they were. Even so when we sit in judgment on others, and call them by hard names, it often happens that we are in truth more unfaithful to our calling than even they. Their unfaithfulness may be of a kind to arouse our disgust and disdain, but ours may be in truth more heinous in the eyes of God.

8 . That he spake yet more unadvisedly in saying, "Must we fetch you water?" as though it were their power and goodness to which the supply of water was due. Even so it is a sore evil when the stewards of the manifold grace of God magnify themselves even in hasty words, and speak as if they were the authors instead of the mere dispensers of the gifts of God, and lead men to look to them instead of through them, and pass (as it were) the free grace and goodness of God through the discoloured medium of their own selfish tempers.

9 . That he erred also through willfulness, in that he smote the rock twice instead of speaking to it— an error trifling in itself, but betraying the irritation under which he acted, and suggesting that the copious supply was in some way due to his energy. Even so men often err greatly and do harm by acts in themselves inconsiderable which are prompted by impatience and self-will, as though the necessary supply of Divine grace and the blessings of the gospel were really dependent upon their efforts. If we are stewards of the grace of God at all, we have to act

10. That Moses was probably tempted to speak and act as he did because God had said to him, "Thou shalt bring forth to them water," &c.; Even so we find our temptation to a self-asserting temper which dishonours God in the fact that God has really made the interests of religion (humanly speaking) dependent upon his servants' efforts. It is our trial to remember this as far as labour and earnestness are concerned, to forget it (or rather to remember the complemental truth) as far as personal feeling's are concerned.

11. That God did not withhold the stream because Moses acted wrongly. Even so the blessings of the word and sacraments are not withheld from the souls of men because there is error and even disobedience in those that minister them.

12. That God punished Moses and Aaron with personal exclusion from the promised land because they had failed to sanctify him in the eyes of the people; i.e; they had, as far as in them lay, obscured the revelation of the Divine power and goodness, and impaired the good effect of it upon the people. Even so God will certainly lay sin to the charge of all who, being in any way his representatives to others, have in anything dimmed the luster of his beauty or distorted the features of his perfection in their eyes. Thus have all, even Moses, sinned and come short of the glory of God, so that none have wholly pleased him except Christ ( Matthew 3:17 ; Matthew 17:5 ; 2 Peter 1:17 ); nor can any look for an entrance into rest save in Christ.

13. That the Lord was sanctified in the children of Israel at Meribah, albeit his appointed servants failed to sanctify him. Their sentence was perhaps the most effective possible revelation of his exceeding holiness. Even so the Lord will make his glory to be known and felt through his servants if they be faithful, but without them if they be faithless. He will be sanctified in us to our great reward in the one ease, to our shame and sorrow in the other.

III. CONSIDER FURTHER , WITH RESPECT TO THE ERROR OF MOSES —

1. That he was now very old, in his hundred and twentieth year. An irritable and hasty temper is the special temptation of old age.

2 . That he had shown the same temper on at least one previous occasion ( Joshua 11:1-23 ), and had then been betrayed into the use of unseemly and untrue language, which ought to have been a warning to him. There is nothing which people have more need to watch very carefully than their temper, for there is nothing that grows upon a man more certainly than bad temper.

3 . That God had been very forbearing with him on that occasion, but on this was very strict; the reason no doubt being that then Moses uttered his unreasonable and passionate complaints only in the ear of God, whereas now his angry insolence was vented upon the people. If we address ourselves directly to God he will receive graciously even the outpourings of a disordered and embittered mind, and we shall find relief; if we reserve our angry temper for our neighbours—much more for those committed to our keeping—God will be sore displeased at us for their sakes. Art thou angry? Go and complain to God (cf. Psalms 77:3 , P.B.V.).

IV. CONSIDER , WITH RESPECT TO THE CONDUCT OF EDOM —

1 . That Israel had reason to expect no friendly treatment from Edom, because of the bad conduct of Jacob towards Esau, which had left an angry and jealous spirit in the minds of his descendants against Israel. The quarrels and injuries of individuals bear evil fruit in years to come, and in after generations, and that especially among brethren, whether in blood or in religion.

2 . That, nevertheless, Israel addressed Edom as his brother, and bespoke his friendly sympathy and help. We are bound to treat others as our brethren, and to approach them as such, and to bespeak their sympathy in our religious interests, until we are actually repulsed.

3 . That Israel did not claim any right, as the chosen people of God, to be served by Edom, or to take anything of him without payment, but only asked the ordinary courtesy due to a friendly people. In addressing ourselves to others in matters of this world we must be careful to ask and to expect only what is strictly fair and reasonable from their point of view, and not to claim any exceptional regard or deference because we are more highly-favoured than they.

4 . That when Israel found himself rudely denied and opposed, he did not attempt to avenge himself, but turned away from Edom. If we meet with opposition and hostility where we looked for help and sympathy, it is useless to complain, and wicked to bear malice; the only thing is to turn away from such, and leave them to God and to themselves.

5 . That the hostile conduct of Edom was not forgotten of God, but in due time ( not being amended ) was punished. It is a great sin, out of personal (or collective) jealousy and dislike, to cast obstacles in the path of others, or to refuse them such friendly assistance as they seek of us.

V. CONSIDER , WITH RESPECT TO THE DEATH OF AARON .—

1 . That it testified to the infirmity of human nature at its greatest. Aaron had been invested with a sacred character, and to that generation (which had not known his origin) must have seemed an awful being, almost more than man; yet he died, and was not.

2 . That it testified to the inherent imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, in that Aaron could not continue by reason of death, so that the continuance of the office depended upon natural succession, which must some day fail—and has failed.

3 . That it testified to the exceeding sinfulness of sin. For one little sin. and one to which he was merely accessory, the high priest must die without even beholding the land so long sought, and now so nearly found.

4 . That the demise of Aaron in that lonely mountain, in a foreign land, testified to the mysterious and typical character of his office. The anointed of the Lord, although, as being man and sinful, he must die, yet not as other men die, but in a vast far solitude alone with God.

5 . That the transfer of the priestly robes from Aaron to Eleazar testified that the priesthood was abiding, and would abide until it vested in One who should live for ever. Therefore was it effected out of sight of the people, and far above them, in order that no gap or interval might be perceptible to them.

6 . That the mourning for Aaron during thirty clays testified that, with all his faults, he was yet honoured as a great leader in Israel; and perhaps this too, that Aaron as a man was not so swallowed up in Aaron as a priest but that his personal loss was duly felt and lamented.