Aaron dies and Edom refuses the Israelites

Numbers Chapter 20

In early spring the people of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While there, Miriam died and was buried.

There was no water so the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron. They blamed Moses and said they wished they had died along with their brothers. They asked why he had brought them from Egypt into such a horrible place that had no grain, figs or fruit and no water.
Moses and Aaron went to the Tabernacle and fell face down, then the Lord appeared to them and told Moses to take a staff and assemble the community. He told Moses to command the rock to pour out water and it would quench the people and livestock’s thirst.

Moses did so and he called the rebels to assemble and struck the rock twice with his staff and water gushed out. This place was called the waters of Meribah. But the Lord told Moses and Aaron he was unhappy that they did not trust him enough to demonstrate his holiness to the people. So he would not allow them to lead the people into the promise land.

Moses wrote a message to the King of Edom and asked that since they were relatives of the people of Israel, and since they knew how long they suffered at the hands of the Egyptians, and that an angel of the lord led them out of Egypt, now they were camped at Kadesh, a town on the border of Edom’s land. Moses requested that the Israelites be allowed to pass through his country and promised not to trample their fields nor drink their water. But the King of Edom refused telling them to stay out of his land or he would send an army to meet them. When the Israelites asked again, the king mobilized his army and marched out to meet them and so Israel was forced to turn around.

When the Israelites arrived at Mount Hor, the Lord told Moses and Aaron that it was time for Aaron to join his ancestors in death. He would not enter the promised land because of the botched instructions concerning the waters of Meribah. He told Moses to take Aaron and his son Eleazar up on Mount Hor and remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son and Aaron would die there. Moses did as told and at the summit, Aaron’s garments were put on Eleazar and Aaron died on top of the mountain. When the people realized Aaron had died, they mourned for thirty days.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW that the reason the Lord was angry with Moses was because he told Moses to speak to the rock, not strike it. Moses made it seem like he was speaking and not the Lord. Moses disobeyed God’s direct command and dishonored God in the presence of his people, thus he would not see the promised land either.

A historical note shows two brothers became ancestors of two nations, the Edomites were descended from Esau, the Israelites from Jacob. Also a note shows that it was now 37 years since the Israelites sent scouts into the promised land, and 40 years since the Exodus from Egypt. A new generation was in the camps of Israel and the old were dying.

Moses tried to negotiate with the Edomite king, but when left with two choice, conflict or avoidance, he chose to see that the conflict was not worth it. Moses was very wise and found a good way to solve his problems.

How does this chapter relate to us today? God expects total obedience from us just as he expected it from Moses and the Israelites. And in our everday lives, we often have to choose a flight or fight attitude. Most often we can find a better solution to our problems, just as Moses did. It was sad to see Aaron get old and die. Miriam too. How sad for Moses, his sister and then his old friend the priest. How sad that Moses came so close to being in the promised land and will not join the new generation in entering it.

In our wilderness of life today, the Lord takes people from us, people we love die, people we love leave, people we love disappoint us with their sins. That is just a fact of life. Love them while you are able. Keep them close, pray for them and hug them every day.

Yours in Christ,
Mary