Numbers 20

THen To wit, after many other stations and long journeys here omitted, but particularly described, Numb. 33. came the children of Israel even the whole congregation into the desert of Zin A place near the land of Edom, distinct and distant from that Sin, Exod. 15. 1., in the first moneth To wit, of the fortieth year, as is evident, because the next station to this was in mount Hor, where Aaron died, ver. 22, 23, &c. who died in the fifth moneth of the fortieth year, Numb. 33. 38. Moses does not give us an exact journal of all their occurrences in the wilderness, but only of those which were most remarkable, and especially of those which happened in the first and second, and in the fortieth, year., and the people abode in Kadesh Whether the same place called Kadeh-barnea, where they were long Numb. 13. 26. and to which they now return after 38 years tedious travels and wandrings in the desert, Deut. 2. 14. or another place, more southerly, it is not material.; and Miriam died there Four moneths before Aaron and but a few more before Moses., and was buryed there.

And there was no water for the congregation Which having followed them through all their former journeys began now to fail them here, and because they were now come near Canaan and other countreys, where waters might be had by ordinary means, and therefore God would not use extraordinary, least he should seem to prostitute the honour of miracles. This story, though like that Exod. 17. is different from it, as appears by divers circumstances.: and they gathered themselves together against Moses, and against Aaron.

And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethern died before the LORD (i. e.) Suddenly, rather than to die such a lingring and painful death. Their sin was much greater than their parents in like case, because they should have taken warning by their miscarriages, and by the terrible effects of them which there eyes had seen..

And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattel should die there?

And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or vines, or of pomegranates, neither is there any water to drink.

And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly Partly to avoid the growing rage of the people, for Gods singular protection of them did not exclude the use of ordinary means: and partly to go to God for relief and redress., unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Take the rod That rod which was laid up before the Lord in the tabernacle, as appears from ver. 9. But whether it was Aarons rod, which was undoubtedly laid up there, Numb. 17. 10. or Moses his rod by which he wrought so many miracles, it is not considerable; or whether it was not one and the same rod, which was commonly called Moses his rod, as here ver. 11. and elsewhere, and sometimes Aarons rod, as Exod. 7. 12. which may seem most probable. For it is likely, though not related elsewhere in Scripture, that wonder-working rod, called the rod of God, Exod. 4. 20. was laid up in some part of the tabernacle, though not in or near the Ark, where Aarons blossoming rod for a particular reason was put., and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock Which will sooner hear and obey my commands than these sottish and stubborn people., before their eyes, and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

And Moses took the rod from before the LORD (i. e.) Out of the Tabernacle., as he commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?

And Moses lift up his hand, and with his rod, he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also To the men it was a sacrament, 1 Cor. 10. 3, 4. but to the beasts it was no holy but a common thing. So that the elements in the Sacraments have no inherent and inseparable holiness, but only a relative holiness with respect to their use, out of which they are unholy and common..

And the LORD spake unto Moses, and Aaron, Because ye believed me not But showed your infidelity: which they did, either by their looks and gestures, or rather by the matter and manner of their expressions, and actions, either 1. by smiting the rock, and that twice, which is emphatically noted, as if he doubted whether once smiting would have done it, whereas he was not commanded to smite so much as once, but only to speak to it: or 2. by the doubtfulness of these words, ver. 10. Must we fetch water out of the rock? which implies a suspicion of it, as the like words do, Gen. 18. 13. whereas they should have spoken positively and confidently to the rock to give forth waters. And yet they did not doubt of the power of God, but of his will, whether he would gratify these rebels with this further miracle after so many of the like kind. And besides the words themselves, it is considerable, both with what mind they were spoken, which God saw to be distrustful, and in what manner they were delivered, which the people might discern to come from disbelief or doubt. And there might be divers other unbelieving words used by them at this time and place, though they be not here recorded, it being usual in Scripture to give only the summe or principal heads of discourses or events, leaving the rest to be gathered out of them. See Psal. 106. 32, 33., to sanctifie me (i. e.) To give me glory of my power in doing this miracle, and of my truth in punctually fulfilling my promise so to do, and of my goodness in doing it notwithstanding the peoples perverseness. in the eyes of the children of Israel This made their sin scandalous, to the Israelites, who of themselves were too prone to infidelity and little needed such an ill example, to prevent the contagion whereof God leaves a monument of his great displeasure upon them, and inflicts a punishment as publick and manifest as their sin was., therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land: which I have given them.

This is the water of Meribah Called Meribah Kadesh, to distinguish it from another Mebah, Exod. 17. 7., because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them Or, among them, to wit, the children of Israel last mentioned, by the demonstration of his omnipotency, veracity, and clemency towards the Israelites, and of his impartial holiness and severity against sin even in his greatest friends and favourites, as Moses was..

And Moses sent messengers By Gods direction, Deut. 2. 1, 2, 3. from Kadesh, unto the king of Edom, Thus says thy brother For was not Esau (who is Edom, Gen. 36. 1.) Iacobs brother? Mal. 1. 2. Israel, Thou knowest all the travel that has befallen us All the wandrings and afflictions of our parents and of us their children, which doubtless have come to thine ears..

How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time: and the Egyptians vexed us and our fathers.

And when we cryed unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel To wit, the Angel of the covenant, Christ Jesus, who first appeared to Moses in the bush, Exod. 3. 2. and afterward in the cloudy pillar, who conducted Moses and the people out of Egypt and thorough the wilderness, as appears from Exod. 14. 19. and 23. 20. and 33. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 4. For though Moses may be called an Angel, or messenger, a title given to Phinehas, Iudg. 2. 1. and to the Prophets, 2 Chr... n. 36. 16. and to Haggai, Hag. 1. 13. yet it is not probable, that he is meant, partly because Moses was the person that sent this message; partly because there was no reason why he should express himself by such a dark and doubtful title to them; and partly because another angel besides and above Moses did conduct them, and the mention hereof to the Edomites was likely to give more authority and efficacy to their present message., and has brought us forth out of Egypt: and behold, we are in Kadesh (i. e.) Near the city Kad... sh, the particle in being oft so used, as we have showed., a city in the uttermost of thy border.

Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy co... ntrey: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells Or, pits, which any of you have digged for your private use, to wit, without paying for it, ver. 19. Deut. 2. 6. but only of the waters of common rivers, which are free to all passengers, and will not be prejudicial to thee.: we will go by the kings high-way, we will not turn to the right hand, nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.

And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me (i. e.) Through my country, as thou desirest: I will not suffer thee to do so: which was an act of common policy to secure themselves from so numerous an host., lest I come out against thee with the sword.

And the children of Israel said unto him (i. e.) Their messengers replyed unto them what here follows., We will go by the high-way: and if I and my cattel drink of thy water, then I will pay for it For water was a scarce commodity in those parts.: I will only (without doing any thing else) go through on my feet.

And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border But permitted them to go by their border, Deut. 2. 4, 8. Iudg. 11. 18. and furnished them with victuals for their money, Deut. 2. 29.: wherefore Israel turned away from him According to Gods command, Deut. 2. 5..

And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor Whose inhabitants were thence called Horims, Deut. 2. 12. and Esau the Horite, Gen. 36. 20..

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word This was one but not the only, reason. God would not have Moses and Aaron to carry the people into Canaan, for this reason also, to signifie the insufficiency of the Mosaical law and Aaronical Priesthood to make them perfectly happy, and the necessity of a better, and so to keep the Israelites from resting in them so as to be taken off from their expectation of Christ, and from the entertainment of him when he should come. at the water of Meribah.

Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor;

And strip Aaron of his garments To wit of his Priestly garments, Exod. 28. 2. Levit. 8. 7, 8, 9. in token of his resignation of his office. See the like Isa. 22. 15, 19, 20, 21., and put them upon Eleazar his son By way of admission and inauguration of him to his office., and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor, in the sight of all the congregation That their hearts might be more affected with their loss of so great a pillar, and that they all might be witnesses of the translation of the Priesthood from Aaron to Eleazar, and therefore might give him the honour due to him..

And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son, and Aaron died there To wit, in mount Hor. Obj. He died in Mosera, Deut. 10. 6. Ans. Mosera was the general name of the place where that station was, and mount Hor is a particular place in it, where he died, and was buried also, Deut. 10. 6. in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

And when all the congregation saw (i. e.) Understood by the relation of Moses and Eleazar, and by other signs. So seeing is used, Gen. 42. 1. Act. 7. 12. that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days The time of publick and solemn mourning for great persons. See Deut. 34. 8. even all the house of Israel.