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| 1 And the sons of Israel come in, all the company to the wilderness of Zin, in the first month, and the people abide in Kadesh, and Miriam dieth there, and is buried there. |
First month – In April of the 40th year they assembled to enter the promised land. R5315:1
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| 2 And there hath been no water for the company, and they are assembled against Moses, and against Aaron, |
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| 3 and the people strive with Moses, and speak, saying, 'And oh that we had expired when our brethren expired before Jehovah! |
Chode with Moses – All leaders of honor and influence carry weighty responsibilities. R5315:1
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| 4 and why have ye brought in the assembly of Jehovah unto this wilderness to die there, we and our beasts |
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| 5 and why hast thou brought us up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place no place of seed, and fig, and vine, and pomegranate; and water there is none to drink. |
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| 6 And Moses and Aaron go in from the presence of the assembly unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and fall on their faces, and the honour of Jehovah is seen by them. |
Glory of the LORD – Surmised to have been a ray of light emanating from the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy. R5315:1
Unto them – Possibly also manifest to the people of Israel, who looked on. R5315:1
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| 7 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, |
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| 8 'Take the rod, and assemble the company, thou and Aaron thy brother; and ye have spoken unto the rock before their eyes, and it hath given its water, and thou hast brought out to them water from the rock, and hast watered the company, and their beasts.' |
Take the rod – Presumably "Aaron's rod that budded." R5315:1
A reminder to the people of the Lord's special acceptance of Aaron as the High Priest and assistant of Moses. R5315:2
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| 9 And Moses taketh the rod from before Jehovah, as He hath commanded him, |
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| 10 and Moses and Aaron assemble the assembly unto the front of the rock, and he saith to them, 'Hear, I pray you, O rebels, from this rock do we bring out to you water ' |
Must we fetch – Moses took the honor to himself instead of giving God the glory. R41:1, R5957:4
One of the most illustrious servants of God there fell under divine disapprobation. R5315:2
Similarly, the feet class will need to be specially upheld by the Lord that they stumble not through pride or self-conceit. R4047:5
Those who do not have sufficient faith in the Lord as the real Head of the Church are generally those who feel too much self-assurance. R3018:2
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| 11 and Moses lifteth up his hand, and smiteth the rock with his rod twice; and much water cometh out, and the company drink, also their beasts. |
And Moses – Typifying, in this case, those who crucify the Son of God afresh; commit the sin unto death. R3077:4, R4058:1, R5333:3, R5957:5
Smote the rock – Type of Christ. R3077:4, R5333:3
In this he spoiled a type while he made another type. Christ Jesus, the true Rock, was to be smitten but once for our sins. But the second smiting made a new type--some now crucify Christ afresh, committing the sin unto death--the Second Death. R3077:3,4
Twice – Twice, typically putting Christ "to an open shame." (Heb. 6:6) R3077:4
The second time; the first time in Ex. 17:1-7; this time he was to speak to the rock, not smite it. R3077:3
The smiting of the rock at the beginning of Israel's experience was authorized; it was necessary that upon Jesus should fall the rod of affliction. The second smiting may symbolize a smiting of the people of God in the end of this age. R5315:3
Water came out – Symbolizing the blessings which flow from the smiting of Jesus' followers. Under the divine providence blessings will flow from the wrong course, yet no greater blessings than might have come by pursuing the right course. R5315:3
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| 12 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, and unto Aaron, 'Because ye have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye do not bring in this assembly unto the land which I have given to them.' |
Believed me not – Self-assertion and lack of faith were Moses' sin. R4047:6, R5315:5
Any denial of the Redeemer on the part of the consecrated would signify a crucifying afresh, a smiting of the rock a second time. R5315:4
The most unjust thing we can do is judge Moses or any other man by his deeds and not by his fruits. R4055:5
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| 13 These [are] waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel have 'striven' with Jehovah, and He is sanctified upon them. |
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| 14 And Moses sendeth messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, 'Thus said thy brother Israel, Thou thou hast known all the travail which hath found us; |
Of Edom – Descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother. R5316:1
Type of Christendom. D15
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| 15 that our fathers go down to Egypt, and we dwell in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians do evil to us and to our fathers; |
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| 16 and we cry unto Jehovah, and He heareth our voice, and sendeth a messenger, and is bringing us out of Egypt; and lo, we [are] in Kadesh, a city [in] the extremity of thy border. |
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| 17 Let us pass over, we pray thee, through thy land; we pass not over through a field, or through a vineyard, nor do we drink waters of a well; the way of the king we go, we turn not aside right or left till that we pass over thy border.' |
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| 18 And Edom saith unto him, 'Thou dost not pass over through me, lest with sword I come out to meet thee.' |
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| 19 And the sons of Israel say unto him, 'In the highway we go, and if of thy waters we drink I and my cattle then I have given their price; only (it is nothing) on my feet I pass over.' |
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| 20 And he saith, 'Thou dost not pass over;' and Edom cometh out to meet him with much people, and with a strong hand; |
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| 21 and Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him. |
Israel turned away – The Midianites, Moabites and Edomites were related to Abraham so Israel left them unmolested, except when they attacked. R5316:1
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| 22 And the sons of Israel, the whole company, journey from Kadesh, and come in unto mount Hor, |
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| 23 and Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron in mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying, |
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| 24 'Aaron is gathered unto his people, for he doth not go in unto the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because that ye provoked My mouth at the waters of Meribah. |
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| 25 'Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and cause them to go up mount Hor, |
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| 26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and thou hast clothed [with] them Eleazar his son, and Aaron is gathered, and doth die there.' |
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| 27 And Moses doth as Jehovah hath commanded, and they go up unto mount Hor before the eyes of all the company, |
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| 28 and Moses strippeth Aaron of his garments, and clotheth with them Eleazar his son, and Aaron dieth there on the top of the mount; and Moses cometh down Eleazar also from the mount, |
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| 29 and all the company see that Aaron hath expired, and they bewail Aaron thirty days all the house of Israel. |
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