Dishonoring God

August 16

Lesson 11

   Return to Richard's Sunday School Lessons

Devotional Reading:

Psalm 95

Background Scripture:

Numbers 20:1–13

Printed Text:

Numbers 20:1–13

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each student will be able to:

1. Tell what happened at the site that came to be called Meribah and the sad consequences.

2. Explain how frustration or other emotional stress can lead one to dishonor God today.

3. Recruit an accountability partner for mutual growth in an area where both need to honor God more.

How to Say It

Aaron. AIR-un.

Abib. A-bib.

Amalekites. AM-uh-leh-kites or Uh-MAL-ih-kites.

Beersheba. Beer-SHE-buh.

Canaan. KAY-nun.

Canaanites. KAY-nun-ites.

Egypt. EE-jipt.

Israelites. IZ-ray-el-ites.

Kadesh Barnea. KAY-desh BAR-nee-uh.

Korah. KO-rah.

Meribah. MEHR-ih-buh.

Nisan. NYE-san.

Paran. PAIR-un.

Sinai. SIGH-nye or SIGH-nay-eye.

Daily Bible Readings

Monday, Aug. 10—Rebelled Against the Command (Numbers 20:22–29)

Tuesday, Aug. 11—Tested at Meribah (Psalm 81:1–10)

Wednesday, Aug. 12—Do Not Harden Your Hearts (Psalm 95)

Thursday, Aug. 13—Put Your Confidence in the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5–10)

Friday, Aug. 14—The Foundation of Faith (Matthew 16:13–18)

Saturday, Aug. 15—Water for the Thirsty (Revelation 21:1–7)

Sunday, Aug. 16—Because Moses Did Not Trust (Numbers 20:1–13)

Key Verse

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

—Numbers 20:12

Introduction

A. “Yes, Your Honor”

Anyone who has ever appeared before a judge knows that proper courtesy and respect are necessary. If we want the judge to treat us favorably, we must do nothing to turn him or her against us.

A central part of this courtesy is our language. Courtroom protocol expects us to address the judge with respect, using the title “your honor.” This does not mean we are honoring the judge on a personal-lifestyle level, for we may know nothing about this. It means we are honoring the judge as a representative of the legal system that forms the backbone of our society.

Moreover, when we say “your honor,” we are expressing an expectation that the judge will act in an honorable manner. It is disheartening to learn that a judge has taken a bribe, favored a crony, acted carelessly, or done other things that bring dishonor on the court.

Honor must be central in our relationship with the ultimate judge: the Lord our God. Since we live in an increasingly careless society, it has become more common to act disrespectfully toward God, the opposite of honoring him. Yet the Lord has promised that “those who honor me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).

God’s honor is not dependent on us. The psalmist wrote that God is “clothed with splendor and majesty” (Psalm 104:1). This does nothing to relieve us of the responsibility of honoring God, however. Paul even goes so far as to imply that the failure to honor God is a type of voluntary insanity, a futility of mental processes (Romans 1:21). We as God’s creatures not only have an obligation to honor God, we have a need to do so. Honoring God must be more than lip service. It must come from the heart (see Isaiah 29:13).

B. Lesson Background

Numbers 13 tells the story of a group of Israelite men who were sent into the land of Canaan as spies to evaluate the region. They returned with glowing reports of the land’s bounty. But most of the men gave fearful reports of the military strength of the residents. This caused the nation to cry out for a return to Egypt, and even to make plans for replacing Moses as their leader. This story was the topic of last week’s lesson.

The result of this lack of faith was for God to forbid the adults of the nation to enter the promised land. They would die in the wilderness, for anyone age 20 or over would be included in this death toll (Numbers 14:29). The only exceptions were to be the two spies who encouraged the nation not to fear and to go and possess the land (14:30). The other Israelites were told that they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until the adult population of the time had passed away (14:33).

The people of Israel did not take this news well. Therefore, they decided to try to force their way into Canaan in spite of the Lord’s decision. This expedition was a disaster, and the Israelite force was soundly defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites of the region (Numbers 14:45).

In today’s lesson, the nation has returned to the site of this earlier rebellion, namely Kadesh (Numbers 13:26; 20:1). While the exact location of Kadesh is a matter of conjecture today, it was a site about 50 miles south of Beersheba. Beersheba marked the southern border of Canaan. The land is increasingly arid and barren south from there. This is described as the “Desert of Zin” (13:21; 20:1). It is the northern part of the larger “Desert of Paran,” which includes most of the central area of the Sinai Peninsula (see 13:3, 26).

In these references, the word desert has the primary idea of “uninhabitable” because the conditions were so harsh. The water miracle in today’s story means that Kadesh became an oasis in this desert. Today’s lesson occurs at the end of the 40-year period of wilderness wandering (about 1406 bc). This is just prior to the campaigns and maneuvers that take Israel into the promised land of Canaan.

I. Frustration & Complaining (Numbers 20:1–5)

A. Thirsty in the Desert (vv. 1, 2)

1. In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

The first month is the month of Abib in the Hebrew calendar (later called Nisan), as we learned in Lesson 6 of this quarter. Since the ancient Israelites use a lunar calendar system in contrast with our solar calendar system, Abib does not correspond precisely to any of our modern months. The use of a lunar calendar system means that Abib (as other months) “moves around” a bit year to year. But it roughly equates to late March and early April. It is the month in which the Passover is celebrated (Exodus 12).

Few of the generation that was prohibited from entry into the promised land remain for the episode we are about to see unfold. The death of Miriam, one of the last of that older generation, is recorded here. She was the sister of Moses and Aaron (Numbers 26:59; 1 Chronicles 6:3; compare Exodus 2:4). Those three formed something of a family triumvirate of leadership during the wilderness period (see Micah 6:4).

Miriam had been a prophetess and had leadership skills (Exodus 15:20, 21). But she and Aaron also conspired against Moses at one point (Numbers 12). Thus the great Miriam had her problems too. Along with her two brothers, she does not enter the promised land.

Kadesh (also known as Kadesh Barnea) means “holy place.” This was God’s original launching point for the final push into the promised land some 40 years earlier (Numbers 13:26). But that plan had been thwarted by the rebellion and fear of the people of Israel.

2. Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.

Any water supply that existed at Kadesh of some 40 years previous has dried up by now. We do not know the exact population of the community of Israel at this point, but a later count puts the number of men at 601,730 (Numbers 26:51). Adding in women and children makes the number much larger. This number of people requires an enormous supply of fresh water every day. The frustration of no water leads the people to turn against their leaders.

B. Longing for Egypt (vv. 3–5)

3. They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!

The mass of people quarreling with Moses probably is led by the remaining few from the rebellion at Kadesh some 40 years earlier, for they refer to the deaths of their brothers. Consider that God has provided for these people faithfully through 4 decades of nomadic life. Moses later will point out that even their clothes did not wear out during this 40-year period (Deuteronomy 8:4). Yet they still complain!

What Do You Think?

How could the Israelites have presented their concerns in a positive way? What can we learn from their bad example about how to express our own concerns to those in leadership positions?

4. “Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here?

Without water the people will quickly die, along with their livestock. The word you indicates that they are again blaming Moses for this situation. The complainers assume that Moses has failed them, that he is no longer receiving directions from God. Thus their arrival at this desolate place. From Moses’ perspective, the unfairness of this complaint is magnified when one considers that the complainers are (apparently) not even giving him a chance to mourn the death of his sister.

5. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

Again, we see the “good old days” syndrome. It is highly active among the people of Israel. This is the attitude that perceives the better situation of the past. The Israelites seem to be idealizing Egypt as a place of plenty of water and lots of food. By contrast, they see Kadesh as a place of no water and no food. As we analyze what the people “should” remember, we remind ourselves that most of the people at this time have had no experience of Egypt as adults. The memories are either dim from childhood or secondhand from others. Thus, it may be somewhat excusable that they fail to remember Egypt as a place of slavery and brutal work conditions. But dimness of memory also makes us wonder why the complainers presume to think that conditions back in Egypt were (and are) so much better than the current state of affairs.

Complaining comes easily for us, doesn’t it? Dissatisfaction as a component of our personalities can be helpful in leading us to improvement. Complaints against God and his commands will have the opposite effect, though. If we try to “improve” on what God has ordained, we will be disobedient. This story before us presents an interesting twist on this process. In this case, the complaints of the people of Israel do indeed lead to disobedience. But it is not the people who disobey this time. It is Moses.

Bad Places

California’s Death Valley is considered one of the most inhospitable places on earth, as attested by its name. Covering about 3,000 square miles, it has the reputation of being the hottest, driest place in North America. The temperatures often exceed 120 degrees in summer. With an average annual rainfall of about 2 inches, it is also quite dry.

But Death Valley also has surprising resources. Gold and silver mining took place in the 1850s. For a long time, borax mines were a constant of the local economy; the borax mule train of the 1880s was famous. After the winter rains come, flowers blossom and belie the valley’s designation as a desert. Tourism is a growing industry, and the National Park there remains popular.

If a place like Death Valley has these things to recommend it, could Kadesh have been all that bad? Yet the Israelites labeled it a “terrible place” in their rabid desire to return to Egypt; we see irony in that the name of this “terrible place” Kadesh means “holy place.” As we ponder their attitude, let us recall that it is not natural resources or climate that ultimately determines whether any given place is good or bad. The main issue is the presence or absence of God (compare Ezekiel 48:35).     —J. B. N.

II. Complaining & Disobedience (Numbers 20:6–11)

A. God’s Will Sought (v. 6)

6. Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.

Moses apparently gives no answer to the people. Instead, he and Aaron go directly to seek the presence of God in the Tent of Meeting. If Moses and Aaron ask God any specific questions, we are not told what they are. At any rate, Moses and Aaron bow appropriately, and God appears to them.

What Do You Think?

Under what circumstances do you find it necessary to get away from other people to go before the Lord as opposed to staying with those people for group prayer?

B. God’s Instructions Received (vv. 7, 8)

7, 8. The Lord said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

The staff mentioned here is a stout wooden rod, the kind used by shepherds. For Moses and Aaron, their staffs are signs of their authority and are used in their miraculous works.

After the revolt of Korah (Numbers 16), Israel was punished with a death plague. Aaron’s actions had been the key to stopping the plague (Numbers 16:46–48); Aaron’s authority then was vindicated when his staff miraculously sprouted blossoms and ripe almonds overnight. For this reason, Moses placed Aaron’s staff before the ark of the covenant as a warning to rebels (Numbers 17:8–10; see Hebrews 9:4). It is likely, then, that the staff used in this story is the one used by Aaron.

In today’s text, Israel is near the end of the wilderness sojourn. Moses is told to reenact a scene from the beginning of the Sinai period that involved striking a rock with a staff to have it produce water miraculously (see Exodus 17:1–7). Only this time Moses is to speak to the rock instead of striking it. This seemingly simple request of the Lord is played out in a way that leads to disaster.

What Do You Think?

What are some of the ways that the Lord responds to our complaints today? How have you grown spiritually as a result?

Instruments

I come from a musical family (although the music genes mostly have bypassed me). My mother and her sister both played the piano. Both of my grandmothers were pianists, with my dad’s mother serving as a church organist for over 30 years. My dad received professional training as a vocalist. My wife was a vocal music major in college; she has a marvelously sweet soprano voice. Both of my daughters are musically gifted, one of them now teaching music at a Christian college.

As a result, I love piano music, both classical and religious (honky-tonk is not my style!). But I have learned through the years that the piano is just an instrument. Beautiful music comes from a piano when skilled performers apply their gifts to its keys.

The same applies to other “instruments.” My dad was a carpenter, and in his hands various tools could create functional things like cabinets, toys, and houses. In my hands those same tools are worthless. Doctors use surgical instruments for healing purposes. Without their abilities and skills, those same instruments can inflict great damage on the human body.

Moses used a staff or rod as an instrument of power. Yet the power was not in the staff. (It is probably a good thing that this staff no longer exists, lest it be venerated.) The staff was merely an instrument to demonstrate God’s power. May the same be said of us in our efforts to serve God. May we glorify him and no other.     —J. B. N.

Visual for Lesson 11

Turn this imperative into a question as you ask your students to name ways they will honor God in the week ahead.

C. God’s Instructions Violated (vv. 9–11)

9. So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him.

Moses starts well, taking the staff as the Lord commands. Rather than proceed with his simple task, however, Moses takes the opportunity to give a little speech. This speech contains two troubling elements.

10. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

Moses first chastises the people of Israel as rebels, although God has not told him to do so. God’s response in Numbers 20:8 shows no impatience or exasperation with the people. In a later recounting of this incident, the psalmist will write that “rash words came from Moses’ lips” (Psalm 106:33).

Second, Moses’ question Must we bring you water? seems to take personal credit (along with Aaron) for the miracle about to happen. Does Moses fail to recall that he is no more than God’s instrument?

11. Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

Moses disobeys the Lord by striking the rock instead of speaking to it. The fact that he strikes it twice may remind us of the impatient pedestrian at a crosswalk who pushes the button for the “walk” light several times when it does not change quickly enough. Moses is angry and impatient with the people. He lets this attitude distract him from the nature of God’s miracle. We imagine that the staff must be sturdy, or else Moses’ angry blows would shatter it.

III. Disobedience & Punishment (Numbers 20:12, 13)

A. God Condemns the Actions (v. 12)

12. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

The wilderness experience of Israel includes examples of God’s forgiveness (compare Numbers 14:18). In this case, however, the disobedience of Moses and Aaron is to be punished. This is to be so even though Moses has been God’s key man to this point in creating the nation of Israel.

What Do You Think?

How have you discovered that disobedience to God always leads to loss in some way? How have you grown through such experiences?

God brings two charges. The first charge is that the brothers have shown a lack of faith. This results in disobedience. They do not trust God enough to carry out his instructions in humility, but give in to anger. Second, the pair does not honor God, meaning that they do not respect God’s holiness. What could be an occasion of reverence and celebration for the people of God turns into a joyless expression of Moses’ anger and frustration.

These actions of Moses and Aaron are later lumped into the general category of rebellion (see Numbers 20:24; 27:14). Ironically, this casts Moses into the villainous rebel role of which he accuses the people (20:10, above).

There is a connection here that may not usually occur to us. Rebellion is easily understood as an action that is contrary to honoring. But rebellion also stands in opposition to God’s holiness. We cannot sanctify God and oppose him at the same time. We are called to yield to God’s will in obedience. When we do this, we honor God. To fail to do so is to deny God’s holiness.

B. God’s Sanctity Is Upheld (v. 13)

13. These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he showed himself holy among them.

What Do You Think?

Which is the more accurate description of your home: place of contention or holy place? How can you make it more of the latter?

There is an ironic clash of words here. The word Meribah means “place of contention”; Israel is to remember this as a place of contention with God and recall the grievous results. The place is also Kadesh, the “holy place.” God’s purity and holiness cannot be thwarted by the human sin of contending with him. Despite the whining of the people and the disobedience of the leaders, God’s holiness prevails.

Conclusion

The complexities of our lives can lead to frustrations both big and small. We seem just to get on top of our finances when a big, unexpected expense comes our way. We are let down by people we depend on. A careless driver bumps our car. People reach breaking points as frustrations begin to pile up. By the time Israel returned to Kadesh, they had been through a lot. But at that place they were confronted with a situation that pushed their frustration tolerance past its limits.

Prayer

Holy God, may we honor you in all we say and in all we do. May we never despise your provisions for us. May we sanctify you in our congregation. When complaints against you rise to our lips, may we have the wisdom to swallow them and sing your praises instead. We pray these things through the name of our Savior Jesus. Amen.

The frustration of the people infected Moses. Forty years in the desert apparently took its toll on that elderly leader. He began well, standing up to Pharaoh’s every threat and roadblock to free the people of Israel from Egypt. He followed God’s directions, even though the commands must have seemed curious at times. No one expects to escape across a sea without boats or military protection. But Moses trusted God and performed the seemingly futile act of raising his rod over the sea, seeing it part to reveal a dry path of escape. In celebrating this victory, Moses sang that the Lord is “majestic in holiness” (Exodus 15:11).

The New Testament contains a reprise of the Song of Moses from Exodus 15 in Revelation 15:3, 4. In this brief passage, we gain the perspective that worship is a matter of fearing God, of glorifying God, and of respecting God’s holiness. To worship God requires that we show him honor in every possible way.

This is more than a Sunday morning task. As Moses learned the hard way, we can honor or dishonor God even in a seemingly straightforward job. Violating God’s holiness is much more than disrespecting items or spaces in our church buildings. We violate God’s holiness every time we rebel against him and act in defiance to his will. This is because disobedience betrays our lack of fear for God and causes our praise of his glory to ring hollow. We respect God’s holiness when we love him and fear him enough to obey him.

Thought to Remember

Respect God’s holiness by obeying him.