The Story

Primary and Junior

The first verse of our chapter says that the people came into the desert of Zin, and abode in Kadesh. Probably this looks back to the time when they first came there on their journey from Sinai, and they stayed in the neighborhood of Kadesh till the forty years were past.

There Miriam died, the sister of Moses and Aaron, who led the people in their songs of rejoicing after the crossing of the Red Sea. (Exod. 15:20) Perhaps she was the sister who stood by to watch when Moses was found by Pharaoh's daughter. (Exod. 2:4; Num. 26:59)

There also the Lord gave the people water from the rock a second time. You remember the first time, before they reached Sinai. (Exod. 17:1-7) Now again in Kadesh the Lord commanded Moses to take the rod, the same which budded and bore almonds (Num. 17:10; 20:9), and to speak to the rock, and there would be water for the people and their beasts. But Moses spoke proudly, as if the miracle were done by his own power instead of by the Lord. He smote the rock twice, as if it depended on his strength, and said, "Must we fetch you water out of the rock?" Pride and self-confidence have no place in heaven. The Lord told Moses and Aaron that they could not bring the people into the promised land.

Reaching southward from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea is a great valley with uplands and in places rugged mountains on the sides. On the east side of this valley, about midway of its length, rise the highest mountains; they are called Mount Seir. Here are cliffs with caves which in Abraham's day were the homes of the cave dwellers, the Horites (Gen. 14:6; Deut. 2:12); and here long after the time of our story, in the Roman days, the buildings of Petra, the "rock city," were cut out, which you may see in pictures. Among these mountains we believe was the high top which is called Mount Hor in our lesson. We learned something about these mountains of Seir a good while ago; they were the home of Jacob's brother Esau, who was called also Edom, and of his children the Edomites. (Gen. 36:6-8)

The way of the children of Israel from Kadesh to the eastward, toward the Jordan which was to be their gate of entrance to the promised land, would naturally lead through this land of Edom; but the Edomites would not let them pass through. The Lord commanded the people not to fight with Edom. (Deut. 2:5; 23:7) They were their brethren; Jacob and Esau were brothers, the two sons of Isaac. They asked leave to pass through their country peaceably and pay for what they ate and drank, but the Edomites said, No. Perhaps they would not trust them. They guarded the passes of their mountains against them. What then must the people do? They must journey down the valley to the Red Sea "to compass the land of Edom."

But meanwhile, as they lingered by these mountains, Aaron died on Mount Hor. The priestly robes of Aaron were put on Eleazar his son. It meant that he should be high priest in his father's stead. And Aaron died in the mountain, and was gathered unto his people. He was a hundred and twenty-three years old. (Num. 33:39) The people mourned for Aaron thirty days before they journeyed on.

1. Near what place was the greater part of the forty years in the wilderness spent?

2. How was the power of "the rod of God" shown in Egypt? How was it shown in the desert?

3. Who was Miriam?

4. Compare the two miracles of water from the rock. How are they alike? How do they differ?

5. Why were Moses and Aaron not to lead the people into the Holy Land? Where did Aaron die? Who became high priest in his place?

Spiritual Study

The rod of the Lord in the hand of Moses and Aaron was an emblem of the Lord's power with them. With this rod they did signs in Egypt and opened a way through the Red Sea, and the same rod was twice the means of giving them water. Its power to do signs in Egypt represents the Lord's power to deliver us from evil; its power on the journey represents the Lord's power to teach and guide us in the way to heaven. The rock from which the water comes is especially the letter of the Lord's Word, which when He opens it to us gives all the guidance and refreshment which people and angels need. Moses’ words and action in bringing water from the rock express confidence in his own strength. There must be no pride and self-confidence mixed with our trust in the Lord, and reception of instruction from Him. (A. 8562, 8581; T. 208)

The coming of Israel to the land of Edom takes us back to the story of Jacob and Esau; they represented the two elements of faith and charity, or truth and goodness, in practical life. Jacob represented the truth which for a time leads, and Esau the goodness which in the end is united with it, and becomes first in importance. (A. 3296, 3330, 3603, 4353) The people of Edom in a good sense have the same meaning as their father Esau and represent goodness, but of an external, natural kind, as is suggested by their home being outside of the Holy Land. Such goodness is related to a heavenly life, and therefore the children of Israel were commanded not to fight with the people of Edom nor harm them. But when Edom refuses to let Israel enter its country it represents external interests and pleasures which seem to be good but are really not so, and are a hindrance to heavenly life, because they refuse to be instructed. (E. 514; A. 3322)

Moses and Aaron both would die before the people entered the Holy Land. Both Moses and Aaron represent the Lord's presence with His people; Moses the law-giver, the Lord's truth, and Aaron as the high priest, His love. (Aaron as the spokesman of Moses had another meaning. A. 7009) Does it mean that the Lord's truth and love will fail and not be able to lead us all the way to heaven? It does not mean that, but it means that our present apprehension of the Lord's truth and love is inadequate and mingled with much pride and self-confidence; it must give place to a truer apprehension of the Lord: Moses and Aaron must die and other leaders must take their place. (A. 9806)

Perhaps we can see some connection between the difficulty of passing the land of Edom and the death of Aaron. We pass the land of Edom on the way to Canaan when we take the steps in natural goodness that Edom represents. The effort to go straight through the country paying for food and drink represents our first thought that these steps are easy and that we can take them in our own strength. But we cannot; we must be more humble, we must gain a new sense of the goodness of the Lord and of our dependence upon Him in doing good. So Aaron dies before we compass the land of Edom. (A. 5488)

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