The people quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD! And the people quarreled with MosesThe Hebrew root for "quarreled" is "רִיב" (riv), which conveys a sense of contention or dispute. This word is often used in the Old Testament to describe legal disputes or arguments. In the context of Numbers 20:3, it reflects the Israelites' ongoing struggle with trust and obedience to God. Historically, this moment is set during the Israelites' wilderness journey, a time marked by repeated complaints and lack of faith. The people's quarrel with Moses is emblematic of their deeper spiritual struggle and resistance to divine leadership. and said, 'If only we had perished
The phrase "If only we had perished" reveals a deep sense of despair and regret among the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "perished" is "גָּוַע" (gava), which means to expire or die. This expression of longing for death rather than facing their current trials highlights the Israelites' lack of faith and gratitude. It underscores a recurring theme in the wilderness narrative: the people's failure to remember God's past deliverance and provision. when our brothers perished before the LORD!
The reference to "our brothers" likely alludes to previous judgments that had befallen the Israelites, such as the deaths of those who rebelled against God. The phrase "before the LORD" indicates that these events were acts of divine judgment. This historical context serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the holiness of God. The Israelites' lamentation here is not just about physical death but also reflects a spiritual crisis, as they fail to recognize the purpose and presence of God in their journey. Persons / Places / Events 1. The IsraelitesThe people of Israel, who were wandering in the desert after their exodus from Egypt. They often struggled with faith and obedience, leading to frequent complaints and rebellions against God and Moses. 2. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Moses often found himself mediating between God and the Israelites. 3. The Desert of ZinThe location where the Israelites camped and where this particular event of quarreling took place. It was a harsh environment that tested the faith and patience of the Israelites. 4. The QuarrelA significant event where the Israelites expressed their frustration and lack of faith by wishing they had died earlier, showing their despair and lack of trust in God's provision. 5. The LORDThe covenant God of Israel, who had delivered them from Egypt and was guiding them to the Promised Land. The Israelites' complaints were ultimately against Him, despite His continuous provision and guidance. Teaching Points The Danger of ComplainingComplaining reflects a lack of trust in God's provision and plan. It can lead to a hardened heart and distance from God. The Role of LeadershipMoses' experience highlights the challenges leaders face when guiding people through difficult times. It underscores the need for patience, prayer, and reliance on God. Faith in AdversityThe Israelites' situation teaches us the importance of maintaining faith and trust in God, even when circumstances seem dire. The Consequences of RebellionThe Israelites' repeated rebellion serves as a warning of the spiritual and practical consequences of turning away from God's guidance. God's FaithfulnessDespite the Israelites' complaints, God remained faithful, providing for their needs and guiding them. This reassures us of God's unchanging nature and His commitment to His promises. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the Israelites' complaint in Numbers 20:3 reflect their spiritual state, and what can we learn from their attitude? 2. In what ways do we see similar patterns of complaining or lack of faith in our own lives, and how can we address them biblically? 3. How does Moses' leadership in this situation inform our understanding of godly leadership, especially in times of crisis? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to cultivate trust in God during challenging circumstances, drawing from other biblical examples? 5. How does the faithfulness of God, despite the Israelites' rebellion, encourage us in our personal walk with Him today? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 17This passage recounts a similar event where the Israelites quarreled with Moses over a lack of water, showing a pattern of distrust and rebellion. Psalm 106This psalm reflects on the history of Israel's rebellion and God's faithfulness, providing a broader context for understanding the Israelites' behavior. 1 Corinthians 10Paul uses the Israelites' experiences as a warning to the Corinthian church, emphasizing the importance of learning from past mistakes. People Aaron, Egyptians, Eleazar, Israelites, Miriam, MosesPlaces Edom, Egypt, Kadesh-barnea, King's Highway, Meribah, Mount Hor, ZinTopics Angry, Brethren, Brothers, Chid, Chode, Contended, Dead, Death, Died, Expired, Fell, O, Oh, Overtaken, Perished, Saying, Spake, Speak, Spoke, Strive, Strove, Thus, WishDictionary of Bible Themes Numbers 20:1-4 7206 community Numbers 20:1-11 4278 spring of water Numbers 20:1-13 5924 quarrelsomeness Numbers 20:2-5 4458 grape
5928 resentment, against God Numbers 20:2-11 5580 thirst Numbers 20:2-12 5714 men Numbers 20:3-5 1418 miracles, responses Library August 17. "Speak Ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8).
"Speak ye unto the Rock" (Num. xx. 8). The Holy Ghost is very sensitive, as love always is. You can conquer a wild beast by blows and chains, but you cannot conquer a woman's heart that way, or win the love of a sensitive nature; that must be wooed by the delicate touches of trust and affection. So the Holy Ghost has to be taken by a faith as delicate and sensitive as the gentle heart with whom it is coming in touch. One thought of unbelief, one expression of impatient distrust or fear, will instantly …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Waters of Meribah
'Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Peræa to Bethany. Raising of Lazarus.
^D John XI. 1-46. ^d 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [For Bethany and the sisters, see p. 478.] 2 And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair [John xii. 3 ], whose brother Lazarus was sick. [The anointing had not yet taken place, as John himself shows. For a similar anticipation see Matt. x. 4. There are five prominent Marys in the New Testament: those of Nazareth, Magdala and Bethany; the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Numbers 20:3 NIVNumbers 20:3 NLTNumbers 20:3 ESVNumbers 20:3 NASBNumbers 20:3 KJV
Numbers 20:3 Commentaries
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