Waters of Meribah

Num. 20:24, 25 

And YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor… saying: 

“Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter the Land…because you have rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.” 

The children of Israel left Sanai on the 20th day of the second month in the second year after they left Egypt. Num. 10:11-12. Eleven days later, they came to Kedesh-Barnea. Thirty-eight years and a few months after this, after all the men of the first generation (save Moses, Caleb, and Joshua) had died, they took their journey from Iye-abarim to the brook of Zered. Num. 21:12; Deu. 2:14; 1:19; 1:2. 

Numbers chapter 33 records the names of the locations where the Israelites camped from Egypt to Canaan. From Sinai to Zered, there were no less than 26 stops. A lot happened during this thirty-eight-year stretch.  

At Taberah, the people provoked YHWH to anger with their grumbling. Num. 11:1-4; Deu. 9:22. 

At Kibroth Hatta’wah, the people again tested Him when they complained about the food. Num. 11:5-34. 

Miriam and Aaron then spread an evil report about Moses concerning his Ethiopian wife. Num. 12. 

At Kadesh, in the Paran desert, they rejected YHWH’s command to “Rise up, inherit [the Land]”. Instead, they insisted that Moses send spies to see whether they would obey or not. Num. 13; Deu. 1:19-32; 9:23. They even conspired to elect a new leader to take them back to Egypt. Num. 14:4. 

For this, YHWH forgave the nation, but did not allow the rebellious men to experience the Land He had promised to them and their ancestors. Num. 14:20-35.  

Ten of the twelve spies spread an evil report about the Land and were struck dead at YHWH’s hand as a result. A rebel group then tried to inherit the Land without YHWH and was destroyed by its inhabitants. Num. 14:36-45. 

At some point during these journeys, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram took 250 known leaders and tried to take the priesthood from Moses and Aaron. It did not end well for them, as they ended up all dying a supernatural death. Num. 16. 

The people complained against Moses and Aaron and again provoked YHWH’s anger. Moses and Aaron intervened and saved the nation from annihilation at the hands of YHWH. Num. 17:6-14. 

Consequently, YHWH firmly established that Aaron and his lineage would be the only ones chosen for the priesthood. Of twelve rods, Aaron’s rod not only sprouted, it supernaturally produced ripe almonds. Num. 17:16-26. 

During this time, the statute of instruction concerning the red heifer was given. Num. 19. Anticipating Aaron’s fate concerning the waters of Meribah (Num. 20:24-29), his son Eleazar was to officiate this ritual. Num. 19:3-4.  

The red heifer was to be burnt whole outside the camp and its ashes were mixed with water and three other ingredients. The water was to be used for purifying the person who comes into proximity to a corpse, a human bone, or a graveyard. This purification was to be used in connection with the Tabernacle (Num. 19:13, 20), which had already been operational since Sinai (Exo. 40:17; Num. 7:1; Lev. 8:10-11). 

At the wilderness of Zin, at Kadesh, Miriam died and was buried. During this time, the people again murmured against Moses and Aaron concerning water. Num. 20:1-5. Instead of fully trusting YHWH to provide water for them by simply speaking to the rock, Moses struck the rock twice with his rod. For this, YHWH told Moses and Aaron that they would not enter the promised Land.