MOSES' TANTRUM @THE ROCK (NUM.20)
In the first month of the year, the whole community of Yisharal arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. IT’S BEEN AROUND 40 YEARS NOW SINCE YISHARAL LEFT EGYPT. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.
MIRIAM’S DEATH IS GIVEN JUST THIS VERY SHORT SENTENCE, AND (LIKE MOST PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THE SCRIPTURES) THERE’S NO BIG DEAL MADE ABOUT HER DEATH, AND THIS IS ANOTHER WAY THE SCRIPTURE DISTINGUISHES ITSELF FROM ALL OTHER BODIES OF LITERATURE, FOR INSTEAD OF ALL THE DIFFERENT FLAVORS AND EMPHASIS SURROUNDING THE DEATHS OF PROMINENT FIGURES IN EGYPTIAN, HITTITE OR ARABIAN RECORDS, YAHUSHA’S WORD IS ALL ABOUT LIFE, NOT DEATH! AND NOT JUST OUR EARTHLY LIFE EITHER (WHICH IS SO SHORT AND TEMPORARY), BUT MAINLY OUR ETERNAL LIFE, BECAUSE (AS WE’VE ALREADY STATED), TO YAHUSHA, THERE IS NOTHING MORE ABNORMAL, HIDEOUS OR ABOMINABLE THAN DEATH (AND THE DISEASES THAT LEAD TO DEATH).
And there was no water for the people to drink at that place, so Yisharal rose up against Moses and Aaron, blaming them, saying, “If only we had died at the Tabernacle with our brothers all those years ago! Why did you bring Yahuah’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Infact why did you make us leave Egypt at all, bringing us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and once again no damn water to drink!”
Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the magnificent presence of YAHUSHA appeared to them, saying, “You and Aaron must take the stick and grab the entire community together, and as the people watch, speak to that rock over there, and water will pour out of it and you’ll be able to provide more than enough water to quench Yisharal’s thirst, as well as all their livestock”.
So Moses did as he was told, taking the stick from the place where it was kept in the Tabernacle. Then he and Aaron called out for the people to come and gather at the rock, then he `ripped them all a new one’ “Listen here you filthy pack of rebel scum!” he shouted at them, “Must we spoon-feed you little bubbies water from this rock too?”
Then Moses raised up his hand and bashed the rock twice with his stick, and water gushed out. So the entire community of Yisharal and all their livestock drank til their hearts were content.
But YAHUSHA said to Moses and Aaron, “After everything you’ve seen Me do, you couldn’t even trust or believe Me enough to SET ME APART to the people of Yisharal,(IN OTHER WORDS `YOU CENTERED EVERYTHING ON YOURSELF INSTEAD OF GIVING ME THE CREDIT’) SO you won't be leading them into the land I’m giving them!”
And this place was known as the waters of Meribah (CONTENTION & QUARRELING) because the people of Yisharal argued with YAHUSHA there, so He demonstrated His set-apartness among them.
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