< Numbers 20 >

When the children of Israel first came into the wilderness God had provided water out of a rock when Moses struck it (Exodus 17:6)Exodus 17:6XWaiting for response and we are told that this Rock represented Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).1 Corinthians 10:4XWaiting for response Jesus was smitten and out of him, at it were, came living water (John 7:38)John 7:38XWaiting for response and the smiting of the rock represented his being smitten as he was crucified. He was not to be smitten a second time however and therefore, on this second occasion, Moses was commanded not to smite the rock, but to speak to it. But Moses did smite the rock, breaking the type which represented Jesus, and thus he misrepresented the purpose of God in Christ. He also “spake unadvisably with his lips” (Psalm 106:33)Psalm 106:33XWaiting for response and as a result he and Aaron where prevented from entering the promised land.

At long last Israel were commanded to make their way to the promised land, but they did not go northwards, the shortest route, but they went south eastward to the Red Sea and then turned northwards to enter the land from the east by crossing the river Jordan. This meant they went round Edom, the land possessed by their cousins the descendants of Esau (also called Edom), Jacob’s brother.