The National tribune., 1888-09-06
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

SUNDAY M EDlTATION.
Practical Dufies Taught by a study Of the Inter-
national sunday school Lesson Appointed for
Sept. l6. M, 20 :: i-l3.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
| indicated above.l
SUBJECT: WATER FROM THE Rock AT
kADEsH- " ERIBAH.
1. Time
It is evident tine children of Israel have
about reached the close Of their pilgrimage.
Not so long after our lesson closes Aaron died.
| (Nu., 81: So That event happened in the 10th
year of the exodus, OF about 33 years after the
! first rcconnoiter of Canaan by spies. (Nu., 20:
/ p, %, IS; also DGu. 1:3) The first spies went
/ out when the Israclites had iourueycd about Is
months. (Beu., - % Hence, IS we arc
near the close of the pilgrimage, about s. years
/ have interviewed between the report Of the l.
/ spies and the shifting Of the rock, about which
/ We study this week The lesson must be put
/ in the first month (Abib) of the 40th year Of
/ the exodus. lNU., 20:1) When the first spies
returned it was Tisri, 25l4 y NJ Tisri was
/ the seventh month Of the year. From Iisri
/ Seventh month in the year 2514 A NJ. to
| Abb of the year 2553 A. NJ. would be IS years
and six months. Hence the date of our lesson
/ is Abb 2553 A. NJ, or 1851 b. G. Very little
! is known of the events OF the intervening IS
/ years The account we have was probably
| written on the spot by Moses, something on
/ the plan OF diary.
2 Place.
The miracle which we study this week was
! performed at Kadcsh- Merjbah. kadesh was
| doubtless added to that of Mcribah to distin-
! guish it from the 1Ierjbah Of Tx, 17:17 The
meaning lHebrcw} Of the word Mcribah is
strife, and was probably given to the place in
memory of the event which We study. 1t was
/ in the desert Of lin. NJ, q /: Ii, says Meri-
/ bah in Kadesh." Deu 80 = 81 has Mcribah-
I Tpb = l,c
modern Ain El-Weibeh. Stanley thought it
corresponds with Petra
B. The Circumstances.
The children OF Israel were in great straits
| for water. But they had experienced emer-
| genciCs, as, for example at the time of the last
/ plague in Egypt; Mt the Red Sea; when ont
| of bread and furnished with mama; when in
! vicinity of Mt. Sinai when furnishing for water.
| When any want presented itself they became
! frantic, unbeGeying rebellious complaining.
/ They ragged against Moses and Aaron. and even
/ presumed to ceusure God, and all this after 10
/ years of training.
4. Facts as to Noses
! Notice Moses does not originate He looks
! for orders from God as TO what to do in all
/ critical points. Miracles were not original
with the Hebrew leader. They could be per-
/ formed only when God dictated. Moses took
! his rod, probably the one cut from the acacia
! 10 plaques in Egypt and at the crossing Of the
| Red sea. We must remember Moses was about
7 40 years old. DE had Tor years been fearlully
/ tried, provoked, by the children OF Israel.
| He was human. This was apparent at the time
OF the making Of the cali at Sit. Sinai. In cou-
! nectIOn with the shifting of the rock at Kadesh-
BIeribah he was exceedingly unfortunate so
much SO that after all his struggles, hopes and
fears lie was punished for this particular sin
| concerning which re study by dying soon aad
| being forbidden to see the Promised Land.
/ Notice the items Of his sin 1. He was dis
obedient. lie varied Gods command God
/ did not tell him to smite the rock. HG was
/ simply to command the cliff to become a living
! fountain OF water. 2 lie became mad. He even
! called the people rude names He set fearfulIy
bad example before people all too inclined 10
! become impatient. 3. He exhibited uubelicf
| This was shown by striking hard blows instead
| of utterng quiet words Of request or command.
In fact, he spoke to the people instead OF to the
rock-addressgd the Israelite5 and hit tho stone.
1 4. fhC rock was better than Noses for it Obcyd.
At the stroke cut camo the water. The very
stone re5uked the people for their frequent
disobedence
We notice the following features Of the sin of
/ Moses. We want 10 find ont what his wrong
act was. lie is charged (V. ~ with unbeIiof
| The want of belief is thus developed. l. He
| smOte when be should have spoken Did he
/ believe God can command water from a rock ?
! He evidently leaned too much on his staff.
/ There WIS no virtue in the rod, no power III
the stroke. 2. He smote twice showing eX-
/ cItement, Impotence, passion, or else want of
faith in the avaiiabieuess of a single stroke 8.
! Housed an unfortunate epithet when addressing
the people. He called them rebels. " I0)
Did he believe them SO bad that God would not
I perform another miracle in their behalf. and
that ii they had water Moses aud Aaron would
be obliged to 60 ana fetch them drink? s.
/ he took creditto himself for miraculous power,
/ causing the people to infer that he possessed
| the power TO secure water from q rock. (V.10)
/ Very serious consequences betslI Moses for his
hastincss and anger and presumption. lie was
not allowed to lead the children OF Israel into
Canaan, but instead died in the month Adar,
and was buried III an unknown grave on NJ.
Pisgah.
s. Facts as 10 the People
l. 1T the direction of God through Moses
they gathered before the Cliff They may have
known what was about TO be done. When the
order for congragatiug was issued it was prob
/ ably reported about that God had indicated to
their leader some method for meeting the want
OF water for men and beasts. They gathered
therefore for three reasons q. To obey the
| command to assemble b. To witness the
miracle c. To secure water. 2. They seemed
no better than their ancestors at Kadcsh- Bar
,
semble their parents. 3. They strOve with the
Lord ". 49, From verses , too we see they
stroYe with Moses and Aaron. But said two
persons represented stood in the place Of, God
g. Facts as to the Miracle
The incident answers ali the conditions of a
miracle. 1. There was no water. The people
were actually suffering from christ. After the
acts oil Moses water was abundant. These are
facts. p There was no human way of securing
water. Least of all, could it be expected water
would flow from a cliff Specially is it unnat-
ural for mere stroke OF a rod on a rock tC
cause flowing streams of water. Had there
been no stroke-had Moses but told the rock
as he was hidden to do, to pour out a contiuq.
GUS stream OF refreshing water it would haTt
obeyed the mere voice. By using the rod
6IOses made the miracle less effective and Sc
robbed God Of glory due, 3. There were numer
Gus witnesses.
John Pierpoint, in his poem titled Crystal
Springs" says
And when the man of God
From Egypt led his flock,
They thirsted and the rod
Smote the Arabian rock;
| And forth rill
| OF water gushed,
| And on they rushed,
And drank their fill
God was with his people They had unceas
ing evidences of his power and love; but, alas