Numbers 20:10

"And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice: and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle. And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Jehovah, and he was sanctified in them."

Moses did not follow Divine instructions here in any sense whatever. True, he and Aaron assembled the people, and Moses took "his rod." (This indicates that our preferred interpretation above is correct.) After all, it was "not Aaron's rod" which budded, that was used, but the rod of Moses. It is astounding that, beginning with the old International Critical Commentary in 1903, the allegation has been advanced and supported by many current scholars that, "Concerning the unbelief and rebellion of Moses and Aaron, neither is in this passage."[8] This should not surprise us, as it is an example of the usual blindness in the critical schools that really cannot see anything in the Bible except their discrepancies and various sources! Did Moses actually disobey God in this event?

God commanded Moses to SPEAK to the rock. Instead he addressed a rebuke to the people! See any difference?

God commanded Moses to SPEAK to the rock. Instead he omitted this altogether and struck the rock twice. Any difference here?

God had most carefully instructed Moses in all the prior forty years that God alone actually did any of the wonders mentioned, but in this passage Moses ascribed the SOURCE of the miracle as being from him and Aaron, "Shall we bring you forth water out of this rock?" Where does God's honor appear in a public announcement like this?

There are many today, just like Moses in this incident, who think that God's Word is not to be strictly followed at all, but that they may improvise in any manner that appears to be appropriate in their own eyes. Moses' actions were sinful, and so are the actions of people today who suppose that when God commanded "singing" in his worship that they may bring in a whole orchestra or the Swiss Bell Ringers in addition, or that when God commanded all people everywhere to be "immersed" that a few drops of water sprinkled or poured will do just as good!

And, of course, scholars who have such views find all kinds of excuses for Moses. Whitelaw said:

"After all, God had told Moses to take the rod, and he might naturally think that he was to use it as before ... Also, had not God told Moses that he should bring water forth to the people? ... He struck the rock twice instead of once, but we could hardly have attached any serious character to the act if it had stood alone."[9]

Of course, we can supply many other excuses. After all, God had not commanded him not to strike the rock. God really doesn't care about any legalistic compliance with his word. God could bring water out of the rock even if Moses had struck it twenty times. Sure, Moses left God's name out of sight when ascribing the SOURCE of the wonder, but he said, "WE"; and maybe he included God in that! Just like the unbelievers who close their prayers, not "in the name of Jesus Christ" as commanded, but with a blunt "Amen."

"Sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel ..." (Numbers 20:12). Failure to do this was one of Moses' sins; and yet, in Numbers 20:13, it is recorded that "Jehovah was sanctified" in the event here reported. Although Moses and Aaron had indeed not sanctified the Lord in the implied taking of the wonder as their own instead of God's, nevertheless, by the condemnation of the leaders who had thus disregarded their duty, the Lord indeed was "sanctified."

Upon the former occasion when God brought water from the rock, the place was called Meribah, but here the waters are so called.