民數記20:1-13

20:1 正月間，以色列全會眾到了尋的曠野，就住在加低斯。米利暗死在那裡，就葬在那裡。
20:2 會眾沒有水喝，就聚集攻擊摩西、亞倫。
20:3 百姓向摩西爭鬧說：「我們的弟兄曾死在耶和華面前，我們恨不得與他們同死。
20:4 你們為何把耶和華的會眾領到這曠野、使我們和牲畜都死在這裡呢？
20:5 你們為何逼著我們出埃及、領我們到這壞地方呢？這地方不好撒種，也沒有無花果樹、葡萄樹、石榴樹，又沒有水喝。」
20:6 摩西、亞倫離開會眾，到會幕門口，俯伏在地；耶和華的榮光向他們顯現。
20:7 耶和華曉諭摩西說：
20:8 「你拿著杖去，和你的哥哥亞倫招聚會眾，在他們眼前吩咐磐石發出水來，水就從磐石流出，給會眾和他們的牲畜喝。」
20:9 於是摩西照耶和華所吩咐的，從耶和華面前取了杖去。
20:10 摩西、亞倫就招聚會眾到磐石前。摩西說：「你們這些背叛的人聽我說：我為你們使水從這磐石中流出來嗎？」
20:11 摩西舉手，用杖擊打磐石兩下，就有許多水流出來，會眾和他們的牲畜都喝了。
20:12 耶和華對摩西、亞倫說：「因為你們不信我，不在以色列人眼前尊我為聖，所以你們必不得領這會眾進我所賜給他們的地去。」
20:13 這水名叫米利巴水（米利巴就是爭鬧的意思），是因以色列人向耶和華爭鬧，耶和華就在他們面前顯為聖。

 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

² Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. ³ They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! ⁴ Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? ⁵ Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

⁶ Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. ⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

⁹ So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. ¹⁰ He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

¹³ These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.

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    聖經是從來不討好人，也不對人做歌功頌德的事情，實實在在的讓我們看見所謂的「屬靈偉人」，也有軟弱與失敗的地方。使我們知道，在怎麼優秀的人，也有不蒙上地喜悅的事情發生。因為，若不是上帝的作為，人都是軟弱且無法完成上帝的要求的！

    摩西在這裡被民眾的怨言所惹怒，以至於沒有遵照上帝的吩咐來行。上帝向摩西說：「你拿著杖去，和你的哥哥亞倫招聚會眾，在他們眼前吩咐磐石發出水來，水就從磐石流出，給會眾和他們的牲畜喝」。可是摩西卻是「用杖擊打磐石兩下，就有許多水流出來，會眾和他們的牲畜都喝了。」

    於是上帝對摩西和亞倫說：「因為你們不信我，不在以色列人眼前尊我為聖，所以你們必不得領這會眾進我所賜給他們的地去。」

    相信他們兩個人聽了這段話，心中必定十分懊惱！但是，上帝不讓他們進迦南，他們也得順服，因為事情已經發生了！

    我們對於上帝的安排或攝理，我們只能接受，不可以強求，因為上帝自有上帝的美意，我們也無力更無法改變，只能承認上帝自有上帝的主權，因為我們只不過是人、是塵土罷了，沒有權力反對上帝！