It is important to believe sinning is inexcusable and completely avoidable. We must not assume sinning is normal and unavoidable. Unbroken obedience is possible in Christ. "When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. {DA 668.3}

"Let a living faith run like threads of gold through the performance of even the smallest duties. Then all the daily work will promote Christian growth. There will be a continual looking unto Jesus. Love for Him will give vital force to everything that is undertaken. Thus through the right use of our talents, we may link ourselves by a golden chain to the higher world. This is true sanctification; for sanctification consists in the cheerful performance of daily duties in perfect obedience to the will of God. {COL 360.2}

"Genuine faith will be manifested in good works; for good works are the fruits of faith. As God works in the heart, and man surrenders his will to God, and cooperates with God, he works out in the life what God works in by the Holy Spirit, and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and the practice of the life. Every sin must be renounced as the hateful thing that crucified the Lord of life and glory, and the believer must have a progressive experience by continually doing the works of Christ. It is by continual surrender of the will, by continual obedience, that the blessing of justification is retained. {NL 28.1}

This study shows that after 40 more years of wandering in the wilderness when "the water ceased to flow at Israel’s encampment at Kadesh-Barnea, a grand opportunity presented itself for Israel to look to God for help. He always had provided for them in the past, so why should it be any different now? However, they quickly forgot the past and turned on Moses and Aaron with their old complaints."

Read Numbers 20:1-13 and then answer the following question from Sunday's section:

What did the Lord command Moses to do, and what did he do instead?

The living stream which flowed from the smitten rock in Horeb, had followed them in all their journeyings; but just before the Hebrew host reached Kadesh, the Lord caused the waters to cease. It was his purpose again to test his people. He would prove whether they would humbly trust his providence, or imitate their fathers' unbelief and murmuring. {ST, September 30, 1880 par. 1}

There are some interesting points to note here:

1) God caused the waters to cease; it was a test.

2) "The water stream had followed them in all their journeyings." I had wondered how this was possible. Does this mean that at every place they encamped water spontaneously began to flow from a rock? It seems so:

From the smitten rock in Horeb first flowed the living stream that refreshed Israel in the desert. During all their wanderings, wherever the need existed, they were supplied with water by a miracle of God's mercy. The water did not, however, continue to flow from Horeb. Wherever in their journeyings they wanted water, there from the clefts of the rock it gushed out beside their encampment. {PP 411.1}

3) No sooner was the cry for water heard in the encampment than they forgot the hand that had for so many years supplied their wants, and instead of turning to God for help, they murmured against Him, in their desperation exclaiming, "Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!" (Numbers 20:1-13); that is, they wished they had been of the number who were destroyed in the rebellion of Korah. {PP 414.1} Isn't this incredible?

He should have spoken to the rock, but struck it instead, marring the symbolism of Christ's death, which should happen once for all.

Yes, this is incredible!!!

Why then do we -- in the general sense -- continue to complain today when we are lacking something, or something isn't going our way?

Yes, what's the reason for this? Rebellion. Ungratefulness. Unbelief.

The direction had been given to Moses, "Turn you northward. And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you. . . . Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink." Deuteronomy 2:3-6. These directions should have been sufficient to explain why their supply of water had been cut off; they were about to pass through a well-watered, fertile country, in a direct course to the land of Canaan. God had promised them an unmolested passage through Edom, and an opportunity to purchase food, and also water sufficient to supply the host. The cessation of the miraculous flow of water should therefore have been a cause of rejoicing, a token that the wilderness wandering was ended. Had they not been blinded by their unbelief, they would have understood this. But that which should have been an evidence of the fulfillment of God's promise was made the occasion of doubt and murmuring. The people seemed to have given up all hope that God would bring them into possession of Canaan, and they clamored for the blessings of the wilderness. (PP 414)

But isn't God's patience even more incredible than their rebellious attitude?

"For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant. But He, full of pity, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them; yea, many times He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath. For He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away and does not come again" (Ps 78:37-39).

God's impartiality and His abhorrence of sin also stand out in this episode.

The eyes of all Israel were upon Moses, and his sin cast a reflection upon God, who had chosen him as the leader of His people. The transgression was known to the whole congregation; and had it been passed by lightly, the impression would have been given that unbelief and impatience under great provocation might be excused in those in responsible positions. But when it was declared that because of that one sin Moses and Aaron were not to enter Canaan, the people knew that God is no respecter of persons, and that He will surely punish the transgressor.

The history of Israel was to be placed on record for the instruction and warning of coming generations. Men of all future time must see the God of heaven as an impartial ruler, in no case justifying sin. But few realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Men flatter themselves that God is too good to punish the transgressor. But in the light of Bible history it is evident that God's goodness and His love engage Him to deal with sin as an evil fatal to the peace and happiness of the universe.

Not even the integrity and faithfulness of Moses could avert the retribution of his fault. (PP 420)

"Aaron committed a grievous sin when he yielded to the clamors of the people and made the golden calf at Sinai; and again, when he united with Miriam in envy and murmuring against Moses. And he, with Moses, offended the Lord at Kadesh by disobeying the command to speak to the rock that it might give forth its water" (PP 426), BUT "for his sin at Kadesh, Aaron was denied the privilege of officiating as God's high priest in Canaan--of offering the first sacrifice in the goodly land, and thus consecrating the inheritance of Israel" (Ibid.)

Numbers 20 begins with the death of Miriam. I wonder why she didn't enter Canaan? Aaron "had sinned when he united with Miriam in envy and murmuring against Moses," but what prevented him from entering the land was his sin at Kadesh. Would Miriam have been prevented from entering Canaan because she was the instigator in the episode at Hazeroth?

Can we expect to do better? Is it reasonable to believe we can reach the point where we no longer complain? And, even if it were possible, it would be stained with sin, right?

Was she a leader on par with Moses and Aaron? Would it have been necessary to punish her with the same severity God punished them?