Moses Strikes The Rock Twice

9 So Moses took the staff from before the Lord, just as he commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Listen, you rebels,[o] must we bring[p] water out of this rock for you?" 11 Then Moses raised his hand, and struck the rock twice with his staff. Some interpreters point out that the first striking of the rock (Exodus 17:6) symbolically parallels Christ's once-for-all sacrifice.

The second time, God commanded Moses to speak, not strike, which aligns with the idea that Christ is not to be "crucified" repeatedly. By striking the rock again, Moses inadvertently disrupted this portrayal. Learn the biblical reasons why Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock twice and why God did not forgive him.

Explore the themes of anger, complaints, and disobedience in the story of Moses and the Israelites. Moses hitting the rock twice in anger exhibited a disbelief in God, who would have made the water gush forth when Moses simply spoke to the rock. The miracle of the living water in the desert occurred twice in Meribah.

But because Moses disobeyed God's direct orders, he prevented himself from seeing the Promised Land. You teach that Moses was punished by God for striking the rock twice in Numbers 20, but the text says He was punished for striking the rock instead of speaking to it. Which is true?

Moses began well by taking the rod, but then he disobeyed by striking the rock, not just once, but twice. You may wonder, "Why did God change the command from striking the rock to speaking to it, and why was He so severe with Moses for his disobedience?". Moses Strikes the Rock - Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.

And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you. He was to speak to the rock before their eyes, and it would yield its water. However, Moses, in frustration, struck the rock twice with his staff, and water gushed out abundantly.

Despite the provision of water, the LORD was displeased with Moses and Aaron for not trusting Him enough to honor Him as holy in the sight of the Israelites. Jesus was "struck", crucified just once. Thus the rock also was to be struck just once, which explains God's instruction to Moses to strike the rock once on the first occasion.

Striking the rock more than once would picture Christ being crucified more than once. Hebrews addresses this.