What’s the explanation for Exodus 17:6 contradicting Numbers 20:8?
Let’s read those two verses. In Exodus 17:6 we have the words of the Lord to Moses. It says, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt SMITE THE ROCK, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Now let’s read Numbers 20:8 where again we have the words of the Lord to Moses, “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and SPEAK YE UNTO THE ROCK before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.”
Let us look at these portions carefully. In doing that, we will see that these verses are not contradicting each other at all. Rather, they are speaking of two different events. These happened during the time the Israelites were wandering in the desert after being rescued from slavery in Egypt. Both of these portions speak of times when the Israelites murmured because of the lack of water.
TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS – Exodus 17:1 says, “And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from THE WILDERNESS OF SIN, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.” In verse 6, the Lord says, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in HOREB…” Numbers 20:1 says, “Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into THE DESERT OF ZIN in the first month: and the people abode in KADESH; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.” These two events happened in Horeb and in Kadesh. Deuteronomy 1:2 tells us, “(There are ELEVEN DAYS’ JOURNEY from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)” They could not possibly be thought of as the same place.
TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS – In Exodus 17:6, Moses was instructed to “SMITE THE ROCK, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.” In Numbers 20:8, the Lord instructed Moses, “SPEAK YE UNTO THE ROCK before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water.”
What are we to learn from these two different events? We learn in 1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all (Israelites) drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” Christ is the divine provider of whom we are told in Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” We see that this rock in the wilderness is a type of Christ. Now let’s compare that with Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was ONCE OFFERED to bear the sins of many…” We also read in Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.” Christ offered Himself ONCE for our sins. Just once was Christ stricken for the putting away of our sins. ONLY ONCE did the rod of God’s cruel punishment bear down upon His Son. Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by ONE OFFERING he hath PERFECTED FOR EVER them that are sanctified.” Indeed, the work done ONCE completely satisfied God’s requirements for the putting away of sins.
It was wrong of Moses to strike that rock a second time. It had already been struck to provide salvation, now it needs to be spoken to so that we might have provision. Moses’ act was a direct rebellion against the Lord who instructed him to, “speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock.” (Numbers 20:8) The scripture is clear as to Moses’s sin in striking the rock and the consequences to him and Aaron. “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. (Numbers 20:12) (282.2)