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Chapter 20 begins the account of the 40th. year of the Israelites in the wilderness. They had returned to Kadesh-Barnea, to the boarders of Canaan. Recorded in this chapter is the death of Miriam, Moses' sister. She was a Prophetess and had done much good for Israel. Her service was phrasing God. She was not perfect, she occasionally complained, once she coveted that which was her brother's and displayed lack of faith 39 years before by being one of those who did not believe that they could possess the Promise Land.
Also recorded in this chapter was an event that demonstrates the "sin" of attempting to add something to God's perfect plans. When the people arrived at the Oasis of Kadesh-Barnea, there was no water. The people complained against Moses and Aaron. Moses took their complaints to the Lord. The Lord instructed Moses to assemble the people near a large rock. Then he was to take Aaron's rod and with a loud voice, command water to come out of the rock. This Moses did and would have been well advised to have stopped there, but he didn't. He felt the need to do something else so he struck the rock and the water came forth abundantly.
God became angry. Moses did not follow His instructions. He struck the rock twice, not once as he had been told. Why? Perhaps he thought he could do something on his own to improve on what God had told him. Perhaps he lacked faith in one stroke of the rod. Perhaps he wanted to do it his way. These are the sins of those who think they can achieve salvation by works, he even doubted if water would flow at the sound of his voice. His lack of faith demonstrated verbally and physically by hitting the rock twice, was blasphemy. It was like crucifying Christ twice. God's way is always sufficient. We cannot, we dare not add to it in any way. Their judgment, Moses and Aaron would not be allowed to lead the people into the Promise Land.
Then Moses sends messengers from Kadesh-Barnea to the King of Edom and requests permission to pass through Edom. He promises not to destroy anything nor eat from their fields or vineyards, nor will they drink from their wells. They will travel the King's Highway neither turning to the left nor the right until they have passed through Edom. The King of Edom would not allow them to pass through. Many years had passed since Jacob had taken the birthright from Esau but the hatred still existed, the Edomites being the descendants of Esau. So not being able to take the direct route to Canaan, the Israelites go east and go around Edom.
They journeyed to Mt. Hor, there God instructed Moses to take Aaron and his son, Eleazar, and go up on the mountain. There Moses took the priestly garments off Aaron and placed them on Eleazar. Aaron then died there on the mountain in view of the congregation and when they saw it all the "House of Israel" wept and mourned for 30 days.
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