"And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.
2 Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” 6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them"
Numbers 20:1-6
This chapter continues the story of Israel's wanderings in the wilderness. The opening verses record the death of Miriam, Moses' sister. It is therefore against a background of a personal sorrow that we should look at this murmuring of the people. Was it not rather heartless that the people should have started their bitter complaining again when Moses' sorrow was so fresh? Was it not inopportune? There is a lesson in this, for us. When people are out of sorts with God, they become clumsy and insensitive, and intrude unceremoniously at all manner of unsuitable times, causing needless hurt and distress, that could and should have been avoided. This lends particular seriousness to this evidence of murmurings and shows how far wrong and far out they were. The picture is one that, alas, has grown very familiar to us in our studies of the journeyings and wanderings. Every time anything seems to go wrong, this was how they reacted, in a grumbling querulous and faithless spirit that took it out on Moses and Aaron, who were the constant scapegoats for their vindictive and ugly attitude against God. We find ourselves almost gasping, 'Do these people never learn? Have they not learned any wisdom from their past experience of God's dealings with them?' Well might we ask this, for His dealings with them up to this point were all such as to inspire them with a faith and trust in His goodness and love (cf Deuteronomy 8:26 for a description of God's grace to them). It was in face of this that they sinned yet again. Astonishing, and perverse we think? Yes; but how has it been with us? Have we learned, any better than they? Good question!