Chapter 20 (Continued)

Water from the Rock (Continued)

3. WATER FOR THE CONGREGATION (Numbers 20:2-13 [2] And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. [3] And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! [4] And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? [5] And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. [6] And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. [7] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [8] 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. [9] And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. [10] And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? [11] And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. [12] 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. [13] This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
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6. The Lord’s Disgust with His People (Numbers 20:12-13 [12] 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. [13] This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
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1. Moses and Aaron (Numbers 20:12And 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.
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1. Disobedience (Numbers 20:11And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
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2. Unbelief (Numbers 20:12And 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.
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3. Rebellion (Numbers 27:14For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
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4. The sin of the tongue (Psalm 106:32-33 [32] They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: [33] Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
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5. They will not lead the people into the land of promise (Numbers 20:12And 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.
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6. Note:  Moses was angry with the Israelites for their rebellion against God, as seen in his question, “ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?”  The very sin that he was angry over is the one that he committed here and is the sin which kept him from going into the land of promise.
2. The congregation (Numbers 20:13This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
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1. The water of Meribah meaning strife
2. The children of Israel strove with the Lord.
4. THE CONFRONTATION WITH EDOM (Numbers 20:14-21 [14] And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: [15] How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: [16] And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: [17] Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. [18] And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. [19] And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet. [20] And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. [21] Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
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1. Israel Requests Passage by the King’s Highway (Numbers 20:14-17 [14] And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: [15] How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: [16] And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: [17] Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
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1. Moses sends messengers to the king of Edom (Numbers 20:14And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
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2. Edom the brother of Israel (Numbers 20:14And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
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1. The Edomites are descendants of Esau (Genesis 25:30And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
   See All...; Genesis 36:1Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.
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2. The Israelites are descendants of Jacob (Genesis 32:28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
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3. Jacob and Esau were brothers.
3. The plea for pity (Numbers 20:14-16 [14] And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: [15] How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: [16] And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:
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1. Our past bondage
1. You know all of the travail that has befallen us.
2. Our fathers went down into Egypt.
3. We have been there a long time.
4. They vexed us and our fathers.
5. We cried unto the Lord.
6. He heard us and delivered us.
2. Our present position
1. Now we are in Kadesh.
2. A city in the uttermost of thy border
2. Edom’s Refusal of Israel’s Request (Numbers 20:18And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.
   See All...; Genesis 25:21-26 [21] And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. [22] And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. [23] And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. [24] And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. [25] And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. [26] And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
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1. Thou shalt not pass by me.
2. Lest I come out against thee with the sword
3. Israel’s Second Request for Passage (Numbers 20:19And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.
   See All...; Deuteronomy 2:4-6 [4] 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: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: [5] Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. [6] 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.
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1. We will go by the highway.
2. If we take any water we will repay it.
4. Edom’s Hostile Refusal of Israel’s Request (Numbers 20:20-21 [20] And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. [21] Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
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1. Thou shalt not go through.
2. Edom came out against them with much people.
3. Israel turned away from him.
5. THE DEATH OF AARON (Numbers 20:22-29 [22] And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor. [23] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, [24] Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. [25] Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: [26] And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. [27] And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. [28] And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. [29] And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
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1. The Congregation Comes to Mount Hor (Numbers 20:22And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
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1. The whole congregation journeys.
2. From Kadesh to Mount Hor
3. Mount Hor is by the coast of the land of Edom (Numbers 20:23And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
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2. Aaron’s Priestly Garments Are Put on Eleazar (Numbers 20:23-28 [23] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, [24] Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. [25] Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: [26] And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. [27] And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. [28] And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
   See All...).
1. Pronouncement of Aaron’s death (Numbers 20:23-24 [23] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, [24] Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
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1. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people.
1. Aaron was not going to be buried with his parents, sister or brother.
2. What does it mean that he was going to be gathered unto his people?
3. Consider those who were to be gathered unto their people or the fathers.
1. Abraham (Genesis 25:8Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
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2. Ishmael (Genesis 25:17And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.
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3. Isaac (Genesis 35:29And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
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4. Jacob (Genesis 49:33And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.
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5. Aaron (Numbers 20:24Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
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6. Moses (Deuteronomy 32:50And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
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7. The people who served the Lord the days of Joshua (Judges 2:10And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
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8. Josiah (2 Kings 22:20Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.
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4. Consider the ending of the gathering unto the people (Genesis 49:10The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
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2. He shall not enter the land.
3. He was alongside of Moses.
2. The passing of the garments (Numbers 20:25-28 [25] Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: [26] And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. [27] And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. [28] And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.
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1. Eleazar to take over the work
2. Strip Aaron of his garments.
3. Put them upon Eleazar.
3. Aaron Dies and the People Mourn (Numbers 20:29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
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1. The congregation sees that Aaron is dead.
2. Aaron died at the age of 123 (Numbers 33:39And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.
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3. They mourn for him thirty days.
4. Mourning for the dead
1. Thirty days – the amount of time that they wept for Moses (Deuteronomy 34:8And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
   See All...) and Aaron (Numbers 20:29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
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2. Seven days – the general time of mourning for the Jews (Genesis 50:8-10 [8] And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. [9] And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. [10] And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
   See All...; 1 Samuel 31:11-13 [11] And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; [12] All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. [13] And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
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3. Seventy days – possibly the amount of time the Egyptians mourned (Genesis 50:2-5 [2] And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. [3] And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. [4] And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, [5] My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
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4. Aaron’s Death Compared to the Death of the Lord Jesus.
1. The announcement of his death
1. Aaron (Numbers 20:23And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
   See All..., 25-26)
2. Jesus Christ (Mark 8:31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
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2. Their own awareness of their death
1. Aaron (Numbers 20:23-24 [23] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, [24] Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
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2. Jesus Christ (Luke 9:30-31 [30] And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: [31] Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
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3. The audience on the way to death
1. Aaron (Numbers 20:27And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.
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2. Jesus Christ (Luke 23:27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
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4. The humility of their death
1. Aaron (Numbers 20:26And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.
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2. Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:35And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
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5. The obedience to death
1. Aaron – We do not read at all of Aaron fighting the will of God concerning his death.
2. Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
   See All...; John 10:17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
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6. The number by their side at death
1. Aaron (2 men)
1. Moses
2. Eleazar
2. Jesus Christ (John 19:18Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
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5. Burial in the Scriptures
1. Notable people in scripture who are said to have been buried
1. Sarah (Genesis 23:19And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
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2. Abraham (Genesis 25:9And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
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3. Rachel (Genesis 35:19And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
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4. Isaac (Genesis 35:29And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
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5. Rebekah (Genesis 49:31There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
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6. Leah (Genesis 49:31There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
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7. Miriam (Numbers 20:1Then 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.
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8. Aaron (Deuteronomy 10:6And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead.
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9. Moses (Deuteronomy 34:6And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.
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10. Joshua (Joshua 24:30And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.
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11. Joseph (Joshua 24:32And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
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12. Gideon (Judges 8:32And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
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13. Samuel (1 Samuel 25:1
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14. David (1 Kings 2:10So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
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15. Solomon (1 Kings 11:43And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
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16. Elisha (2 Kings 13:20And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
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17. John the Baptist (Matthew 14:12And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
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18. Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 [1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; [2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
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2. The absence of burial
1. As dung upon the earth (Jeremiah 8:2And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
   See All...; Jeremiah 16:4They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
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2. The death of an animal (Jeremiah 22:18-19 [18] Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! [19] He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
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3. The method of God’s people in the burial
1. “The Egyptians sometimes used coffins (see Genesis 50:26So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
   See All... Joseph’s coffin), but the Israelites, who brought many other customs out of Egypt with them, did not adopt this particular one.”  The New Manners and Customs of the Bible by James M. Freeman
2. The Israelites as seen in several passages appear to have wrapped their dead with linen clothes and laid them in tombs.
1. Elisha’s bones were accessible in his sepulcher (2 Kings 13:21And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
   See All...).
2. The Jews had grave clothes and were often placed in a grave with a stone.
1. Lazarus (John 11:17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
   See All..., 38-44)
2. Jesus (John 19:40Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
   See All...; John 20:1The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
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