Although the Lord God had demonstrated his loving care for the children of Israel by bringing them forth from bitter bondage in Egypt, and fed them with manna from Heaven during their sojourn in the wilderness, they remained a thankless, ungrateful, and unholy people. Moses had delivered the people from the slavery of Pharaoh, yet the people murmured against Moses because they had no water to drink! Water of course is an essential for life. Without water, there can be no life. Water also refreshes us, cleans us, satisfies our thirst, and soothes our weary soul. There seems to be a lot of irony in the prospect of Moses ( the Deliverer ) rescuing the Israelites from the slave-pits of Goshen and leading them into a dry and dusty wilderness, where they were susceptible to die of thirst. Thus the children of Israel clamored against their Deliverer because their thirst was not quenched. So outraged were the people that they threatened to take up rocks and stone Moses. Undoubtedly, Moses felt overwhelmed and annoyed. Thus it was that Moses and Aaron went burdened before the Lord seeking help. So the Lord instructed Moses to take the rod which he had used to divide the waters of the Red Sea, and lead the people to a special rock that was in Mt. Horeb. There God would supply Israel with fresh life-sustaining water. But the wording of Numbers 8:20 indicates that the water that would come forth from the rock would be “his”. ( The Lord's ) Moreover, Moses was instructed to merely speak to the rock. But upon reaching the destination in Horeb, Moses became so confounded and exhausted of patience with the chiding rebellious children of Israel that he angrily smote twice upon the rock, instead of merely speaking to the rock in front of the people, as God had commanded.