Jesus, in answering Satan’s temptation that he foolhardily jump off the pinnacle of the temple to prove that he was indeed the Son of God, was quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16 (NW), where Moses said: “The way you put him to the test at Massah.”

Massah was a place so named because there the Israelites quarreled with Moses and complained because of lack of water, saying: “Is Jehovah in our midst or not?”

b Paul evidently quoted from the Greek Septuagint, which translates the Hebrew for “Meribah” and “Massah” as “quarreling” and “testing” respectively.

At Meribah and Kadesh in the wilderness, Jehovah showed his power by miraculously supplying Israel with water, “changing the rock into a reedy pool of water, a flinty rock into a spring.” (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:1-11)

What was done by Jehovah’s power at Meribah and Kadesh, and how should this affect his modern-day servants?

“The occasion of causing bitter anger” occurred at a place called both Meribah and Massah. (Psalm 95:8)

“Your Thummim and your Urim belong to the man [Levi] loyal to you, whom you put to the test at Massah.

You began to contend with him by the waters of Meribah, the man who said to his father and his mother, ‘I have not seen him.’

But, just as they were about to go in, Jehovah reminded Moses in regard to himself and his brother Aaron: “You men acted undutifully toward me in the middle of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.”

How Moses must have looked back with regret on how he had handled matters at Meribah!—Num. 20:9-13.

That Moses was pushed to provocation is seen by the account at Psalm 106:32, 33, which states: “Further, they [the Israelites] caused provocation at the waters of Meribah, so that it went badly with Moses by reason of them.

It could cause one’s fellowman to be led into error, as was the case with Moses at Meribah.

Moses did not get to enter the Promised Land and to enjoy life there because he erred in his speech at Meribah.—Num. 20:10-12.

(b) Why must our goal be controlled speech always, and what do we learn from Moses’ experience at Meribah?

In the case of Moses it was at Meribah, during the last year in the wilderness, when the children of Israel were murmuring against him for bringing them into this place where they had no water.

Though Moses will be resurrected and granted a reward in the new world, yet God’s displeasure was shown at Meribah, for he is no respecter of persons.

Referring to Moses’ transgression at Meribah, he warned: “Even after a person serves faithfully for many years, Jehovah does not take lightly even a minor infraction of His just laws.” (Numbers 20:2-13)

Jehovah sent quail, rained down manna, and caused water to gush out of a rock at Meribah. (Exodus 16:2-5, 12-15, 31; 17:2-7)

This was near Mount Sinai (Horeb), at a place that came to be called Meribah (in the area seen below).

Moses was the meekest man on earth, yet he sinned with his tongue in connection with the waters of Meribah. (Numbers 12:3; 20:9-13)

Said the psalmist: “Further, they caused provocation at the waters of Meribah, so that it went badly with Moses by reason of them.

“They caused provocation at the waters of Meribah, so that it went badly with Moses by reason of them.

The first meeting between the Amalekites and Israelites took place soon after the exodus from Egypt, at Rephidim, near Mount Sinai.

This occurred when he miraculously brought water out from the crag at Meribah, but doing so in anger, and without giving due honor to Jehovah.

Jehovah was not going to let his people die of thirst; he provided water for them at Meribah.

The murmuring Israelites “caused provocation at the waters of Meribah, so that it went badly with Moses by reason of them.

Moses had forfeited his right because he allowed the ‘grumbling Israelites to so embitter him that he spoke and acted rashly at Meribah,’ and Jehovah was not changing his mind.

This is a very dangerous mental attitude, for it is the very attitude that brought divine rebuke upon Moses and Aaron at the waters of Meribah.

These are the waters of Meribah [finding fault], where the Israelites found fault with Jehovah, but where he vindicated himself among them.’

On the one occasion when he did let this harping drive away his better judgment, while bringing forth water from a rock at Meribah, he railed back at the congregation and his anger led him to exalt himself in their eyes in the place of God.—Num. 20:10-13.

Seventh, at Meribah in the wilderness of Zin they rebelliously complained about the water shortage and provoked even Moses to lose his temper and act displeasingly toward God.