Why did the Israelites need water at this point in the wilderness?
The Israelites needed water because they had moved from Elim into the wilderness of Zin, where the desert heat was increasing. With a few million people and their livestock, they required a tremendous amount of water to satisfy their thirst.
Les explains that the Israelites had journeyed from Elim into the wilderness of Zin, between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month. Since they left Egypt in April, this was May, and in that part of the desert it was getting hot, so they would be needing water. Les emphasizes that we shouldn't picture a few families or even a few thousand, but a few million people with all their livestock, requiring a tremendous amount of water just to satisfy their thirst. This physical need in the hot wilderness explains why water was critical at this point.
And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
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Why would the Israelites have needed water at this point in their journey?
In that part of the desert in that area of the world, it was getting hot and the Israelites were going to be needing water.