Moses-Day 28

Wednesday, October 6

Moses: Called. Challenged, Changed

Day 28--Moses and the Rock

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they can and their livestock can drink. Numbers 20:7-8

Suggested Reading: Numbers 20

From yesterday’s post, fast forward almost four-not-so-merry, go-round decades. The generation that had not trusted God at the edge of the promise land forty years prior, were closing their eyes on life in the wilderness. A new generation of people, their children, were the ones that would receive God’s blessing.

However, these people had inherited some of their parents’ sins, one being their lack of faith—UGH! It’s like de ja vu, all over again! They came to the Desert of Zin and there was no water to drink. And almost verbatim to their fathers, they grumbled, “Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place?” (20:4).

Moses had had it! He was angry at this younger generation. He was also probably grieving the loss of his sister Miriam who had just died. His soul was frustrated from leading all of these stiff-necked people decade after decade after decade after decade.

The story continues: God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come out. So Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff (v.10-11).

(Uh oh, Moses. I think the Lord told you to speak to the rock.)

God said, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them” (v. 12).

Ouch. Discipline hurts, even when it’s done perfectly.

Thoughts:

Moses took matters into his own hands, literally. He struck the rock rather than speaking to it. (Maybe he was half-thinking of forty years prior when God did tell him to hit the rock.) In this one act, he disregards God’s holiness; and instead, he chooses to lead in his human-ness.

Did Moses really think he was the one who could bring water from rock? In that moment, with those two muscle-man-strikes, he lost touch with reality and said to himself: “Yes, I am in control” and “Yes, I am able.”

Moses, the little “I am”, temporarily stopped operating through the great I AM.

The consequence seems harsh: no promise land entry for him. God takes leadership seriously. Moses was repentant and God was forgiving. I also believe that God had a different and more beautiful Promise Land in mind for him.

Let’s learn from Moses today:

--We are NEVER IN CONTOL, and the I AM ALWAYS IS.

--When we choose to take matters into our own hands, we are striking the Rock.

Going deeper and sweeter: Psalm 62:11; John 15:5; Hebrews 12:5-6; James 4:6

Dear Lord,

Forgive us when we think we know more than you. And forgive us for trying to do things our own way. Be gracious to us as we return to you with repentant hearts; make us humble and willing to obey. Amen.