By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
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.
Numbers 20:12
How sad these words are to read. How much sadder to the two men to whom they are addressed.
How did this punishment come about?
Earlier in the chapter the Israelites had indulged in their favourite activity: complaining. Among other gripes, they said they were thirsty.
The Lord instructs Moses to speak to the rock, and it would gush forth water.
This pictures Jesus Christ our Rock and the Water of life. In John 4:14 the Lord Jesus said, ‘But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’
Instead of obeying God’s clear instructions, Moses struck the rock twice. God graciously supplied the water for the Israelites to drink, but He was displeased. Moses had disregarded His command. Verse 8 clearly states: ‘Speak ye unto the rock before their eyes.’ Instead, Moses did it his own way. Not only did this mar the picture of Christ, but it put Moses in the same category as those he called ‘rebels’ in verse 10.
Father, You deserve my complete submission. Help me to obey Your precise orders rather than doing what You say in my own way. Help me to grasp that partial obedience is partial rebellion. I don’t want to join this wicked world in its ‘I Did It My Way’ attitude toward life. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.