March 5th

Today's readings from the One Year Chronological reading plan are Numbers 19:1-21:35.

Today I'm going to focus on Numbers 20:2-13. Many of the older generation had died by now, but unfortunately the younger generation doesn't seem to be much better. They had a real need, they needed water. But instead of simply trusting that God would provide, or even asking Moses or Aaron to inquire of the Lord to provide them with water, they complained and even said that they wished they had died along with their brothers.

Moses originally reacts correctly - realizing the seriousness of the people's seeming contempt for God and His ability to provide, Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before the Lord. But after God tells Moses what to do (take the staff, gather the people and together with Aaron tell the rock to yield its water) something happens, and Moses disobeys God.

In numerous other passages it says that Moses obeyed God completely, or Moses obeyed God in everything - but this time, Moses does not obey God completely.

He starts off well - he takes his staff, he gathers the people and Aaron. BUT, instead of telling the rock to yield its water, he lectures the people and then strikes the rock twice. And in his lecture he says "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" (v10).

Who's this "we"? Moses and Aaron? Moses and God? Moses, Aaron and God? Either way, there is no room for "we" in this statement. GOD was bringing water out of the rock, not Moses, not Aaron....God!

Moses is justifiably frustrated at these stiff-necked Israelites on whose behalf he's intervened with God so many times now.

But he allowed this frustration, and perhaps pride (after all, he's the only one that's been obedient to God up to this point), to get the best of him and he made a bad error in judgement.

And because of this poor decision, he will not be allowed to enter the promised land.

That seems like such a huge punishment for a fairly minor mistake. And yet, Moses is a leader. And not just in any leadership position - he is THE leader. He's the one that God speaks to and through. He's the example the Israelites are looking to. His influence on the people is monumental. And with such great responsibility comes much greater expectation, accountability and consequences for errors in judgement.

One final thing I want us to consider and I think it's a major one. Despite Moses' disobedience to God, God still brought water out of the rock. Moses' disobedience appeared to have "worked". But the fact that it worked, does not mean that God approved of Moses' behaviour.

So often we seem to base our judgements of right or wrong on whether or not God blesses the behaviour or the outcome. This is a completely false way of determining right from wrong. We need to discern between right and wrong based on what the Word of God says.

God often works through people's obedience to fulfill His purposes.

But very often God also fulfills His purposes despite our disobedience.

We cannot allow the outcome to dictate whether the decision/action was right or wrong. That must be dictated by the Word of God alone. Therefore, we must take the time and energy to read the Word and study the Word so that we will know what it says.

Tomorrow's passage: Numbers 22:1-24:25.