Numbers 19:1-20:29
Luke 1:1-25
Psalm 56:1-13
Proverbs 11:8
Numbers 20:7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “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 its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
God heard Moses' and Aaron's pleading for the people and gave them a simple thing to do and promised to provide the water that they needed. He tells Moses "Speak to that rock" and I will do it.
Numbers 20:9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He 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?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
I can only imagine how angry Moses had to be after the people once again grumbled against God and I can sort of understand the striking the rock once. But I don't understand the "must we bring you water out of this rock?" That is like taking God out of the equation and taking credit for a miracle that God is about to do.
Number 20:12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “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.”
Moses did not treat God with the holy reverence that He deserves. When he struck the rock instead of speaking and when his words were not what God commanded. The result of dishonoring God is not just the loss of him being able to go into the promised land but the loss of the honor of leading the Israelites into the promised land. He does not get to join God in doing what he has promised. That is an even greater loss. To be there for all the struggle and turmoil and complaining of the people and not get to be the one who leads them into the promised land. Kind of reminds me of when I was in paramedic school and I was doing my O.B. time. I was with a woman who was in labor and coached her through a few hours of labor and it got to the point that the Dr. decided that she needed a c-section. When they presented her with all the paperwork there was a form that she had to sign to allow students to be present and she didn't sign it. When the nurse came out and told me I was crushed. To go through all that time in labor and not get to see the birth of the baby was unthinkable to me. Fortunately, when I went in to talk to her and explain that I was the student she would be signing for she was more than happy to sign. It was just a lot coming at her at one time and she wasn't thinking clearly.
I imagine that it would be unthinkable for Moses to go through all that he had and not get to finish the job of seeing them delivered.
Luke 1:20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Now we see a priest who questions God's ability to do what he says he will do and he suffers some consequences of that too with being unable to speak. Also, something that is unimaginable to me. Anyone who knows me will understand why being unable to speak would be unimaginable to me. LOL
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