Spoken With Love: Week 4 Day 5

Numbers 20:2-13

2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 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.”

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.

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.”

13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.

This story feels very similar to the one we read yesterday, yet they take place 40 years apart! This seems to display the old adage, some things never change. Once again the people were thirsty, once again they blamed Moses and mistrusted God, once again God gave Moses instructions for getting water for the people. Unfortunately, one thing does change. God told Moses to speak to the rock, but instead Moses struck it with his staff, failing to follow what God had told him.

Numbers 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.”

This feels like such a harsh punishment. Moses had led these difficult, grumbling people for 40 years! God’s holiness, however, is not to be trifled with. God is God and we are not. When God gives us instruction it is important that we obey completely. True submission to God is obedience that is immediate, total, and joyful.

James 3:1

Taming the Tongue

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

What is God trying to teach you today? Are you listening to Him?