These chapters chronicle the story of more complaining from the children of Israel. This time, they are crying for water. Now mind you, God has already supplied water in miraculous ways on multiple occasions during their journey, but again, they are complaining. In fact it is so bad that they even say, "Would God we had died with our brethren who died before the Lord!" In other words, "Would God we had died with Korah, Dathan, and Abiriam and others who were swallowed up in the ground or burned by fire..." (Seriously?!)
So once again Aaron and Moses come before the Lord and fall flat on their faces. "Oh Lord, what are we to do?" they must have cried. Once again the Lord answers. But this time He says, "Speak to the Rock before their eyes and water will come forth."
However Moses is angry at Israel ... as we can imagine, he's had enough of these murmuring and complaining. So he picks up his staff from before the Lord, as God commanded and gathers the children of Israel together before the rock. Then he shouts, "Hear now ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" Then he strikes the rock, not once, but twice. And water came out of the rock abundantly. But the problem is, God didn't tell Moses to strike the rock. He told him to speak to it. And for this rash act, Moses was denied the privilege of leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Why was this act so serious?
Ellen White writes the following in Patriarchs and Prophets p. 418.
By his rash act Moses took away the force of the lesson that God purposed to teach. The rock, being a symbol of Christ, had been once smitten, as Christ was to be once offered. The second time it was needful only to speak to the rock, as we have only to ask for blessings in the name of Jesus. By the second smiting of the rock the significance of this beautiful figure of Christ was destroyed.
More than this, Moses and Aaron had assumed power that belongs only to God. The necessity for divine interposition made the occasion one of great solemnity, and the leaders of Israel should have improved it to impress the people with reverence for God and to strengthen their faith in His power and goodness. When they angrily cried, “Must we fetch you water out of this rock?” they put themselves in God’s place, as though the power lay with themselves, men possessing human frailties and passions. Wearied with the continual murmuring and rebellion of the people, Moses had lost sight of his Almighty Helper, and without the divine strength he had been left to mar his record by an exhibition of human weakness. The man who might have stood pure, firm, and unselfish to the close of his work had been overcome at last. God had been dishonored before the congregation of Israel, when He should have been magnified and exalted.
God did not on this occasion pronounce judgments upon those whose wicked course had so provoked Moses and Aaron. All the reproof fell upon the leaders. Those who stood as God’s representatives had not honored Him. Moses and Aaron had felt themselves aggrieved, losing sight of the fact that the murmuring of the people was not against them but against God. It was by looking to themselves, appealing to their own sympathies, that they unconsciously fell into sin, and failed to set before the people their great guilt before God.Very significant lessons that we can learn for our lives today. Unfortunately the children of Israel still did not learn their lesson, for one chapter later (Numbers 21) they are complaining again, and this time God sends fiery serpents among them. Yet, even in the curse, God shows His mercy, for a way of escape is provided. If they just look up to the brass serpent that Moses was directed to make, they would live. There was also mercy for Moses. While he was denied entrance to the earthly promised land and would have to die before the children of Israel entered Canaan, we know that not long after God resurrected him from the dead and invited him into the heavenly Promised Land. So in the end, Moses actually got the better gift. Praise God for His mercy, despite our failures.
Tomorrow's Reading: Num 22-23 and Psalm 30
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