kerryzanne
Member
Numbers 20:8
In Numbers 20:8; the Lord told Moses, "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." Numbers 20:9-11 records Moses' response: "So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as He commanded him. 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?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank." Numbers 20:12 gives us the Lord's response, "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."
It seems a very harsh punishment for Moses, who had been God’s most faithful servant, in not only leading the Israelites out of Egypt but also keeping them together. If it were not for Moses, more likely than not, the people would have given up and returned to Egypt.
Out of all the Israelites at that time Moses had to be the one who had trusted and honored God the most. The others had shown less honor and trust - yet were allowed into the Promised Land.
It would appear Moses became angry and frustrated with the people. In doing so he forgot to trust in God enough to honor Him as holy in the sight of the Israelites. Moses was very special but he was also human, and like all humans he probably became tired, angry and frustrated at times.
Even Jesus appears to have lost His cool sometimes.
Mark 9:19
New International Version (NIV)
19 “You unbelieving generation,†Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.â€
I understand that God is just - but He is also forgiving. It would seem God's sentence was swift. Given time, who is to say Moses would have realised the errors of his ways and asked forgiveness? If ever anyone deserved a tiny bit of forgiveness then it had to be Moses.
In Numbers 20:8; the Lord told Moses, "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." Numbers 20:9-11 records Moses' response: "So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as He commanded him. 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?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank." Numbers 20:12 gives us the Lord's response, "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."
It seems a very harsh punishment for Moses, who had been God’s most faithful servant, in not only leading the Israelites out of Egypt but also keeping them together. If it were not for Moses, more likely than not, the people would have given up and returned to Egypt.
Out of all the Israelites at that time Moses had to be the one who had trusted and honored God the most. The others had shown less honor and trust - yet were allowed into the Promised Land.
It would appear Moses became angry and frustrated with the people. In doing so he forgot to trust in God enough to honor Him as holy in the sight of the Israelites. Moses was very special but he was also human, and like all humans he probably became tired, angry and frustrated at times.
Even Jesus appears to have lost His cool sometimes.
Mark 9:19
New International Version (NIV)
19 “You unbelieving generation,†Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.â€
I understand that God is just - but He is also forgiving. It would seem God's sentence was swift. Given time, who is to say Moses would have realised the errors of his ways and asked forgiveness? If ever anyone deserved a tiny bit of forgiveness then it had to be Moses.
