Moses's Mistake (Numbers 20)
In chapter 20, we see the leadership of the old generation pass on. Miriam and Aaron literally die, but Moses receives the judgment that he will not enter the promised land.
What dooms Moses is a well-known story. He hits a rock to produce water when YHWH had commanded him to speak to the rock. It hardly seems worthy of judgment, even though we have repeatedly seen that not obeying God as He wishes has consistently serious consequences. This story is strange for more reasons than that. The people begin the story by complaining, which we have come to expect. However, they are complaining about a serious issue. There is no water. And even though they have rebelliously complained about this very thing before, it almost seems justified as a problem in the desert. YHWH does not even pronounce any judgment for their complaints in His solution either. He merely explains to Moses how he should alleviate the situation.
Is it that Moses complains about the people? Is it that he appears to take credit for what God is miraculously providing? It is hard to say. What YHWH does say is that Moses does “not believe in me.” He also did not uphold YHWH as holy in the eyes of the people, he will not enter the land.
Even when we don’t completely understand, we can learn again and again in Numbers that faith (or belief) in the Bible is all about trusting God’s word and obeying it exactly as He desires.
What dooms Moses is a well-known story. He hits a rock to produce water when YHWH had commanded him to speak to the rock. It hardly seems worthy of judgment, even though we have repeatedly seen that not obeying God as He wishes has consistently serious consequences. This story is strange for more reasons than that. The people begin the story by complaining, which we have come to expect. However, they are complaining about a serious issue. There is no water. And even though they have rebelliously complained about this very thing before, it almost seems justified as a problem in the desert. YHWH does not even pronounce any judgment for their complaints in His solution either. He merely explains to Moses how he should alleviate the situation.
Is it that Moses complains about the people? Is it that he appears to take credit for what God is miraculously providing? It is hard to say. What YHWH does say is that Moses does “not believe in me.” He also did not uphold YHWH as holy in the eyes of the people, he will not enter the land.
Even when we don’t completely understand, we can learn again and again in Numbers that faith (or belief) in the Bible is all about trusting God’s word and obeying it exactly as He desires.
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