Striking The Rock

In Numbers chapter 20, the people of Israel arrive at the Desert of Zin, where there was no water.  The community accused Moses saying, "Why did you bring the Lord's community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here?...It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.  And there is no water to drink" (vv. 4-5).

Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the tent of meeting, where the Lord appeared to them saying, "Take the staff...gather the assembly together.  Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water" (v. 8).  Moses gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" (v. 10).  And then he "struck the rock twice with his staff.  Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank" (v. 11).

Problem solved.  Yes and no.  The water problem was solved but Moses found himself facing a greater problem - judgment from the Lord: "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" (v. 12).  The "rebels" were in, their leader Moses was out.

Wow!  Just because he struck the rock with his staff instead of speaking to it, he was shut out from the Lord's presence?  No.  To begin with, he was not shut out from the Lord's presence.  Moses, along with Elijah would centuries later appear with Christ on the Mt of Transfiguration (cf. Matt 17:3).  Additionally, I don't think striking the rock itself was the problem.

I  believed striking the rock displayed his frustration with the people not his lack of trust in God.  The thing that displayed his lack of trust in God and denied the Lord glory in this matter was his statement, referring to him and Aaron, "must we bring you water out of this rock?" (v. 10).  Instead of speaking to the rock and telling Israel the Lord was providing, out of exasperation, he struck the rock and put himself in the place of God.  Moses took it personally and responded as if he was the  Person the people were rebelling against.  It was not him but the Lord.  Moses forgot his place.

Did you know that it is not all about you?  Did you know that you are not the one who will rein things in or change circumstances?  Do you sometimes think it's all up to you?  Do you act as if you were the captain of your ship and responsible for everyone on it?  Do you find yourself worried or exasperated over people or events, thinking that you have to take matters into your own hands?

The truth is that God is in control and  that we need to lay our lives and the lives of those for whom we bear responsibility before him, asking for his help and giving him glory.  Don't strike the rock out of fear or exasperation, speak words of faith to it, bringing everything before the Lord to his glory and your blessing.  Jus' Say'n.