Today's Reading: Numbers 17, 20, 21
Context: The elders had been grumbling about why they should listen to Moses and Aaron, so God gave a visible sign that he had selected them to lead the Israelites. The Israelites continued their journey in the desert
Today's Devotion: Numbers 20, 1-13
1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
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 desert, 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 showed himself holy among them. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Moses was one of God's most esteemed leaders, yet even he faltered and failed to live up to God's expectations. Because of Moses' impatience and frustration, he failed to give God the glory for providing water from the rock.
As we know, God could have struck him dead, yet he did not. However, Moses was unable to attain the goal he was looking forward to.
In Matthew 17:3, we see Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus on a mountainside. Obviously Moses continued to be near to God in eternity. This failure on his part did not have eternal ramifications. Nonetheless I'm sure he was terribly disappointed that he was unable to step foot in the Promised Land.
I wonder what magnificent things I'm missing because I don't obey...
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