THURSDAY 27 January 2020 “Disqualified” Numbers 20:2-13

Click To Download and Print Document or PDF

Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends, wherever you are in the world,

There’s an old adage which says, “Pride comes before the fall”. Did you know that’s actually based on several verses in the Bible? Here are two of them found in Proverbs 16…

* “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18)

* “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” (Prov. 16:5)

As you and I look around our world, do we see widespread pride, especially in many who are in leadership roles? But we must be honest with ourselves…as we look in the mirror, do we see any evidence of pride in us? I’m drawn to Psalm 139:23,24 today which says: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Oh how much better a person I would be, and probably you also, if we would regularly invite God to search our hearts and identify anything in us which is offensive to Him. But that leaves us with an important question… “and what will I do in response to God when He shows me something in my life which offends God?”

Yesterday we were drawn to consider our lives through a six word statement Moses records for us in Numbers 20:1 “There Miriam died and was buried.” I wonder what reflections God helped you consider about yourself yesterday, my friends? Now today, let’s continue in that chapter, for it was a dramatic, life changing event in the lives of both Moses and Aaron. We don’t know how they reacted to Miriam’s death, but we do know that soon after her burial, there arose another wave of complaint from the people. The record says: “There was no water for the community and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron…” (Numbers 20:2) But this was more than complaining, more than grumbling, this time it was direct accusations: “Why did you bring the LORD’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place?” I wonder what you hear in these words of accusation, my friends?

Let’s stand there in the crowd for a moment… look around. Some older people are there who do remember their remarkable rush out of Egypt so many years ago, but most of the people shouting at Moses this day are younger folks, probably in their 30’s, 40’s, maybe 50’s. You see, most Bible scholars believe that by the time we reach Numbers 20 it has been about 38 years since that miraculous deliverance from Egypt and their miraculous run through the Red Sea water tunnel! If so, it would be about 37 years since the people believed a fearful report from 10 of the 12 scouts they had sent in from Kadesh, the very place where they were now again camped, (Numbers 20:1) to explore the land of God’s promise. That’s very important because Moses had faithfully led the people in following the cloud of God’s Presence from Egypt to Mount Sinai, and from Sinai to Kadesh. Moses had selected 12 respected leaders, but 10 of those 12 had failed the people miserably by frightening them with their report. The people had then erupted in a riot, some calling for Moses’ death, and most calling for a new leader to take them back to Egypt! God responded in judgement, closing their opportunity to enter the promised land, and condemning the people to 40 years of wandering in the desert, until all that older, faithless generation died. That’s why there are so few older people as you look around the crowd here in Numbers 20.

Moses and Aaron did what they always did when complaining rose up from the people… they went to the “Tent of Meeting” to meet with God. Usually they prostrated themselves on the ground, with their faces to the ground, humbly asking God what they should do. The record says: “The glory of the LORD appeared to them and the LORD said to 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…for the community and their livestock!” (Numbers 20:6-8) Evidently this place Kadesh, where they were camped in the desert, had some big boulders. I wonder if you remember once before Moses had faced a very similar situation? Back in Exodus 17, on their initial travels from Egypt to Sinai, the people had come to a place called Rephidim, but it had no water. On that occasion God had given almost the same instructions to Moses, except that time God told Moses to strike the rock with his staff. When he did, water gushed out. I’m sure Moses remembered that experience when now, 37 years later, he heard the grumbling of the people thirsty for water.

But this time God had specifically said “Speak to the rock…and it will pour out its water.” But the clamoring of complainers and grumblers!! I wonder, how do complainers affect you my friends? What emotions rise up in you when you hear the complaints of people aimed at you, especially if it’s your own family? The record says: “So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as God had 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 20:9-11)

Did you hear what Moses said? Can you imagine the tone of voice with which he said it? He was right, they were rebels. But he was very wrong when he said “must WE bring you water out of this rock?” The ‘we‘ was Moses and Aaron. But of course they, like you and me, had no power to bring water out of a rock… only God can do that! In his frustration, maybe even anger, Moses’ pride had swelled up and he took responsibility to solve the problem. But it wasn’t his problem to solve. These were God’s people, following God’s lead, and God was teaching them to rely upon HIM for their needs. Do we see ourselves in this mess? Do we too often complain, even against God, when things aren’t how we want them to be? Do we assume it’s our responsibility to fix every problem, rather than turning to God for His solutions to the problems? Do we carry the burden of fixing other people’s problems, rather than helping them come to God for His help?

God was kind, He poured out water for the thirsty people. But God had to deal with an attitude problem, a serious problem in Moses and Aaron. I wonder how hard it was for Moses to write what the record says next? “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.“ (Numbers 20:12) I know what you are thinking my friends. ‘What? After all Moses and Aaron have been through, this seems so unfair!” Now my friends, look very closely at what Moses wrote. What are the key words that jump off the page? Do you see “TRUST in ME” and “HONOR Me”? So what do you think happened here? Moses had been living an almost unbelievable relationship with God for about 40 years, since that first burning bush encounter in Exodus 3! 8 times he hiked up Mount Sinai to meet with God. Moses had been the man through whom God spoke to the people, for almost 4 decades, yet here, one time, Moses loses his temper, and he turned prideful. He did not point the people to God, did not trust God, did not honor God as holy… and God says NO! That attitude disqualified Moses and Aaron from leading the people into the new land!!

Now let’s pause right here. The people are filling their water jars, and bringing their animals to drink. A little river is flowing from the rock. Moses and Aaron stand watching, grateful for God’s mercy in providing water, but heartbroken that their momentary lapse of good judgement, their temper, their pride, blocked the people from seeing GOD at work in their time of need, and instead the people saw an angry leader lose his temper in frustration. What lessons can we take from this my friends? How easily does our temper or our pride or anything else in us block people from seeing God as holy?

Moses and Aaron walked back to camp knowing God still loved them and God would still work closely with them in leading these people. That was vital for Moses for there would be at least two more years before finally this people would have the second opportunity to enter the land of promise. Moses would face yet great challenges and he was by now nearly 120 years old! The only way Moses could keep going was with the assurance of God’s Presence with him, every day! Do you have that assurance my friends regardless of how difficult the challenges are that you face or the times of failure in your past? Our God is a loving, forgiving God, and His desire is that we would TRUST Him always, and honor Him as holy in all aspects of our lives. Remember where we started today? “Search Me O God and know my heart…” Let’s ponder all this today my friends, and here’s a song to help us. . .

Today’s Scripture is Numbers 20:2-13.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).

Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.