March 25 Don’t Doubt the Word of God
Numbers 20
Moses was at the home stretch. Called as an 80-year-old man to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, the reluctant prophet grew in faith to epic proportions. On more than one occasion the Israelites feared Moses and his imposing zeal — and at times – his beaming face and behavior.
In the 40th year of his Exodus journey with the people of Israel, Moses was approaching a vigorous 120th year of life. He’d had many tussles with the testy and many-times-tested Israelites. Moses had been angry with them before. Yet he had also been their advocate, pleading with God for forgiveness when God was ready to start all over again with just Moses’ family. Moses was faithful to both God and the Israelites.
Moses was probably counting the days until the 40 years of chastising delay were up, and he could lead the younger surviving generation into the promised land, fulfilling his seemingly Sisyphus-like task, but finally attaining victory!
Well, in the first month of the 40th year, without realizing it himself, Moses had had enough. Again, the Israelites were complaining about no water… and maligning the miraculous food. (It is possible to imagine becoming weary of even miraculous food from heaven, after 39 years of a steady diet of just manna.) But the Lord (through Moses) had provided water for the vast number of people and their flocks for 4 decades. And water miracles came in all sorts of variations. God was teaching His people that He could adapt!
So when the same old complaint came to the vigorous 119 year-old leader, God told Moses to “speak to the rock,” and it would provide water. Moses did speak, but not to the rock. He spoke to the people: “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?” Then he struck the rock twice with his staff. Immediately, God held Moses and Aaron acutely accountable in front of the people: “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)
Many times, our anger (a.k.a: “righteous anger”) seems justified. However, in this case, even faithful Moses had failed to fully trust the Word of God to do the work of bringing water. Of all sins, failing to trust the Word of God is near the apex of the most egregious offenses we can direct to our Lord.
Peter says we are “born again not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” Don’t doubt it!
The very good news is Noah may not be fond of sledding yet, but he “loves the habitation of God’s house!”
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Word of God, You live! May we not doubt Your living Word,
but know it is our life. Bless our trust and meditation upon Your “Abiding Word.” Amen.
