Numbers 20
The Israelites are thirsty and wishing again that they had stayed in Egypt to die rather than following Moses around in the wilderness to die. I don't quite get it - why grumble when either way they will die. They grumble against Aaron and Moses. They make life generally more difficult with their complaints. Moses, when told by God to take his staff and command the rock to bring forth water, appears to do that with vengeance. He strikes the rock with the staff twice and says "Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" I am emphasizing the word we here. Is Moses taking credit for what the Lord provides? Is Moses claiming the glory that belongs to God? After all, God's response to Moses' action is to reprimand Moses and Aaron for not showing His holiness before the eyes of Israel. God lets Moses and Aaron know that because of their actions (attitude?) they will not enter the promised land.
I have to tell you, this reaction of God's toward Moses makes me just a little nervous. Here is the man who God chose and called to lead His people out of slavery. Moses didn't want the job. But, he took it and did the best he could. He got a little cranky with the people now and then. He was human, afterall. But, was he any more cranky than any of us would have been? I think he probably acted much calmer than I do when people start complaining because they do not trust God and when they want to start trusting in the world enough to want to sell themselves (their souls) back into slavery. For the most part, I think I remain pretty calm. But, there are times.... And I usually repent afterward as it is obvious to even me that I was being obnoxious.
Moses' sister, Miriam, dies at the beginning of the chapter. His brother Aaron dies at the end of the chapter fulfilling God's promise that the generation that had rebelled against God as they were led out of Egypt, the generation that refused, in fear to face the people of Canaan and enter the land promised to them, when God first directed them to, would never enter the promised land.
What can we learn from this chapter? Maybe that it is that the Lord provides. Quit grumbling and trust the Lord to provide. Follow Him! Anticipate and receive the gifts that He has given without looking back thinking it is better to be a slave rather than to trust that the Lord will provide. It is the Lord that provides us a place to dwell. It is the Lord that provides us water to drink when we are thirsty. Just like Moses and Aaron, we too sometimes (often) forget that it is He, not we or any other human being, who is God. We forgot that God has given us water to drink that will refresh us and sustain us for eternity. God provides.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
"Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:10-14 (NIV)
Thanks be to God for the waters of life that have been given to us, through Jesus Christ, our Lord!
The Israelites are thirsty and wishing again that they had stayed in Egypt to die rather than following Moses around in the wilderness to die. I don't quite get it - why grumble when either way they will die. They grumble against Aaron and Moses. They make life generally more difficult with their complaints. Moses, when told by God to take his staff and command the rock to bring forth water, appears to do that with vengeance. He strikes the rock with the staff twice and says "Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" I am emphasizing the word we here. Is Moses taking credit for what the Lord provides? Is Moses claiming the glory that belongs to God? After all, God's response to Moses' action is to reprimand Moses and Aaron for not showing His holiness before the eyes of Israel. God lets Moses and Aaron know that because of their actions (attitude?) they will not enter the promised land.
I have to tell you, this reaction of God's toward Moses makes me just a little nervous. Here is the man who God chose and called to lead His people out of slavery. Moses didn't want the job. But, he took it and did the best he could. He got a little cranky with the people now and then. He was human, afterall. But, was he any more cranky than any of us would have been? I think he probably acted much calmer than I do when people start complaining because they do not trust God and when they want to start trusting in the world enough to want to sell themselves (their souls) back into slavery. For the most part, I think I remain pretty calm. But, there are times.... And I usually repent afterward as it is obvious to even me that I was being obnoxious.
Moses' sister, Miriam, dies at the beginning of the chapter. His brother Aaron dies at the end of the chapter fulfilling God's promise that the generation that had rebelled against God as they were led out of Egypt, the generation that refused, in fear to face the people of Canaan and enter the land promised to them, when God first directed them to, would never enter the promised land.
What can we learn from this chapter? Maybe that it is that the Lord provides. Quit grumbling and trust the Lord to provide. Follow Him! Anticipate and receive the gifts that He has given without looking back thinking it is better to be a slave rather than to trust that the Lord will provide. It is the Lord that provides us a place to dwell. It is the Lord that provides us water to drink when we are thirsty. Just like Moses and Aaron, we too sometimes (often) forget that it is He, not we or any other human being, who is God. We forgot that God has given us water to drink that will refresh us and sustain us for eternity. God provides.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
"Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:10-14 (NIV)
Thanks be to God for the waters of life that have been given to us, through Jesus Christ, our Lord!
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