Give Orders to the Rock

Give Orders to the Rock

Numbers 20:1 – In the first month all the children of Israel came into the waste land of Zin, and put up their tents in Kadesh; there death came to Miriam, and they put her body to rest in the earth. 2 – And there was no water for the people: and they came together against Moses and against Aaron.

Verse 3 – And the people were angry with Moses and said, if only death had overtaken us when our brothers came to their death before the Lord! 4 – Why have you taken the Lord’s people into this waste, for death to come to us and to our cattle there?

Verse 5 – Why have you made us come out of Egypt into this evil place? This is no place of seed or figs or vines or other fruits, and there is no water for drinking. 6 – Then Moses and Aaron went away from the people to the door of the Tent of meeting; and, falling on their faces there, they saw the glory of the Lord.

The Israelites were a people who never wanted to suffer or die at the present moment, but always preferred the previous ways of death. In this instance they complained that death before the Lord with their brothers was better than death by thirst in the wilderness. When they were at the borders of the promised land they bought into the evil report brought back by the spies and complained that death in Egypt or in the wilderness was better than dying at the hands of the Canaanites. How frustrating!

As always, Moses took their complaints to God, but something was different this time around.

Verse 7 – And the Lord said to Moses, 8 – Take the rod, you and Aaron, your brother, and make all the people come together, and before their eyes give orders to the rock to give out its water; and so make water come out of the rock for them, and give the people and their cattle drink. 9 – And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he gave him orders.

Verse 10 – Then Moses and Aaron made the people come together in front of the rock, and he said to them, Give ear now, you people whose hearts are turned from the Lord; are we to get water for you out of the rock? 11 – And lifting up his hand, Moses gave the rock two blows with his rod: and water came streaming out, and the people and their cattle had drink enough.

God was specific that everything was to be done before the eyes of the people. They were to witness Moses giving orders to the rock, but instead they saw Moses strike the rock twice. In a moment of heated frustration Moses’ faith in God weakened and the wrong message was conveyed to the people.

There are constant witnesses to our faith in God everyday. They see how we handle difficulty, stress, failure and ridicule. God has instructed us to reach out in faith to the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ, not to strike Him with blows of self-sufficiency, but to order Him to help us with a bold, yet humble faith, that recognizes that He has always desired to help us and lead us to life everlasting. Let us reach out in faith to Jesus Christ today!