Moses and Aaron went before the Lord at the entrance to the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord appeared to them, instructing Moses to take the rod (of Aaron) and SPEAK to THE rock before them. Was this a natural rock that was already in this wilderness or was this a rock that they carried with them throughout the wilderness journey? ( 1Cor. 10:4 says that the spiritual rock followed them; which was Christ)
Moses and Aaron then went out to the people. Moses derides the people angrily and strikes the rock twice. Water flows from it miraculously. God disciplines Moses for sinning in the way he carried out God's instructions. God did not tell Moses to strike the rock, just speak to it. Perhaps Moses had thought that since he had struck the rock the first time ( Exodus 17) that that is the way he was to always do this. God did not tell Moses to scold the people in anger. Unfortunately, Moses sinned by not following the exact instructions of God, but added to what God had told him to do. Moses credited himself to be the one to bring water out of the rock rather than give God the credit and glory for it alone. He did not sanctify God in this instance before the people fo Israel.
The result of this sin was that Moses would not enter the promised land. Moses did not argue with God. He did not bargain with Him. Nor did he intercede for himself. He accepted the will of God. He knew that there was an eternal promised land (like Abraham) he would enter that was better than the physical land. ( Hebrews 11:39-40) Moses knew of the Messiah, the gospel that that would come from Him, and the salvation that he would receive from Him ( Gal. 3:8).
So here, as in Exodus, the waters of Meribah were bitter-sweet. Bitter because the people received discipline from God, but sweet, because God was merciful towards them and provided the water they sorely needed.
Moses must have known that his life was coming to an end soon.
Continued....
Moses and Aaron went before the Lord at the entrance to the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord appeared to them, instructing Moses to take the rod (of Aaron) and SPEAK to THE rock before them. Was this a natural rock that was already in this wilderness or was this a rock that they carried with them throughout the wilderness journey? ( 1Cor. 10:4 says that the spiritual rock followed them; which was Christ)
Moses and Aaron then went out to the people. Moses derides the people angrily and strikes the rock twice. Water flows from it miraculously. God disciplines Moses for sinning in the way he carried out God's instructions. God did not tell Moses to strike the rock, just speak to it. Perhaps Moses had thought that since he had struck the rock the first time ( Exodus 17) that that is the way he was to always do this. God did not tell Moses to scold the people in anger. Unfortunately, Moses sinned by not following the exact instructions of God, but added to what God had told him to do. Moses credited himself to be the one to bring water out of the rock rather than give God the credit and glory for it alone. He did not sanctify God in this instance before the people fo Israel.
The result of this sin was that Moses would not enter the promised land. Moses did not argue with God. He did not bargain with Him. Nor did he intercede for himself. He accepted the will of God. He knew that there was an eternal promised land (like Abraham) he would enter that was better than the physical land. ( Hebrews 11:39-40) Moses knew of the Messiah, the gospel that that would come from Him, and the salvation that he would receive from Him ( Gal. 3:8).
So here, as in Exodus, the waters of Meribah were bitter-sweet. Bitter because the people received discipline from God, but sweet, because God was merciful towards them and provided the water they sorely needed.
Moses must have known that his life was coming to an end soon.
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