Consequences of Failing Faith

Numbers 20:1-13 

    1 Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. 2 Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. 3 And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! 4 Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.” 6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
    7 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” 9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him.
    10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
    12 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”  13 This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and He was hallowed among them.

Moses failed to believe and act in faith to follow God’s instruction to honor and glorify Him before His people.  He was angry because of the contention over his deliverance and wandering in the desert.  They seemed to forget God’s salvation from the harsh bondage of Egypt (Exodus 1:14, 2:23, Deuteronomy 6:12, 8:14) and that it was God who led them, not Moses.  They really were blaming the Lord, not His chosen leaders, and shamed His name.  They claimed to have rather died in punishment!  The LORD therefore instructed Moses to speak to a rock for water to come out, holding the rod of deliverance used through the Red Sea.  Moses took the rod to the rock as commanded, but his anger caused him to disbelief and disobedience by hitting the rock with the rod as if his effort and frustration would bring water instead of glorifying the one who gives water for life.  We can also work the gospel in our effort and even frustration of anger when others blame God for all the bad circumstances instead of seeing His working through those trying times.  Fortunately, we who are in Christ will not be denied entrance to the promised land in eternity as Moses was denied entering the earthly kingdom.  His grace is seen in His glory, and His glory is in His grace for all He calls with forgiveness and mercy.  Yet will He find faith when the final judgement is at hand (Luke 18:8)?  Let us then strive to honor our Deliverer by faithfully following all the gospel teaches us in order to hallow His name before all.  His word is life and godliness for us (2 Peter 1:3) to live by, and so must be followed as written.  We dare not do it our way as Moses did and earn wood, hay, and stubble only (1 Corinthians 3,12-15).