November 5, 2024
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Reading along with us in Numbers and 1 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
Numbers 20 (NIV)
Water From the Rock
1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!……Continue Reading
This is a great example of doing the right thing with the wrong attitude. Perhaps I can understand Moses and Aaron’s frustration with the people always yelling and complaining every time things aren’t going the way they want but when we respond with our emotions we typically wind up in trouble. He was frustrated and did not follow God’s specific instructions for bringing water up out of the rock. He lashed out, he hit the rock…twice, and probably for a moment felt vindicated when it still worked but unfortunately, God did not punish the people by with holding the water but certainly punished Moses and Aaron for their disobedience. Another good lesson for us to learn to temper our responses when dealing with conflict, ask God how to respond in tough situations and then be sure we are responding the way He would have us respond.
Numbers 20
Numbers 20
Numbers 19 and 20
Although it is hard to point fingers, considering our own lapses of faith, but how in the world can a people who have seen God do so much, not face a need like this and first say, hey let’s bring this to God. I am sure He knew we would not have water WHEN HE LED US HERE and He is able to do miraculous things. And then Moses crying out before God as opposed to saying, hey God what are the instructions? And yet, then when they receive them, Moses doesn’t do what God asked. Sometimes following God does look funny/crazy….Uh Moses, why are you talking to a rock. But if God said it, it should be, who cares how I look like or what I lose. May this account cause us all to believe God more in all the areas of our lives that take faith. And this is also an important chapter because some OT passages point back to this event as to why God judges the Edomites (relatives of the Jews, btw, descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother) or tells the Jews not to trust them. You wonder if they looked back and said..maybe we should have let them through. And it must have been sad to see Aaron and Miriam pass, but their past had some issues. Neat how God establishes a clear transition between Aaron and Eleazar in this most important position of high priest.
Numbers 20
Instead of praying to God for water, the Israelites lashed out against Moses complaining that they were not being taken care of. I totally understand why Moses was upset. However, he let his anger get the best of him, so much so, he did not follow through with God’s instruction. How many times have our emotions gotten the best of us? It is wise to give ourselves the time to settle down, not so much stuffing our emotions but allowing them to pass without judgement. In the meantime, we can pray to God, talk with someone we trust, be thankful, get some exercise and/or reflect upon what is good (Phillipians 4:8). Then we can think reasonably about a situation before making a move.
Miriam and Aaron pass, the generation destined to die in the desert. It is interesting how God very clearly relays that Aaron will die. I wonder how he died? Was he feeling poorly or did he just drop dead after he passed his garments on to Eleazer? Curious.
Moses loses his temper and strikes the rock when the Lord told him to speak to it. I was thinking about how this applies to us. How is our faith demonstrated by our actions? There is true power in prayer, just speaking to God. Reminds me of the conclusion of putting on the armor of God: ”praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
Numbers 20