By Christopher Dryden
5 The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai.[b] Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.
7 Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”
Exodus 17:5-7 (NLT)
Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord said to Moses, 8 “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”
9 So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. 10 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” 13 This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means “arguing”) because there the people of Israel argued with the Lord, and there he demonstrated his holiness among them.
Numbers 20:6b-13
We have two scenarios. Similar in that they involve the children of Israel truly behaving in a childish way and not in a positive way. They are clearly putting God to the test – and that is not something you do without expecting God to respond. In the two scenarios, though, we also consider how Moses reacted to them.
Ah Moses. For years he carried the people to God and earnestly sought to lead them in the way of the Lord. You look at the behaviour of the people as a whole and it appears to be a thankless task. Time after time despite all the evidence of the wonderful nature of God, the people would constantly moan, grumble, complain and rebel. Time after time, Moses would intercede on behalf of the people to God that He would have mercy on them and that they would still be in receipt not just of the promise of God, but of His presence.
People in various levels of leadership might to some degree be able to empathise with the plight of Moses. God’s response to Moses the second time, however, says much for how highly He regards the importance of obedience. Unlike other leaders, Moses did not make excuses for his actions. He took responsibility for his action and continued in his position of leadership reinforcing the importance of faithfulness in his task.
That’s in contrast to a leader like King Saul who looked to pass on blame for his disobedience on the people he was leading. In the episode recorded in 1 Samuel 13 we’re told of how God gave specific instructions to King Saul for the Amalekites, but Saul compromised, using the desires of the people as his excuse. He clearly did not take responsibility for his actions, ever scarring the rest of his time as king.
The privilege of leading according to the call of God is to trust God completely in the leading. We will not have the excuse of the people we’re leading for not leading obediently.
When we notice others putting God to the test, our challenge is, will we likewise be found in a position that dares to question the character of the faithful God?
Ask – What is the significance of naming a location the way it is in Exodus 17:7?
Seek – What can we learn from Moses striking the rock that helps you in your own life when it comes to aggravations and frustrations?
Knock – Where there are problems that appear to persist and when it appears that lessons are not being learnt, ask God for the Spirit that promotes patience to preserve the value of God’s name and character.
(Inner Photo by ahmad gunnaivi on Unsplash)
(Upper Photo by Rachel Claire from Pexels)
