A Better Way

March 21

Numbers 19-20

Psalm 36:1-6

Proverbs 8:25-26

Mark 15:21-47

A Better Way

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Take your staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.’ So, Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as He commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them. ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in Me enough to honor Me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” Numbers 20:7-12 NIV

This passage is evidence that God takes our obedience seriously. When He tells us to do something, He expects us to do it. If we do not do what He tells us we will face consequences. The consequence of disobedience for Moses and Aaron was not getting to enter the promised land. God instructed Moses to speak to the rock and water would pour forth. Moses decided to strike the rock with his staff instead. This doesn’t seem like that big of a deal on the surface. The water still poured forth. We don’t know exactly what was going on in Moses’ mind or in his heart, but God knew. God had used this very staff 40 years earlier to bring water out of the rock. That time God told Moses to strike the rock and water poured forth. Maybe this time he thought God forgot to tell him to strike the rock. Striking the rock had worked before. He had seen it work the last time so he would do the same thing again and it should work. Right? He didn’t trust God’s instructions. He took matters into his own hands. He had to try to help God out. Or maybe it was pride. If he just spoke to the rock, he wasn’t really participating. God did everything. If he struck the rock, his action of striking the rock is the thing that brought forth the water, so he got part of the glory. It also could have been anger. He was clearly angry with the people for their grumbling and complaining yet again. He had put up with it for 40 years wandering around in the desert so maybe he had had enough and striking the rock was lashing out in anger. Whatever Moses’ motive was for disobeying God’s instructions, it was still disobedience. God gave Moses a specific instruction and he did not do what God said. He thought he had a better way. The end does not justify the means. Just because he got the same result does not mean that he had been obedient. When God gives us instructions, do we obey Him, or do we think we have a better way?