5 August 2021

Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?’ Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff; water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.’ 

Numbers 20:1-13, NRSV

Moses had dedicated much of his life to leading the people of Israel and it was his hope that he would be the one who would lead them to the Promised Land. Sadly this was not to be. Once again, the people complained against Moses and Aaron – this time about the lack of water in the wilderness. As on so many other occasions, Moses went before the Lord with his problem. The Lord spoke to Moses and gave him specific instructions about how he and Aaron were to gather the people in front of a rock, then to strike the rock with a staff and order it to give water. Moses and Aaron duly gathered the people but instead of following the Lord’s instruction, Moses asked the people whether he and Aaron, rather than the Lord, should bring water out of the rock. This totally uncharacteristic act from a man known for his great humility and trust in the Lord carried a consequence. Moses was no longer allowed to be the person who would lead the Israelites into their Promised Land.