Speak in haste are repented at leisure

Numbers 20:1-29

9/20/2013

The Lord said to Moses “Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.” But Moses said to the assembly “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff before the assembly with angry to them.

The Lord said 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.”

Aaron died on top of the mountain Hor. His son Eleazar takes him as priest. The entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

Jacob died, the Egyptians mourned for him 70 days.

Moses died, the Israelites grieve for Moses in the plains of Moses 30 days.

At Kadesh, on the borders of Edom, Miriam dies. Miriam, Aaron and Moses will all die in the same year – on the brink of entry into Canaan.

Why?

Most of the quarrels of the community are caused by lack water, food, meat, and terror. Relative to their living and life. People are afraid to die.

Nothing seems to cure the people’s grumbles. They were moaning when they first left Egypt. They are moaning still, after all the years of God’s providing.

Moses’ sin seems to lie in the words ‘Must we get water…?’, as if he and Aaron, not God, brought the water from the rock. How often words spoken in haste are repented at leisure休閒. Because of this, Moses will not lead the people into the land he so longs to enter. Even the greatest of God’s servants, after a long lifetime of trust and obedience, can fall.

How?

Unless the blessing of the Lord how can a man walk lifetime to obey the Lord’s commands. I have to confess that I am weak and nothing if the Lord does not work with me. A human being has temper, emotional reaction, flesh weakness, selfish mind, etc. O, Lord, please help me to walk with you with faith and strength from you.