Moses’ Big Mistake

Numbers 20:1-12

1 Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there.

2 There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron.

3 The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!

4 "Why then have you brought the LORD'S assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?

5 "Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink."

Here they go again, complaining to Moses. Can you believe these people!? Just think back on all they have seen from the Lord already! Once again, they have no water, and they have forgotten that God promised to take care of them.

6 Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to them;

7 and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

8 "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink."

Notice, this time, as opposed to at Horeb, Moses was only to SPEAK to the rock so that the water would come out. The rock had already been struck before. What should we learn from this? That the Rock (Jesus Christ) only had to be struck one time for the complete forgiveness of all our sins! God is completely satisfied with the work that Jesus did on the cross.

Romans 6:10

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Hebrews 10:10

10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The work of salvation is totally complete! There is no need for the rock to be struck again!

9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him;

10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?"

11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.

Moses lets his temper with these people get the best of him, and strikes the rock again.

12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

The first time I read this passage, I thought, “That’s a pretty big punishment for such a small mistake!” But the problem with what Moses did was that it was a misrepresentation of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. When the rock was struck the first time, it was all that was ever needed. Our salvation is completely accomplished!

Moses even tries again, but God was serious about how the work of Jesus Christ was represented to the people:

Deuteronomy 3:23-28

23 "I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying,

24 "O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?

25 "Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.'

26 "But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, "Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter.

27 "Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.

28 "But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.'

Be sure that you realize the complete effectiveness of Jesus’ death on the cross. Even the Israelites, who totally forgot about everything God had done, and complained and murmured against Moses and God, did not need anything else to be done to have their sins forgiven.

God has completely and totally taken care of ALL sin! Thank God!

Deuteronomy 32:4

4 "The Rock! His work is perfect, (perfectly complete!)

For all His ways are just;

A God of faithfulness and without injustice,

Righteous and upright is He.