Because You Did Not Believe In Me
“And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.’”
These words are spoken to Moses primarily because he struck the rock twice with his staff. God’s instruction to Moses had been to speak to the rock and tell it to bring forth water (vs. 8). But Moses was so provoked by the rebellion of Israel that he struck the rock in anger. In mercy, God provided water abundantly form the rock for parched Israel, but in judgment, God pronounced that Moses would not enter the land of promise.
If you have ever seen the movie Peter Pan, you know that toward the end the demise of Captain Hook is declared with those final words: done for. That’s how we feel when we think on this passage. For forty years Moses has put up with Israel with incredible patience, and in one second, he forfeits the privilege of entering Canaan. Doesn’t seem right, does it? Doesn’t seem fair!
The lesson is always the same from God. You cannot get away with sin. Not even a life of faithfulness merits God overlooking sinfulness. God always rewards faithfulness and obedience, but never disobedience or unfaithfulness. How could he? That would make him less than God. The book of Numbers is about the faithfulness of God which comes to Israel through God’s grace. God’s faithfulness is grounded in his covenant with Israel. In spite of the many failures of Israel, God remains committed to bringing them to the land. He judges them and punishes them when they sin and rebel, yet he remains unchanged.
Numbers reveals the unchanging faithfulness of God and the faithlessness of the people. Numbers 20 describes the death of Miriam and Aaron, with Moses’ sin sandwiched in-between. There is no comparison between Aaron, Miriam and Moses. Both Aaron and Miriam display weakness, yet Moses remains strong. In Numbers 20, the people have arrived at Meribah thirsty and tired, eager for rest and refreshment, but there’s no water. The entire congregation again breaks out in complaint against both Moses and Aaron (vs. 2, see also Ex. 15:24; 16:2; 17:3; Num. 11:1; 14:2). They quarrel with Moses, expressing desire to have perished in the wilderness with their brothers (vs. 3).
In Numbers 16, Moses had to deal with the rebellion of Korah. They all perished for their complaint against Moses, because it was really a complaint against God. So with this event fresh in their minds, the people explode with anger when there is no water for them at Meribah. The people call Meribah an “evil place” (vs. 5). There is no food and there is no water. They accuse of Moses of bringing them there to die. As usual, Moses seeks the help of the Lord by going to the tabernacle, and, with Aaron, falls on his face before God (vs. 6). God’s glory appears, and God instructs Moses about providing water for the congregation and their livestock (vs. 6–8). Moses then takes his staff as God had commanded him and calls the congregation to gather before the rock. Instead of speaking to the rock as God had instructed him, Moses calls the people “rebels” and then strikes the rock twice. Verse 11 says that Moses “lifted up his hand.” He did not speak to the rock, but struck it. In verse 12, God upbraids Moses for his disobedience. His disobedience consisted of not obeying God, and of not upholding God as holy before Israel.
God’s commands flow from his holiness. God’s words or instructions never violate or contradict his holy character. God’s revelation is always bound to his nature. If God is trustworthy, then his Word is trustworthy. God’s Word has to be true because God is truth himself. We must never change this or water down this truth. God says that Moses did not believe in him to hold up as holy. Have you ever wondered what the people thought of God’s rebuke of Moses? I don’t think they really cared one way or the other. They thought only of themselves and their comforts. We have our problems Moses, you have yours was their attitude.
God’s judgment is harsh. Moses shall not enter the land. Done for! There is more than enough evidence to convict Israel of sin. They were always rebelling against God. But Moses, we are told, was the meekest man on the face of the earth. Numbers 12:3 says: “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” It’s the meek who inherit the earth (or land: Ps. 37:11; Matt. 5:5). No inheritance for Moses. Done for!
It is interesting that on a previous occasion (Ex. 17:1–7), when Israel complained about the lack of water, God said that he would stand before Moses on the rock at Horeb and Moses was to strike the rock and water would come forth. On that occasion, Moses did exactly what God said and the water flowed, yet no wrath fell on Moses. But in Numbers 20, Moses does not do what God told him. He was merely to speak to the rock and water would come from it. Perhaps Moses thought back to Exodus 17, when he previously struck the rock. I have no doubt that Moses knew that God was there at the rock in Meribah, as he had been at Massah (Ex. 17). The point is simply that whatever God says must be done in accordance with his instructions. We dare not change God’s instructions or water them down.
In 1 Corinthians 10:4, we are told that the rock they drank from was Christ himself. That adds a different dimension to striking the rock. When Moses struck the rock, he struck Christ. The only one who has ever struck God’s Son and got away with it was God himself. At the trial and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus bears the insults and prays for his abusers, but their judgment will come. Striking Christ is a serious offense that is never overlooked by God. Earthly fathers do not overlook the striking of their children by someone else. God takes note of all abuse upon Christ. Such sin never goes unpunished.
Hebrews 10:26, 27 instruct us to be very careful: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” Notice the kind of punishment here: “fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire…” Hebrews 10:29–31 then goes further and says: “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” These are the words: done for!
We do well to heed what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:9–11: “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” The whole point of God judging Moses was that Moses did not believe in God. Do we believe in God? Thank God we have our Lord Jesus Christ interceding for us on the basis of his sacrificial death. Constant vigilance is never easy, but God has given us his Spirit to help us. Look to the Rock and you’ll never be done for.