“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.’” (Numbers 20:12)
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.