Context No. 3871 of 4322 · Numbers

Numbers 20:6-11: in context

6Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The LORD’s glory appeared to them. 7The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8“Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.” 9Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.

The people are again grumbling for water, and God gives Moses a clear instruction: take the staff, gather the people, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will pour out water. But Moses, worn down and angry, addresses the people harshly, hear now, you rebels, and then, instead of speaking to the rock as commanded, strikes it twice with his staff.

Water gushes out anyway, by God's mercy, but Moses had disobeyed and, in his anger, taken to himself a glory that belonged to God: shall we bring water for you? There is a sobering lesson in this failure of a faithful man. Moses had served God for decades, yet here, in a moment of anger and frustration, he did not do exactly what God said, and he let his temper misrepresent God to the people. Even the servants of God can dishonor him when they act out of anger rather than obedience. It is a warning to us: our frustration, however understandable, does not excuse us from obeying God carefully and representing him rightly.

When I am worn down and angry, do I still obey God carefully and represent him rightly, rather than letting my frustration lead me to act in the flesh and dishonor the God I serve?

Sources

Numbers 20:8: "Speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water... so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink."
Numbers 20:10-11: "Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you? Moses... struck the rock with his rod twice."
Numbers 20:12: "Because you didn't believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel."