Moses at the waters of strife
Moses at the water of Strife starts here:
Numbers 20: 1-12
1. Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!
4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
5. And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.
((The Children of Israel didn't believe God would sustain them once leaving Egypt, after all them miracles he did. So they start complaining. Let's continue.))
6. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.
7. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
8. Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him.
10. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11. And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
((Moses anger got the best of him and he didn't sanctify(set apart) the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel. Saying, “ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?” Like his power had something to do with the water coming out of the rock. Naw...it was God's power. He didn't glorify the Lord, saying something like, “It be the Lord that give you water.” Moses punishment for not sanctifying the Lord was that, he will not bring the congregation into the land which he gave them. Let's read more scriptures concerning his punishment.
((This is the Lord's response, and punishment for Moses, for not sanctifying the him before the Children of Israel.))
Deuteronomy 3:23-29
23. And I besought the Lord at that time, saying,
24. O Lord God, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?
25. I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
26. But the. Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.
((The Lord, angry at Moses, basically telling him, "Stop coming to me with this matter, you aint going over into the land. Food for thought! Knowing when to back off is key with the Lord.))
27. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
28. But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.
29. So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor.
((So..Moses didn't get a chance to enjoy the land that floweth with milk and honey.))
((This is the land which the Lord denied Moses from entering in, because of not sanctifying the Lord.))
Numbers 13: 17, 21-23, 26-27
17. And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:
21. So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.
22. And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
23. And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
((They found out that, the land God promised them was fruitful and plentious in goods. Let's continue..
26. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.
27. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
((Let's take a look at some others who didn't get to experience and enjoy the land that floweth with milk and honey.))
Deuteronomy 3:28-33
28. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
29. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
((The majority of the Elders of Israel where afraid of the people in the land, so..they started to infect the congregation with fear of the people of the land, thus not believing the Lord will give them power to take the land. Let's continue.
30. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
31. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
33. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
((So..all the people from 20yrs old and upward who complained and didn't believe the Lord, didn't go into the land. Let's take a look.
Numbers 14:26-39
26. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
27. How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
28. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:
29. Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.
Note: Everyone in the Lord's eyes become an adult and accountable at the age of 20yrs old, not 21yrs old.
30. Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.
32. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.
33. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
34. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
35. I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
36. And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,
37. Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the. Lord.
38. But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.
39. And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.