Proven to be unholy at the waters of Meribah.
Yet water for tens of thousands still gushes from the rock.
"Are your desires too weak?
Do you want merely to lead a relatively satisfying life
in the midst of reliably pleasant circumstances
as a reasonably good person?
If that's what you want, the gospel of My Son has nothing for you." 66 Love Letters
38 years of wilderness life. Time for two more generations to be born into a world with no water. Fresh generations murmuring like their moms and dads did.
We all live in a world of want, don't we? We want better schools, better neighborhoods, better taxes...the list goes on. Matthew Henry said: "It is a great mercy to have plenty of water, a mercy which, if we found the want of, we should more own the worth of." If we have never suffered much, how would we know the worth of life? One of our friends was on the Carnvial Triumph that caught fire in the middle of nowhere in a vast ocean last week. She remarked that lots of the people onboard had never gone "without." There will always be something in our world to "put us out." What will we do with what God has allowed, has planned, has willed?
God has met their needs, your needs, to this very day. Yet, Moses remarks: "Must we fetch water?" as though he could do it on his own. God commands Moses to speak to the rock but they smote the rock. Provoked by the people. Pride of man. Moses & Aaron will not enter the land they walked to see for 38 years. "You shall not profane" this moment! Numbers 18:32. I profane the God I love every time I do not truly live in this present moment.
Moses and Aaron walking through four decades to enter the Promised Land---their feet will stop short of entry and never bring the Assembly to Canaan because they didn't "treat God as holy." And Aaron---God calls him home. Prepare to die. Aaron could have felt like a failure but Psalm 3:3---he held his head high in humility and acceptance of "No Promised Land." Aaron dies in honor---his son is chosen to preserve his office---and Aaron falls asleep---and the people weep for 30 days.
There is a sense in these beautiful chapters that Moses and Aaron reached deeply into the horrifying darkness of their souls in terrifying circumstances such as Aaron's sons dying---yet they find the Light of the World and Living Water, and enter a rest that most of us never know. They walked and prayed and worshipped and led and wrestled and let go for 38 years in a wilderness. All I can say is t.h.i.s. ~ I am unworthy. I put my hand over my mouth. Job 40:4. May we find that kind of rest from all our frenetic wanting.
PRAYER FROM PSALMS
Psalm 81:7 God, we call to you, just like the Israelites did. You've rescued us over and over again. You've answered us and You've tested us. You have led us to this place where we are in life. Psalm 81:10 ~ May we open our mouths w-i-d-e and You fill it with Yourself, not with our plans to enter a promised land. Nothing but You.
BIOGRAPHICAL READING PLAN - Moses & Aaron & No Promised Land: Numbers 20
OVERVIEW: Numbers 18-20
"because Israel contended with the Lord..." no Promised Land. Several times in the reading today, it says "Moses did just as the Lord commanded" but for some reason, an impure heart motive, he didn't at Meribah. Thanks Bev for adding Matthew Henry's commentary here to note that it was out of pride that Moses sinned. It was out of thinking he was the one doing this great miracle at Meribah. Oh help us Lord, in our wilderness living to rely on You alone, and not arrogantly take any credit for even our next breath. Amen.
ReplyDeleteI realized yesterday that I had thrown up a million "arrow" prayers, asking for so many details as I had a concern. I even asked for Bella to sleep well, after a very long day on my part. I had this immediate reckoning picture of the ten lepers and only one turning to thank Jesus. I knew my sin with the quick flash of the leper story. I started pouring gratitude from my heart and was filled with praise for all the miracles of yesterday, the beautiful new life, and the absolute miracle of the minutest details being taken care of so seamlessly. Thanks for all your prayers and sweet words yesterday. And thanks be to God for His amazing Grace and gift upon gift to me! May He alone be praised!
Moses shows us even though he was doing the work of the Lord according to God's instructions and continually seeking the Lord and interceding for the people of Israel, his heart condition was impure.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a very important life lesson for us. We need to continually check the condition of our heart and our motives in every facet of life especially ministry done in the Name of Jesus. I shudder to think of the time I prayed Annette's will in the Name of Jesus.
I am simply awestruck that Aaron does not step his big toe into the Promised Land. His two sons die in disobedience to God. AND, now God says: Prepare to die, Aaron. Your life is over. And it was just like he was going to sleep --- I mean, he was SO AT REST with his God---and he had just sinned miserably in leading the people at the waters of Meribah. Paul had it right when he wrote just before he died: I am the chiefest of sinners. We all are! And for Aaron to find the beauty, the rest, the honor of what WAS...I am shell shocked. Guess it tells you what my sin is---demanding that things go better for me. Oh God! I feel like I'm reading some of this for the first time! Have some scales fallen from my eyes???
ReplyDeleteBev,
ReplyDeleteI thought about Aaron too, he didn't make it to the Promised Land, however he was at rest with God. Culture today tends to put degrees into sin, however sin is sin. Thank You Lord we are saved by grace, nothing we do earns our way to heaven, it is by You and through You Lord we are able to enter into Your rest.