“The Sin of Moses and Aaron”
November 28, 2009
Larry R Evans
Reflective Introduction
During the best of times leadership isn’t easy but when worn and beaten down by a people who are critical and grumbling it can be especially difficult to remain confident in God’s leading. Such was the case of Moses.
“It was in the time of greatest weakness that Christ was assailed by the fiercest temptations. Thus Satan thought to prevail. By this policy he had gained the victory over men. When strength failed, and the will power weakened, and faith ceased to repose in God, then those who had stood long and valiantly for the right were overcome. Moses was wearied with the forty years’ wandering of Israel, when for the moment his faith let go its hold upon infinite power. He failed just upon the borders of the Promised Land.” (The Desire of Ages, p. 120)
This week we will highlight a few of the lessons which can be learned from the experience of loyal but weary leaders whom God used to change the course of history.
Reflective Quiz
1. The sin which kept Moses from entering the promised land was hitting the rock twice to get water. [Num.20:1-13] False with some Truth
4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
One of the dangers we have in Bible study is to overlook the larger context of a particular passage. The issue of Moses striking the rock twice when he was to only speak to the rock is an example. To grasp the message we need to understand the bigger picture.
The deliverance of God’s people out of Egypt was miraculous – the blood on the doorposts and later the parting of the Red Sea were clear signs of God’s mercy. It was clear to the Israelites that God had the power to thwart their enemies! A tougher lesson to learn was that God had the authority to discipline His own people too. The rebellion of Korah and his household was ended by the earth opening and swallowing them. Then a plague ravaged the grumbling people to the point where 14,700 died before Aaron intervened. Clearly the people learned that God was capable of both mercy and vengeance. Now when we come to Numbers 20 one of their beloved leaders, Miriam, died and in their mourning they realize that they are without water. As in the past they start grumbling and blaming their leaders all over again! Moses and Aaron realizing how this was treated in the past with Korah and the priests fell down before God in the sanctuary. What is amazing is that God reverts to his practice before Sinai. He chooses to confront the rebellion not with vengeance but with mercy. He simply instruct Moses to take his staff and in front of the people he is to speak to the rock and water would come forth! What did Moses do? What his greater sin striking the rock twice? That was certainly wrong . . . but why! God had chosen to confront the sin of the people with mercy. Moses was holding the symbol of God’s power in his hand – his staff – the same staff that he held out and the Red Sea parted. The all powerful God who had destroyed Korah and his cohorts was now speaking gently to His rebellious people through Moses. Tough love, yes. Merciful love, yes. God intended to covey both over a period of time to win the hearts of His stubborn people. The great sin of Moses was not only impatience but a distortion of God’s message. This is a strong message to all of us. Revealing the character of God is absolutely critical and it isn’t just mercy and it isn’t just vengeance. Moses failed at this crucial point. Speaking to the rock was a greater miracle than beating the rock with a staff. He had every reason to be frustrated with the people but he was held accountable to a higher standard. He was the leader chosen to convey God to the people. The message entrusted to this Church in Revelation 14:6-12 contains both mercy and a severe warning. There is the everlasting gospel, the call to come out of Babylon and the “cup of God’s fury.” We must not distort any part of the message given to us.
[Something to Consider] -- The sins of good men, whose general deportment has been worthy of imitation, are peculiarly offensive to God. They cause Satan to triumph, and to taunt the angels of God with the failings of God’s chosen instruments, and give the unrighteous occasion to lift themselves up against God. The Lord had himself led Moses in a special manner, and had revealed to him his glory, as to no other upon the earth. He was naturally impatient, but had taken hold firmly of the grace of God, and so humbly implored wisdom from Heaven, that he was strengthened from God, and had overcome his impatience so that he was called of God the meekest man upon the face of the whole earth. {4aSG 39.2}[2]
22 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor. 23 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, 24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my wordc at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: 26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there
The death Aaron, the intercessor who “ran” to ward off the plague that had come among the rebellious, must have sent shock waves. The Bible says that for 30 days they mourned. They, the rebellious ones, should have been dead but the price was paid by the ones who led. Surely now could see the impact of their grumbling. The influence of anyone but especially leaders is an asset that cannot be taken lightly.
3. An attitude of ingratitude can lead to other more serious sins. [Num.20:1-5] True
They traveled from Mount Hor along te route to the Red Sea,a to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
When the nomads were refused entrance through Edom and had to extend their travel to get around the closed entrance. They grew weary and impatient. I find the statement by Ellen White quite insightful. –
“As they continued their journey toward the south, their route lay through a hot, sandy valley, destitute of shade or vegetation. The way seemed long and difficult, and they suffered from weariness and thirst. Again they failed to endure the test of their faith and patience. By continually dwelling on the dark side of their experiences, they separated themselves farther and farther from God. They lost sight of the fact that but for their murmuring when the water ceased at Kadesh, they would have been spared the journey around Edom. God had purposed better things for them. Their hearts should have been filled with gratitude to Him that He had punished their sin so lightly. But instead of this, they flattered themselves that if God and Moses had not interfered, they might now have been in possession of the Promised Land. After bringing trouble upon themselves, making their lot altogether harder than God designed, they charged all their misfortunes upon Him. Thus they cherished bitter thoughts concerning His dealings with them, and finally they became discontented with everything. Egypt looked brighter and more desirable than liberty and the land to which God was leading them.” {PP 428.1}
This wandering people had everything they needed except faith and patience. Once again their grumbling led to consequences designed to get them to look introspectively. The whole episode with the snakes is a case in point.
“Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.” Num. 21:5-9
What is there about the bronze snake on a pole that led to the salvation of the grumbling hoard? The venomous snakes certainly got the attention of the people. It was clear to all that the snakes posed a serious problem and they knew that their own sins were destroying them. The snakes were anything but their savior! The snakes clearly were a visible manifestation of their sins. Putting the snake on a pole and raising it high taught an important lesson for them and for us today. To get the victory over sin we must confront the problem and we must do it from the perspective of faith.
Generations later, in that night visit between Jesus and Nicodemus, the historical account of the bronze serpent was raised. In Jewish law “those put to death by hanging on a tree, so that they were suspended between heaven and earth, were considered as “accursed of God’ (Deut. 21:22,23).” [Roy Gane, In the Shadow of the Shekina”, p. 112.] Jesus clearly makes the comparison of the snake on a pole and His future death being raised on a tree. Why? Because as the serpent represented the sin of the people so He would bear the curse of our sins. He became sin! That we might live. Jesus bore every sin problem, every evil thought, every evil addiction that through His destruction, His death, we might be free from attitudes of grumbling and acts of rebellion. Once the people learned this they were ready to take on the “giant”, King Og of the Canaanite. (Deut. 3:11)
So what have we learned? We must face our problem, our addiction, our attitude of anger and call it for what it really is – sin. Doing so brings hope not despair if done from the perspective that God will not abandon us if we are honest with Him and with ourselves.
Secondly, by confronting our sin we are not making sin our savior but doing so drives us in faith to accept our real Saviour.
This was the case with Nicodemus. Sheepishly he approached Jesus at night he later stood boldly for Jesus. [John 3:5-21; 19:39] Confession and repentance builds within us qualities that could never be achieved otherwise.
5. If we fail a test of faith it will be brought back to us again and may be more difficult the next time around. [Num.21:32-35] True
32 After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33 Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.”
35 So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land.
“And yet I knew that you would be brought over the ground again and tested on the very points where you had failed before. Thus the Lord did for the children of Israel; thus He has done with His people in all ages. He will prove them where they have formerly failed; He will try them, and if they fail under the trial the second time, He will bring them around to the same test again. “ {5T 623.1}
Many look back to the Israelites, and marvel at their unbelief and murmuring, feeling that they themselves would not have been so ungrateful; but when their faith is tested, even by little trials, they manifest no more faith or patience than did ancient Israel. When brought into strait places, they murmur at the process by which God has chosen to purify them. Though their present needs are supplied, many are unwilling to trust God for the future, and they are in constant anxiety lest poverty shall come upon them, and their children shall be left to suffer. Some are always anticipating evil or magnifying the difficulties that really exist, so that their eyes are blinded to the many blessings which demand their gratitude. The obstacles they encounter, instead of leading them to seek help from God, the only Source of strength, separate them from Him, because they awaken unrest and repining. {PP 293.2}
What a sobering yet hopeful study this has been. Yes, even leaders fall and the people they lead are sometimes partially to blame. Nevertheless, pointing at others as a cause for our weaknesses will not do. Personal and corporate growth is often painful but if lessons are learned then giant strides can be taken. As it is often said, it is not the destination but the journey to the destination that is most important now. Behind the call for character development is One who understands our weaknesses and who stands ready to walk us through the sometimes painful road to wholeness in Him. Paul put it well when he said,
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Cor. 12:9
[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Nu 20:4-12
[2] Spiritual Gifts, Volume 4a. Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, 1858; 2002, S. 40
c word: Heb. mouth
a Hebrew Yam Suph; that is, Sea of Reeds
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