S) "12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'"
Numbers 20:12 (NASB)
O) I was really trying to break this down, what exactly was Moses's sin. What we see here, is a break from precedent. In previous cases, like Numbers 11:23-24, Moses was careful to tell the people exactly what The LORD spoke to him. I think that's why, in most cases, the Bible doesn't explicitly say what Moses's words were, since it would have been redundant. Instead, Moses used the phrase, "The LORD spoke to Moses, saying," and then Moses would simply proceed with the exact quote of The LORD. In fact, in Numbers it is used 53 times! But here, in Numbers 20, Moses goes off script between verses 8 and 11. This reminds me of my entry on 11/03/2011 regarding Simon Peter's denial. I'm not sure Moses realized in the moment, that how he reacted was actually disregarding the holiness of The LORD. His anger at the Israelites, coupled with some amount of disbelief, manifested in Moses not quoting The LORD. What's especially important to note, is that Moses was still obedient in his actions. But God cares about our heart.
A) I'm afraid I've done this. I've tried to be obedient without following God's explicit instructions, usually out of pride - generally thinking I can just "wing" something. Perhaps the most important element of exact obedience, and it's drawn from this verse as well, is in quoting the written Word of God. When I am referring to God, His will, or commands to righteousness, I need to be especially careful to bring it back to the Word, and not simply make statements off the cuff. From leading my wife, to educating my children, to counseling others. I need to ensure that I am, not only going to the Word for direction, but quoting the Word for instruction, as directly as I can, with as little of my own opinions as possible. Essentially, I don't want to get in the way of God's Word.
A) I'm afraid I've done this. I've tried to be obedient without following God's explicit instructions, usually out of pride - generally thinking I can just "wing" something. Perhaps the most important element of exact obedience, and it's drawn from this verse as well, is in quoting the written Word of God. When I am referring to God, His will, or commands to righteousness, I need to be especially careful to bring it back to the Word, and not simply make statements off the cuff. From leading my wife, to educating my children, to counseling others. I need to ensure that I am, not only going to the Word for direction, but quoting the Word for instruction, as directly as I can, with as little of my own opinions as possible. Essentially, I don't want to get in the way of God's Word.
P) Father, continue to humble me, whatever it takes. Let me always take a back seat to the Your holiness, and the divinity and perfection of Your Word. No matter what, Father, do not let me ever get in front of Your Word. I choose to make You sovereign in every way, and to defer to You in every way. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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