Speak to the rock. Now that’s a surprise that God would tell someone to speak to a hard, lifeless thing like a rock! But just a minute. God doesn’t tell you and me to speak to a rock. Of course not. But God tells us this true story, because He has a wonderful lesson to teach us. So let’s listen.
Long ago Moses was the leader of thousands of angry people. They were angry because they needed water, and there wasn’t any. They were very thirsty and so were their herds of animals. And when they didn’t find water, they complained loud and long!
Perhaps you can understand that too. When things go wrong and your parents say “No,” you slam things down and feel you were treated unfairly. Why don’t you go to God about the problem? If it’s good for you, He will make sure you receive it. If it isn’t good for you, then be thankful you have wise parents who say, “No.”
God heard the peoples’ loud complaining, and He told Moses, Take the rod, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock, and it shall bring forth water. If you read this story in Numbers 20:1111And 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. (Numbers 20:11), you will find that Moses gathered the people together to the rock, but Moses had lost patience with them. He had listened to more than enough complaints from the people, and he called them rebels, and that’s just what they were. But God’s patience was greater than Moses’. Moses said, Must we bring you water out of this rock? But Moses needed to remember that it wasn’t “we.” It was only God who could supply these people with water!
Do you think God would send water after Moses took the rod and struck the rock twice? Hadn’t God told him to speak to the rock? He didn’t tell him to strike the rock.
If you read Numbers 20, you will find that the water flowed abundantly, and all the people drank and all the animals too. God was certainly merciful, even though Moses hadn’t done what God told him to do!
Moses had lost patience with the people, and God did not forget that. He loved Moses very, very much. In fact, He loved Moses so much that He did not want him to do what was wrong. So He said to Moses, You cannot lead My people into the promised land.
This broke Moses’ heart. He begged God to change His mind, but God was perfectly wise, and He said, No, but you may see the promised land with Me.
And that is just what happened. Moses went up to the top of Mount Pisgah, and God showed him all the land. He carefully explained to Moses, This is the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What a wonderful sight for Moses to see, with such a wonderful unchanging Guide. It was God Himself who gave him this great joy, just before Moses died.
If Jesus is your Saviour, you will find that God is our God forever and ever, even until death. If you are alive until the coming of the Lord, He will prove to you that you are His forever.
He truly is a God of mercy.
ML-08/25/2013