Drink God's Grace

We can presumptuously imagine the work of God depends upon our best efforts.  While we ought to take responsibility before God to do His will and walk in the way that fully pleases Him, God is required for any of our service and ministry to be fruitful.  If God can redeem our lives from destruction, He can also accomplish His work through our failures.  We should guard ourselves against the error that says since God is all powerful and sovereign, He can do whatever He wants without us and seek to justify our indolence.

When the Hebrews murmured in the wilderness for lack of water, God commanded Moses and Aaron to take the rod of God and speak to the rock, and God would cause water to flow from it.  Instead, Moses and Aaron spoke harshly to the people and struck the rock.  God made water spring from the rock, and the people and all their flocks were well-watered.  Yet there was a severe consequence for the sin of Moses and Aaron:  they would not be permitted to accompany the children of Israel into Canaan.  Numbers 20:12-13 tells us, "Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." ¹³ This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and He was hallowed among them."

The terrible judgment against Moses and Aaron can be a source of great encouragement for all Christians today.  God identified the sin of Moses and Aaron as unbelief that led to them not hallowing or sanctifying God in the eyes of the children of Israel.  It is possible Moses and Aaron hearkened back to the previous time water flowed from the rock in Horeb and the rock was struck (Ex. 17:6).  They also could have attributed some faith to the fact they carried Aaron's rod that budded which had been laid up in the tabernacle as a memorial of their authority from God.  Rather than crediting God as the life-giving source of their water, they spoke of this miracle as if it was their own doing:  "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?"  If the availability of pure water was dependant upon the righteousness of Moses and Aaron, the people would have died of thirst!  God gave the water freely so everyone could drink and be satisfied--Moses and Aaron included.

But a most wondrous truth is contained at the end of verse 13:  Moses and Aaron were judged for not hallowing God in the eyes of the people, yet the verse concludes plainly:  "...He was hallowed among them."  How awesome is that?  All the people drank water by God's grace even though they had flawed leadership.  Though Moses and Aaron failed to sanctify God among the people, He was sanctified among the people anyway.  This is the miracle hidden in the miracle:  water flowed from the rock despite unbelief, and God was hallowed among people who failed to hallow Him.  Let us do our part to walk uprightly as God's faithful servants, living lives above reproach, but let us never think any success has come by our uprightness:  it is all of God's grace.  Drink deep of the grace of God, for in Him all our needs will be met--even through His imperfect vessels.