Deuteronomy 32:48-52 (ESV)
48 That very day the LORD spoke to Moses, 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. 50 And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. 52 For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.”
NO ONE Escapes God’s Eyes When We Doubt
In the above passage we have come to the end of Moses’ life. He is passing the leadership of Israel over to Joshua. It will be Joshua who leads the nation into the promise land. Moses cannot! The reason for this is stated in the above passage. Back when the nation was crying out for water, Moses was told to speak to the rock and water would come out to satisfy the thirst of a million tongues. Previously, Moses was to strike the rock with the anointed staff God gave him at the beginning of his journey. To the average person that might have been a simply mistake. Moses was just doing what God told him to to the first time, this second time. But, God is not like you and me. God has a reason He wants us to act the way we are told. God, in the second instance, wanted Moses to simply speak to the rock. Moses was God’s messages. Moses was God’s example on this earth ... his representative. In the second instance (Numbers 20:11-14), when Moses hit the rock, water did come out. He could have argued, “the end justifies the means.” But, this is not what God wanted this time. God was angry with the people because they did not, by faith, act on His divine word. God wanted to show the people the power of His spoken word. But, Moses, in anger, gave in to his impulses and, in anger, struck the rock. This disqualified him to be the man of faith to represent God to Israel. Remember, his companions, those he originally lead out of Egypt, did not enter the land either because of their lack of faith and acting on God’s word. God, to be just, could NOT allow Moses to enter when he, also, failed to act in faith on God’s word. God does not let anyone escape who fails to believe, in faith and obedience, in His word.
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