Don’t Take the Glory Lightly!

I have often in the back of my mind (and heart) wondered why the penalty for Moses smoting the rock at the waters of Meribah was so severe. After all, didn’t God know that the people were stick-necked? Hard-hearted:? Complaining? Even God was ready to wipe them off the face of the earth, and Moses as God’s special friend interevened (Exodus 33:5). I am sure that you and I would have been just as exasperated with the children of Israel as Moses was – and yet after forty years of dealing with them – Moses never got to enter into that place of promise!

For years I wondered in my righteous judgement why the penalty for Moses smoting the rock was so severe? After alll forty years of dealing with people all the time blaming you for everything – when all you are trying to do is bring them to their own deliverance? Tonight I heard the words, Waters of Meribah, and in one second, I had the answer to my years of secret questioning:

4-5 There was no water there for the community, so they ganged up on Moses and Aaron. They attacked Moses: “We wish we’d died when the rest of our brothers died before God. Why did you haul this congregation of God out here into this wilderness to die, people and cattle alike? And why did you take us out of Egypt in the first place, dragging us into this miserable country? No grain, no figs, no grapevines, no pomegranates—and now not even any water!”
6 Moses and Aaron walked from the assembled congregation to the Tent of Meeting and threw themselves facedown on the ground. And they saw the Glory of God.
7-8 God spoke to Moses: “Take the staff. Assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to that rock that’s right in front of them and it will give water. You will bring water out of the rock for them; congregation and cattle will both drink.”
9-10 Moses took the staff away from God’s presence, as commanded. He and Aaron rounded up the whole congregation in front of the rock. Moses spoke: “Listen, rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?”
11 With that Moses raised his arm and slammed his staff against the rock—once, twice. Water poured out. Congregation and cattle drank.
12 God said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t trust me, didn’t treat me with holy reverence in front of the People of Israel, you two aren’t going to lead this company into the land that I am giving them.”

13 These were the Waters of Meribah (Bickering) where the People of Israel b“ickered with God, and he revealed himself as holy. (Numbers 20:4-13 MSG)

Yes, Moses had to endure unfair treatment from the people, but when he and Aaron fell on their faces in the Tent of Meeting – they saw THE GLORY OF GOD! When you come face to face with HIS GLORY you cannot return to your “test” the same! I hear the words of a very old song, “there’s a lifting!” In the presence of God – in the presence of HIS GLORY – “there is a lifting” – you must not remain the same!

Certainly this is a real SELAH moment…
Maria