In Deuteronomy 32:50 – 51 Yahweh says to Moses, “Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people…because you broke faith with me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel.”
Numbers 20:12, “But Yahweh 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.”
Deuteronomy 34:10, “Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom Yahweh knew fact t0 face…”
How did Moses fail to treat Yahweh as holy? How did Moses break faith, how did his faithfulness to Yahweh fail? The answer, at least in part, is that Moses not only failed to obey the Word of Yahweh in striking the rock twice instead of speaking to it, but he twisted the Word of God in making it an instrument of his own anger and frustration; he used the Word of God to satisfy himself rather than please God.
I wonder how many times I’ve used the Word of God to satisfy myself, my goals, my self-centeredness? I wonder how many times I’ve been demonstrative for the sake of self-satisfaction or show as opposed to speaking the Word of God in trustful obedience? (I am not against being demonstrative, lest you should misinterpret my words; I am reflecting on motivation and trust in God’s Holy Spirit to do the work of God.)
Certainly there have been numerous leaders in Israel and the Church who have taken things into their own hands, and with whom God has been slow to anger and merciful; why then such a severe punishment for Moses? Is this a situation in which to those to whom much is given much will be required? Is this a lesson in the greater the leader the greater the accountability? The greater the leader the greater the consequences of disobedience?
The Divine consequences, the Divine decree, concerning Moses’s failure to hold Yahweh as holy was made known to Israel, as it has been made known to generations since then. Moses is an example not only of faithfulness, but also of the consequences of unfaithfulness in leadership.
Do we manipulate the Word of God in the church and in our lives to achieve our own ends? Are we aware of the myriad dangers of striking the Rock in disobedience? How often do we conjure up ways of wielding the Sword of the Spirit so that it will elicit the approbation and respect of men for us…rather than for our holy God?
And what about our view of leadership as a place of high accountability, of such accountability that disobedience may render a leader unqualified for certain future tasks and positions? Can we dismiss the example of Moses, who knew God face to face, so blithely?
As I look back over my own life I can only marvel at God’s mercy toward me and His forbearance in the midst of my self-centeredness and self-will…in the midst of the times I have not held Him holy in the midst of His people.
No comments:
Post a Comment