Hi all,
In Deut.20:10 Moses interpruts this incident when he offers his farewell address to the nation. He at times, on his own accord, chose to broaden mandates, such was the case of the nation wanting to send out scouts to check the safest access roads and the best approach to the Promised Land. Here Moses broadened those instructions and instructed the messengers to scout out the military capabilty of the inhabitants as well as the fortifications of the cities. At this time Moses is not yet punished for “stretching” what the Lord has commanded him (or trusting God implicitly). He may have misjudged and perhaps never considered that panic might set in and oppose the entire venture of entry into the Promised Land. He “overestimated his people”! He would not have been condemned as a leader for doing this but, a “test” is to come after this.
The people were complaining about not having water to drink. God tells Moses what he should do, take his staff and “speak” to the rock. Now the “rock” is the Israelite nation, hard and obsinate like a rock. “Speak to it,” says God and you will extract life-giving water and Torah-true waters even from this stubborn nation." Moses misses the point, all he sees is a willful band of grumblers, upstarts and “shouts” at them, "listen now you rebels, " striking out against the rock - the nation -instead of loving them. This time Moses “underestimates” his people, refusing to recognize their objective suffering as well as their ability to “repent”. God now punishes him, as divine the understanding is that a “shepherd” who underestimates his flock, who loses proper love and appreciation of them, cannot continue to lead them.
So it was that he was more so relieved of this responsibilty because of his loss of love, another would lead the nation into the promised land.
Jesus comes to us in the NT as the new Moses (the new Torah of true living water), I know that we associate Him with the New Adam and rightly so, but Jesus as well is the new Moses, completely faithful in all things, totally “not” over estimating or underestimating the children of God and in complete and encompassing “unconditional love” offers himself for them, us. Dies and rises for all of mankind.
As a leader he is totally faithful to the will and design of God, and he brings His people into the “promised land”,(brings us into the presence of God, as Abba Father, through His redemptive act) which gained for us our ability to enter into our eternal home, the end of our journey, the purpose of our life here. Jesus is the good and faithful servant always fully submitting to the will of God, always loving, even to point of death.
So it’s more this then how many times Moses struck the rock, or is he was told to strick it or speak to it, there is alot more to be meditated upon in Moses being disallowed to enter the promised land. Obviously when Moses realizes what he has done, and recounts that this has come to him because of them (his response to them) in his statement, he repents and in repentence is not refused entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
We can apply liberally to ourselves I think the meaning of this scriptural passage, how often do we “expand” on God’s mandates, or are unloving to others, however it comes to anyone in meditating on it there’s a tremendous amount to be
applied even for us today.
God bless,
Eloina
I can look it up myself! Come on!