“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock in front of them, so that it will pour out its water. In this way you shall bring water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their livestock drink [fresh water].” Then Moses raised his hand [in anger] and with his rod he struck the rock twice [instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded]. And the water poured out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank [fresh water].” – Numbers 20:8, 11 (AMP)
Moses, God’s servant, whom He used to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, continued to lead the people in the wilderness despite their regular murmurings and provocations because they wanted the same delicacies they ate in Egypt to be provided for them in the wilderness as well. Moses was known as the meekest man on earth in his days, yet the Israelites succeeded in making him sin against God through anger.
In Exodus 17, almost as soon as the people crossed the Red Sea, they began to clamor for water to drink and they were even ready to stone Moses and Aaron to death if water was not provided them. Moses spoke with God and God instructed him to strike the rock at Horeb with the same rod he used to part the Red Sea. He did this and water gushed out for the people to drink. But the second time water came out of the rock for the people, the outcome was different.
Now in Kadesh, in Numbers 20, the people did their normal routine of murmuring and provoking Moses and Aaron because they cried for water. God thereby instructed Moses to speak to the rock for water to come out so that the people could drink and be satisfied but Moses did otherwise because he had allowed the people’s provocation get to him. He struck the rock he was supposed to speak to. Water came out but God was annoyed with Moses and this led God to stop Moses from entering Canaan.
God was angry because Moses did not honour Him in front of the elders of Israel and changed the instruction given to him. Although, there was the intended result but the process was altered against God’s will. This is one of the story in the Bible that shows without doubt that God counts obedience to His instructions to the letter as important.
Dear believer, you must understand the ways of God. To God, what matters is not the result if the process is wrong and contrary to His will. There are many people who have had testimonies of different breakthroughs and successes but they do not come from totally obeying the Lord. These testimonies could be attributed to God but inasmuch as they did not come through obedience to the Word of God in the slightest sense, they are not totally God’s will.
One of the things you just pay attention to is the process that births the results you have. Anytime you have results that do not come from total obedience to the Word and ways or patterns of the Lord, be sure to know that God is not pleased. Also, you must know that God chooses to give the same result through different processes, what you must do is not to memorize the previous process to determine the next for the same result. Always pay attention to how God would have things done everytime. Results can be the same while the processes differ, only pay attention to God and His ways.
Reflections: Have I tried to achieve the same results with the same processes when God didn’t command it? How attentive am I to God’s will in every sense of the word? What truly matters to me, results or the process that births the result?
Confession: I am a child of God, one who is humble and subject to the instructions of the Lord at every opportunity. I do not mishandle the Word of God. I pay attention to His leading every moment. I stay attuned to His will for me.
Related Scripture: Exodus 17, Numbers 20
Bible Reading: Genesis 39
