The verse is nearly frightening!
Where, in Deuteronomy 32, God is clearly explaining to Moses the reason for that good man’s soon-to-occur “premature” death! It was because of something Moses had said, long ago, during one of Israel’s crises. Or maybe better stated … something Moses had done.
Either way, he sinned against God … in an egregious manner.
It’s probably best that I simply use today’s Text verse now, its terminology. God has just announced to Moses his impending death! Then the reason is divinely given … “Because ye (Moses) trespassed against me (the Lord) among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.” Deuteronomy 32:51
The verb “trespass” is spelled “maal” in Hebrew, basically meaning “to act unfaithfully, to transgress,” nearly “to step across a forbidden line!”
Moses that dark day … when Israel was (again) without water … got impatient with the (grumbling) Jews!
Here’s the whole sad account, for those of you who may want to read it thoroughly. “Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people chode (“riyb” = the word often used of a “lawsuit”) with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! 4 And why have ye (you, Moses) brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? 5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. 6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. 7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8 Take the ROD, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and SPEAK YE TO THE ROCK before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9 And Moses took the ROD from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, YE REBELS; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod HE SMOTE THE ROCK TWICE: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, BECAUSE ye BELIEVED ME NOT, to SANCTIFY ME in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore YE SHALL NOT bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 13 This is the water of Meribah (“strife, contention”); because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.” Numbers 20:1-13
Moses hit the rock twice … when God had simply commanded him to speak to it! Earlier in Israel’s journey (Exodus 17) a rock had already been smitten, with copious water flowing from it as a result … and that rock no doubt was a “picture” of Jesus dying on the Cross. Our Lord will only die (be smitten) once … not repeatedly. And when Moses a second time, yea even a third time, “hit” a rock in the eyes of Israel … He may have violated this precious, beautiful “Type!”
Furthermore, Moses called the people, God’s people “rebels!” (Something God can do … but not necessarily His men, not without expressly given authority!) I think this vocabulary “mishap” might have been part of Moses’ downfall because Psalm 106:33 says Moses’ sin consisted of “speaking unadvisedly with his lips!” Wow!)
So either way, hitting or speaking (both acts represent getting ahead of the Lord) … Moses … “sanctified me (the LORD) not in the midst of the children of Israel.”
Moses made God look bad!
Moses failed to honor God’s Holiness!
This, as I said, is disturbing.
How often do we Christians today fail in the same area?
In failing to honor God’s uniqueness?
Specialness?
Character?
Essence?
Person?
Back to where we began today … Moses died early … “because he trespassed against the Lord among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh … because he SANCTIFIED NOT God in the midst of the children of Israel.”
Make God look “good, holy, honorable” today … by the way you live!
What responsibility!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell