“Wait ‘till we get home.”
“But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe me, and because you did not honor me as holy before the people, you will not lead them into the land I will give them.’” (Numbers 20:12)
Think back to your childhood. Was there ever a time when you acted up in public and instead of disciplining you at the moment, your parents assured you that it would be handled later? The terrifying “wait until we get home” is ringing in someone’s ears right now. In the Bible, Moses is undoubtedly in the Hall of Fame. Most people, regardless of their beliefs, can retell the story of the man who was God’s instrument for delivering the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. God used Moses to do many mighty things, but he too fell into one of the traps for disobedience. We have already talked about the trap of arrogance and human wisdom. While these traps are never far apart, Moses’ story highlights a trap caused by insecurity.
In Exodus chapters 3 and 4, Moses is worried about how people will respond to him if he accepts the call; and in Numbers 20, it is the same concern for people that costs him the Promise. The people had been without water and decided to give Aaron and Moses a piece of their minds! God, who always has the solution when we ask, gave specific instructions for Moses to speak to the rock for water to flow. Moses heard this instruction. Instead, when faced with the crowds, he took an opportunity to exhibit his own strength, striking the rock with his stick instead. Some of us can look at this passage and think “well he still got the water out, so what’s the problem”. The problem is that, while it appeared successful on the outside, God told Moses privately of his disqualification from the Promise.
Y’all. Disobedience matters! What insecurities do you need to give to God? Have you ever allowed the need for affirmation, approval, financial success to justify your disobedience? If you choose those over God’s instructions, it may succeed in public, but in your quiet time with God, you will know you missed His mark.
