Avoiding Costly Mistakes at All Costs - Anger
Numbers 20:1-13
Pastor Don Jones
West Glendale Baptist Church
The past week we began a series entitled "Avoiding Costly Mistakes at All Costs". We looked at the three ways of learning: formal education, the school of hard knocks, and others mistakes. We generally agreed that it was easier to learn from the mistakes of others.
Our scripture centered around Abram’s mistake of not waiting on God to fulfill His promise of a child heir. In his haste he chose plan agreed upon by him and Sarai. The result was a costly mistake that took its toll on four lives immediately, and countless others in history. Again we are going to learn from the mistake of another "man of God" who led the people of Israel out of Egypt. His name is Moses.
Cue slide - Deja Vu
We find the Israelites at the very point where sentence was passed thirty seven to thirty eight years before. The sentence of God was that the generation that rebelled would wander in the desert for forty years and most, with the exception of two we know of, would die there. Verse 1 reads,
In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
I am sure that everyone in the assembly knew what sin was committed and why judgment had taken place. Yet we find this new generation repeating the doubt and sin of the previous.
As parents, we are reminded how much our attitudes and actions shape our children. I know I find myself repeating phrases and having the same attitudes of both my father and mother. I am thankful that for the most part they portrayed good qualities. Perhaps this would be the time to commit to change or continuance in your words and deeds.
Cue slide- The People’s Quarrel and Lack of Faith
I do know that this Israelite generation learned the previous generation’s mantra well. Verses 2-6 state,
Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! Why did you bring the LORD’S community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
Their words are an exact copy of their parents words found throughout the book of Exodus and Numbers. Again, we find the nation without water. It was a life threatening problem for both human and animal in the middle of the desert.
They should have remembered what occurred years before. They should have remembered the miracle of water from the rock. Unfortunately, like us, they quickly forgot about God’s provision and God’s miracles of the past. Instead, they looked at their own resources. They knew they would die in a matter of days and immediately they turned for the umpteenth time not to Moses, but on Moses. They gathered in opposition to Moses, God’s representative among them, and quarreled with him. I honestly couldn’t count the number of times they had done this exact same thing.
If you notice, finally, after much quarreling and I’m sure, murmuring, they addressed the root of the problem. How many other petty issues did they complain about in their self pitying mood, we don’t know, but I am sure it took them awhile to get to this point? Look at the word "and" in verse 5,
Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
They finally got to the root of the problem. Simply put, among all the other complaints, there was no water. They should have known God would not allow them to perish for lack of water. Surely He would have annihilated all of them if He was going to for they started the journey, and continued the journey whining, complaining, and being faithless.
Cue slide - Seeking Guidance
Moses and Aaron I would imagine were fed up at this point. They left, and verse 6 says,
Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
Like so many times before Moses and Aaron sought a solution not from their resources but turned to the Lord for the answer. They did what they were supposed to do and turned to God for the answer. They went to God’s but there was something different this time.
The interesting phrase that needs to be mentioned is, "The glory of the LORD". This particular designation usually, if not always, signifies God’s anger toward His people. The people were showing their lack of faith and trust in God again and I believe God is revealing not only His presence, might, and majesty but His anger toward them. Simply put, God was angry.
Cue Slide - The Solution
God reveals to Moses and Aaron the solution to the problem with very specific instructions. Moses carried out these instructions before but this time there are a few changes. The first account of "rock water" is in Exodus 17:5-7 and it says,
Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
The instruction to Moses this time is different, it says in verses 7-8,
The LORD said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
Notice the difference in the command. Moses was to speak to the rock and God would bring forth the water. Same God, same staff, virtually the same place, and some have suggested the same rock, but a new generation and a different outcome. Notice what Moses does to carry out the instructions of the Lord, verses 9-11,
So Moses took the staff from the LORD’S presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
Cue slide - The Costly Mistake(s)
Moses was to speak to the rock but instead he struck the rock not once, but twice. Most of us can rest our minds; breathe a sigh of relief because we know we will most likely not be called on to bring forth water from a rock. But I believe there are some underlying problems that are not readily apparent but are common to us all.
First, it was obvious that he was disobedient to God when he struck the rock twice instead of speaking to the rock. He must have thought, as some have suggested, that speaking would have been inadequate in some way. Knobel comments, "He then struck the rock twice with the rod, “as if it depended upon human exertion, and not upon the power of God alone,” or as if the promise of God “would not have been fulfilled without all the smiting on his part”.
Second, and I believe the primary reason for his disobedience, Moses got angry. Who could blame him? Whenever anyone had a problem they would begin to murmur and quarrel with him. As God’s representative, he took the heat for anything that went wrong. If someone got a hangnail or stubbed a toe he was blame. Moses had to be a powerhouse in the faith because few could have endured the constant barrage. He says to the people, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Notice the word "we" meaning he and Aaron. I understand his anger, but in his anger he sinned grievously. He took the credit from God by turning the attention to himself. In his anger, he sinned. One commentator put it this way. "Moses directs the people not, as ought to have been the case, to God as their deliverer, but to Moses and Aaron personally."
Third, he was frustrated and worn out. He was relying on his own power and not God thus demonstrating not outright disobedience or faithlessness, but a monetary slip, a wavering of what should have been unshakable faith in God to bring water from the rock. Again Knobel says, "Worn out with the numerous temptations, (Moses) allowed himself to be overcome, so that he stumbled, and did not sanctify the Lord before the eyes of the people, as he ought to have done. Aaron also wavered along with Moses, inasmuch as he did nothing to prevent Moses’ fall." A pastor once said to me, "Lack of rest (sleep) makes cowards of us all." It was certainly true in the case of Moses here.
Cue slide - The Cost
The cost of his anger and ensuing disobedience was high. For almost eighty years he had been God’s chosen leader in reaching "the promised land". Scripture says the judgment was swift. Verse 12 reads,
But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
The cost of being disobedient in front of the people; Moses forfeited his right to lead them to the "promised land". You might say that is a high price to pay for the sin but we need to understand that Moses claimed the glory meant for God. He was no longer qualified to lead them. I am sure the people said that was the reason they were in the situation they found themselves. "It was his fault all along".
Cue slide - How to Avoid This Costly Mistake
How do we avoid this costly mistake? First, do what God says. Do you come to church on a regular basis and hear God’s word and do you forget it before you walk out the door or better yet, do you not even listen while you are here? We are to read, study, and do the Word of God. James writes in 1:22,
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Once God reveals something to us, we are to carry it out. It is very easy to bend the word and ignore those parts we find difficult. It is also easy to get caught up with those we are with and begin believing in the world’s wisdom.
Second, we are to get the rest we need. All of us have the same amount of time in the day. We might have different houses, cars, wages, jobs, ethnicity, but we all have 24 hours at the start of every day. Some of that time needs to be spent refreshing yourself in two ways. One is being alone with God in prayer and reading. The other is sleeping. All of us are susceptible to fatigue. Even Jesus went off to be alone. How much more is it needed in our life?
Third, do not sin in your anger. All of us will get angry but it is how we deal with our anger that matters. Our actions in anger do not represent God’s will in our life. Again James says,
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
Fourth, give all the glory to the Lord. He is the reason for successes in our lives. He deserves the credit for all that we do that honors him. Give Him the glory through praise and adoration. I wonder if David was remembering Moses mistake when he penned Psalm 34:1-4. It says,
I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Finally, put all your trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Moses gave less than was expected. He didn’t give "enough". Jesus wants it all, a living sacrifice with nothing held back because He gave it all for us. John 14: 6 says,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus will lead us to "the promised land" if we will put our faith and trust in him. Romans 10:9-13 says,
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Avoiding Costly Mistakes - Anger 8-25-2006
Numbers 20:1-13 WGBC
I. Deja Vu
They had been there before 37-38 years ago
The judgment had been passed
II. Lack of Faith and Quarreling
Repeated parent’s complaint
No water, a deadly problem
Forgot God’s miracles of the past
III. Seeking Guidance and God’s Solution
Moses and Aaron sought God
Glory of the Lord equals anger of God
Speak to the rock don’t strike it
IV. Costly Mistake
Moses struck the rock 2 x’s
He was angry with the people
He was wore out and tired
V. The Cost
Will not lead people to "promised land"
VI. How to Avoid This Mistake
Do what God says
Get rest through sleep and going to God’s presence
Do not sin in your anger
Give God ALL the glory
Put your trust and faith in Jesus
