This week we’re going to be tracing Sunday’s theme of rest through the passages and stories that Hebrews 4 alludes to.
Numbers 20:2-11
2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. […] 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no corn or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!’
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell face down, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 ‘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 that they and their livestock can drink.’ […]
11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
This is the story where it all went wrong for Moses that Hebrews and Psalm 95 look back to (very abbreviated, why not read the whole chapter!) The people’s continued grumbling and Moses’ petulance in striking the rock were the point where their repeated lack of trust leading to disobedience crossed the line meaning that generation would not enter the Promised Land and God’s rest. They had moved from looking at God but sometimes failing, to looking away.
Father, forgive me for those times when I have failed to trust you and be obedient. Help me to resist this becoming habitual, and instead fix my eyes on Jesus and follow him.
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