We go back to the Old Testament for this week's installment in the "Go and . . ." series, which has already gone on about two months longer than I thought it would—and I have three more planned before we close (then I will turn all these posts into a book). In Numbers, the Lord spoke to Moses as he was about to die:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin) (Numbers 27:12-14).
This story is a mix of human failure and God's grace, so let's examine it more closely to see what we can learn that will help us in our pursuit of purpose and productivity.
THE FAILURE
In Numbers 20, we read why Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land with his people:
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. 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 (Numbers 20:9-12).
What was so wrong with what Moses did when he struck the rock? In essence, the Lord told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come forth. Instead, Moses struck the rock, which we learn later was actually Christ: "They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:3-4). Moses made it appear that God was angry (He was not) and also made it look like it was Moses, through his act of striking the rock, who was bringing the water forth. For this misrepresentation of God's intent at a time in his life when Moses knew better, he was barred from entering the Land.
THE GRACE
God did not completely banish Moses, but instead allowed him to see the land he was unable to enter, and that was an act of God's grace:
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16).
When Moses saw the land, he welcomed the promise of God and in a sense, he entered into the joy of the Promised Land as if he was in it. It didn't stop there, however, for centuries later, he paid another visit to a mountain in that same land, this time to encourage and strengthen Jesus: "Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem" (Luke 9:30-31). Moses came back to see the most important promise of God, which was not about a physical land, but a spiritual restoration to be accomplished through Christ's death and resurrection. Moses' failure could not stop God's grace when he was alive and even after he was gone.
THE LESSONS
What is God showing you? Can you receive it in faith and thank Him for it, even though it has not come to pass? I have written a verse-by-verse commentary on the entire New Testament, and it has sold very few copies. It has been on my website for years, free of charge, and I don't know how many people in the world have accessed it. Why did I do it (it took me nine years) and why do I take pains to publish it (requiring another five years at my own expense)? I do so because one day, perhaps after I am gone, God can and will use those commentaries. They are part of a "Live the Word" series, and are presented in a devotional format to not only help people understand the Word, but also to apply it to daily life. I have seen the promise and welcomed it from afar, and in a sense, my books are a gift to God to use (or not) as He sees fit.
God has probably already taken you up to a high place to see your Promised Land. I encourage you to enjoy and savor the view, but realize it is not just to be a spiritual experience. It is to be a reality to be cherished now and in the age to come. Have a blessed week!
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