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Imagine working for a very demanding boss for eighty years of your life. Not only do you work for him, but you are his top manager. Yes, you are the top dog to whom everyone else has to answer. But there is a problem. Your fellow employees are some of the most stubborn, recalcitrant people you have ever met! Trying to get them to cooperate with each other, as well as with you, is a next-to-impossible feat which has resulted in years of frustration on your part.

Finally, one day you have had enough of their poor behavior. Your boss had given you a specific set of instructions, and in a moment of anger and frustration, as you carried out his instructions in front of your employees, you made a mistake. Well, it may not have seemed all that bad to you, but your boss was rather livid about it. In fact, after working for him for about eighty years, you were surprised to discover that not only were you not being given the cherished golden watch, but neither were you allowed to go to the traditional annual office party. Why not? Because of that one mistake.

If you are familiar with the Bible, then you have probably already made the connection between the previous paragraphs, and the title of this article. Many people -- Christian and non-Christian alike -- are familiar with the story of Moses, as found in the holy books of Christians and Jews, as well as in the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an, or Koran.

As the following group of verses reveal, the aforementioned "office employees" really represent the stubborn Israelites who constantly gave Moses a headache, due to their continual whining and complaining. They were too hot. There wasn't any food to eat. There was no water to drink, and yadda, yadda, yadda. Of course, while Moses and his brother Aaron didn't miss out on receiving a golden watch, or in attending the traditional annual office party, because of the mistake they made at the waters of Meribah, neither of them was permitted to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. Consider these verses:

"And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?"


"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. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? 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. 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. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto 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. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 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? 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. 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. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them . . . And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah."


"And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin."


"And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: Because ye trespassed against me 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. Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel."


"They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips."


"Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved [tested] thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah."


It is commonly believed that the sin which was committed by Moses and Aaron was their lack of faith. It is assumed that while it is not clearly stated in the Scriptures, the reason why God instructed Moses to take his rod with him, was so that he could strike the rock with it. However, please note that these verses only instruct Moses to speak to the rock. There is nothing about actually striking the rock, although that would seem to be the purpose for taking the rod with them.

So if Moses was only supposed to speak to the rock in order for God to reveal His power, then their sin would be that they demonstrated anger, impatience and a lack of faith by actually striking the rock. In other words, it would have been a greater miracle to the Israelites -- and given God more glory -- if Moses had only spoken to the rock. However, instead of doing that, as we see, he actually physically struck the rock twice. There was direct human intervention in the miracle, and perhaps that is not what God intended. That could possibly be why God told Moses and Aaron that they had not sanctified Him before the people.

The previous paragraph is just one possible explanation of the events. Another possibility is provided by a hint that is found in Psalm 106:33 above, where we are told that Moses "spake unadvisedly with his lips". In other words, this may be referring to the fact that Moses spoke out of frustration and in a spirit of anger. In fact, I got curious about this word "unadvisedly", so I decided to look it up. According to the Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Hebrew Aramaic English Lexicon, it is derived from the Hebrew word "baw-taw'". This word means to speak rashly, angrily or thoughtlessly.

Based on the following Scriptures we also find in the Bible, Moses speaking in this manner would clearly be considered a poor reflection of the Lord, because the Scriptures inform us that the Lord is slow to anger, as we see by this group of verses:

"And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not."


"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them."


"The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy."


"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."


"The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."


"And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil."


"And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil."


So again, due to his own frustration with those stubborn, whining Israelites, Moses spoke in anger to them, which was not a true reflection of the Lord's character. Thus, this could also be the reason why God told Moses and Aaron that they had not sanctified Him before the congregation. As we have seen, as a result of this one mistake, the Lord didn't permit either of them to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. Following are a few related verses regarding controlling our emotions, watching our words, and being slow to speak:

"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls."


"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few."


"For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."


"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath . . . If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain."


But upon digging a little deeper into the Scriptures with regards to this incident, I made another very interesting discovery. If Moses spoke "unadvisedly" -- that is, rashly, angrily or thoughtlessly -- exactly which were the words which specifically offended the Lord, so much so that He would not allow either Moses or Aaron to enter the land of Canaan? Well, consider again what Numbers 20:10 says:

"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?"


There it is! It is in that one sentence where we find the sin which may have offended the Lord the most. I was just reminded of another verse that is found in the Book of Proverbs. Consider the following:

"In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips ‭is‭ wise.‭"


In the above verse, the word "wanteth" is translated from the Hebrew word "khaw-dal'". One of the meanings of this word is to cease. So what the verse is actually saying is that in the multitude of words, sin will not cease. Stated another way, if we speak long enough, sin will be found in our words. It is just our sinful human nature.

So exactly what sin is found in the words which were spoken by Moses? Well, aside from being angry, Moses clearly said "must we fetch you water out of this rock?" Do you see it? Let me repeat that for you, but this time emphasizing one particular word: "must WE fetch you water out of this rock?" You see? Moses didn't say "must the Lord fetch you water out of this rock?". He in fact said "must we". In other words, he was referring to Aaron and himself. Moses was NOT giving glory to God. I could be wrong, but perhaps due to his anger and frustration, Moses spoke rashly, and seems to possibly be taking credit to himself and to Aaron; and that would certainly anger the Lord, who the Scriptures inform us is a very jealous God. To Him alone belongs the glory. Consider the following group of sample verses which emphasize these two important points:

"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: FOR I THE LORD THY GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;"


"For thou shalt worship no other god: FOR THE LORD, WHOSE NAME IS JEALOUS, IS A JEALOUS GOD:"


"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, EVEN A JEALOUS GOD."


"Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: FOR I THE LORD THY GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,"


"(FOR THE LORD THY GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth."


"I am the LORD: that is my name: and MY GLORY WILL I NOT GIVE TO ANOTHER, neither my praise to graven images."


"Therefore LET NO MAN GLORY IN MEN. For all things are yours;"


"But he that glorieth, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth . . . Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."


"But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."


"Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."


"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."


So as I said, the fact that Moses said "we" -- meaning Aaron and himself -- could be what triggered God's anger against them; so much so that He would not allow either of them to enter the Promised Land of Canaan.

On the other hand, if -- as some of the previous verses seem to imply -- Moses was supposed to strike the rock, then his sin may have possibly been that in his anger and impatience, he struck it twice, instead of just one time. Perhaps he was just supposed to strike it once, and then wait for the Lord to perform the miracle. Instead, he struck it twice. Either way, these actions on the part of Moses and Aaron so angered the Lord, that neither of them would ever enter the Promised Land of Canaan. Personally, I am more inclined to believe that it was the fact that Moses said "we", instead of "the Lord", which angered God the most.

But there is still one lingering question in my mind, and that is this: Why was Aaron punished? To be quite honest, I am not one hundred per cent certain regarding this issue, so I will have to add a small bit of personal speculation for your consideration. Perhaps it was because in addition to being the high priest, Aaron was likewise Moses' official spokesman or mouthpiece. As a result, God held them both equally accountable. Even this thought ties right back into what I said earlier regarding Moses saying "we", instead of "the Lord".

If there is one lesson we can learn from this story -- which I also emphasize in the seven-part series called "The Fruits of Disobedience -- it is that it's no small matter to disobey the Lord; particularly when you are one of His very public leaders, as Moses and Aaron were. When He gives instructions, He expects us to carry them out to the letter. As I mention elsewhere, even delayed obedience could be considered total disobedience in the Lord's eyes. Procrastination is also a sign of a lack of faith.

A second important lesson we can learn from the story of the children of Israel wandering in the desert for forty years, is that while God may endure it for a while, eventually, He will grow tired of our constant lack of faith and obedience, and our constant whining and complaining. As we know, those sins resulted in the entire older generation of Israelites dying in the wilderness during those forty years. The Bible has quite a bit to say regarding murmuring and having a lack of faith. Consider the following group of verses:

"Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands."


"Neither murmur ye, as some of them [ancient Israelites] also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer."


"And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?"


"And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger."


"And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?"


"And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt . . . “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land,"


"But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD. And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces."


"Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God: And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us."


"Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through. Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction."


"And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration."


"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"


"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."


"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."


"These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit."


"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."


While Moses and Aaron may not have been permitted to enter the physical land of Canaan, nevertheless, we know that when their earthly lives did end, at some point, they both entered into Glory. We know this for a fact, because in the Gospel of Luke we find the following verses:

"And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him."


Now if Moses appeared in Glory, it would seem obvious that his brother Aaron is in Glory as well. Furthermore, in the Book of Revelation, we are informed that a great multitude sings the song of Moses before the Throne of God. Consider these two verses:

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."


So who needs a gold watch, an annual office party, or a good retirement plan, when you've got a wonderful future waiting for you in the Halls of Heaven as a born-again, saved child of God? Following are some more verses to inspire your heart:

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."


"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."


"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."


"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."


"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:"


Someday, we too shall each enter into that wonderful Glory!

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

Accusations of Antisemitism: My Personal Response
Backsliding, Divine Chastisement and the Divine Agreement
Beholding the Evil and the Good
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: A Warning to Modern Society
Do You Want Love and Light, or Rod and Wrath?
God's Mercy, Judgment and Fallen Angels
Love, Mercy, Forgiveness and Chastisement
Oh Israel, Why Will Ye Die?
The Fruits of Disobedience
The Judgment of Angels, Demons and Men
This Little Light, Glory of the Lord and Our Bright Future

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