Numbers 20:2–13

Miriam the prophetess dies, and this kind of testimony comes to an end. Israel grows old, so to speak, in the wilderness. The voice that sang songs of triumph in coming up from the depths of the Red Sea is now silent in the tomb. Also they lacked water. The journey was still prolonged. Their resources were not increasing. On the contrary, the joy and testimony they once had was fading away. They gather themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

But now the prophetess passes off the scene, and the voice of melody is exchanged for the voice of murmuring. Wilderness life is becoming hard. The trials of the desert put nature to the test; they bring out what is in the heart. Forty years of toil and hardship make a great change in people... It is in the actual details, the hard realities of our path through this world, that we prove what God is. He uses the very trials of the way to make Himself known to us in all the sweetness and tenderness of a love that never changes.

Here the people, having no water, began to quarrel with Moses... There is nothing too base even for one who belongs to God, when God is not before his eyes.

Moses was their appointed leader, so for the people he was the Lord's representative. To quarrel with him was to quarrel with the Lord. To complain of their hardships was in fact to doubt, if not to deny, the Lord's presence... This shows how serious the sin of murmuring at the trials of the wilderness is. It also teaches us that the essence of all such complaint is doubting whether the Lord is with us.

Here we see the new generation tried before the close, as the old had been at the beginning of Exodus. Now as then there was no water.

This was a deeply trying moment for the spirit of Moses. We can form no idea of what it must have been to face six hundred thousand murmurers. He had to listen to their bitter attacks and hear himself blamed for all the troubles their own unbelief had dreamed up. All this was no ordinary test of patience. No wonder that dear and honoured servant found the occasion too much for him.

But what can Moses and Aaron do? They have no resources in themselves; they can only cast it before the Lord.

Unbelief once more prevailed, and there was quarrelling instead. They blamed Moses for having brought them to an "evil place." Of course they did not have the pleasant fruits of the promised land, because they had refused to go up into it and were suffering God's discipline in the wilderness. Again, and for the fourth time, the leaders fell on their faces, putting themselves out of sight as far as possible. Then the glory of the Lord appeared — not this time for judgment, as in Numbers 16, but for mercy.

"Take the rod," says God — He knows of no other now — "and speak to the rock, and it will yield its water." There is nothing to do but show the sign of grace... and speak the word, and the needs of the people will be met at once.

But now the prophetess passes off the scene, and the voice of melody is exchanged for the voice of murmuring. Life in the wilderness is becoming tiresome. The trials of the desert put nature to the test; they bring out what is in the heart. Forty years of toil and hardship make a great change in people. It is very rare to find spiritual life still fresh through all the stages of Christian life and warfare. Rarer still is a life where that freshness grows. It ought not to be such a rarity. It ought to be the very opposite, because it is in the real details, the hard realities of our path through this world, that we prove what God is.

There is nothing too base for one even belonging to God when God is not before his eyes.

At Kadesh Miriam disappeared and so did the singing, for there was no water. Unbelief once more prevailed and there was quarrelling instead. They blamed Moses for having brought them to an "evil place." Of course they had not got the pleasing fruits of the promised land. They had refused to go up into it, and they were suffering God's disciplinary action in the wilderness. Again, and for the fourth time, the leaders fell on their faces, so putting themselves out of sight as far as possible. Then the glory of the Lord appeared — not for judgment now, as it was in Numbers 16, but for mercy.

It was really, as we would say, against the infinite grace of our Lord Jesus. This is what answers to it in the antitype. This might seem strong to say of Christians. But whenever trials come and circumstances take us over, are we not doing the same? Do you think the Lord does not know what troubles us? Do you think the Lord does not send it for our good? … The main point for us to look at is the good hand of the Lord, no matter what it is. The true way to do this is to count on the Lord Jesus ordering everything. He is the One who deals with us, whatever the instrument and whatever the circumstances.

Murmuring comes up. This is the very beginning of division — murmuring. Have I been guilty of it? Have you? Any complaints — that spirit of complaint? Remember, that spirit of complaint actually is against God! Think of it! It's as much as to say, "God is not caring for me as He ought to." Or, "God is not caring for the assembly as He ought to." Instead of having the spirit of complaint, oh, let us have the spirit of intercession.

It was a sweet relief for Moses to escape from a crowd in uproar and go to the only One whose resources were enough to meet such an occasion… On this occasion they do not appear to have made any reply to the people. They "went from the presence of the assembly" and cast themselves upon the living God. They could not possibly have done better… God's treasury is absolutely inexhaustible. He can never fail a trusting heart. Let us remember this. God delights to be used. He never grows weary of ministering to the need of His people. If we always kept this in mind, we would hear less of the tones of impatience and discontent, and more of the sweet language of thankfulness and praise.

But now the prophetess passes off the scene, and the voice of melody is exchanged for the voice of murmuring. Wilderness life is becoming irksome. The trials of the desert put nature to the test; they bring out what is in the heart. Forty years of toil and travail make a great change in people. It is very rare to find spiritual life keeping its freshness, still less growing, through all the stages of Christian life and warfare.

Come what may, He will prove Himself equal to every emergency. His patient grace can bear with our many weaknesses, failures, and shortcomings. His strength is made perfect in our utter weakness. His faithfulness never fails. Friends fail or pass away. Fellow workers part company. Miriams and Aarons die; but God remains.

God had heard the murmurings of the children of Israel against Him. They may say they were complaining only against Moses and Aaron, but what were those two except representatives of God? So Moses insists that their murmurings were not against Moses and Aaron, but against the Lord.

Murmuring comes up. Have I been guilty of it? Have you? Any complaints — that spirit of complaint? Remember, that spirit of complaint actually is against God! Think of it! It is as much as to say, "God is not caring for me as He ought to." Or, "God is not caring for the assembly as He ought to." Instead of having the spirit of complaint, let us have the spirit of intercession.

At Kadesh Miriam disappeared and so did the singing, for there was no water. Unbelief once more prevailed and there was complaining instead. They blamed Moses for having brought them to an "evil place." Of course they had not got the pleasing fruits of the promised land. They had refused to go up into it, and they were suffering God's discipline in the wilderness.

Just as they complained when water was lacking at the first of their journey, so now, nearing the end, they complain again. How little we learn through experience! The people accused Moses and Aaron of bringing them into the wilderness to die. They forget that they had refused to enter the land of plenty. They become bitter because the wilderness does not supply every advantage and comfort. In this they are simply forgetting God.

It was a sweet relief for Moses to escape from a noisy crowd. He went to the only One whose resources were enough to meet such an occasion. They fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. They do not appear, on this occasion, to have attempted any reply to the people. They went away from the presence of the assembly and cast themselves on the living God. They could not possibly have done better.

No wonder Moses and Aaron fell on their faces at such low unbelief. But the glory of the Lord appeared. Without a reproach the Lord said to Moses, "Take the rod ... and speak to the rock before their eyes."

"Take the rod," says God — He knows of no other now — "and speak to the rock, and it shall give forth its water." There is nothing to do but show the sign of grace and speak the word. The people's needs are then met at once.

There was no water for the people, and they gathered together against Moses and against Aaron. In truth, as we would say, it was against the infinite grace of our Lord Jesus. Israel's story is a picture, and this is what it matches in the reality it points to. This may seem a strong thing to say about Christians. But whenever trials come and we are taken up with our circumstances, are we not doing the same? Do you think the Lord does not know what troubles us? Do you think the Lord does not send it for our good?

At Kadesh Miriam disappeared and so did the singing, for there was no water. Unbelief won the day again, and complaining took the place of song. They blamed Moses for bringing them to an "evil place." Of course they did not have the pleasant fruits of the promised land. They had refused to go up into it, and they were under God's discipline in the wilderness.

The truth about the wilderness is not a pleasant thing in itself. It is a bitter one. Its good lies in the need that brings God in. The wilderness is where God displays His power and His love in the most wonderful way, but it is the need of the people that draws that out. Had the wilderness brought forth bread for them, there would have been no bread from heaven. Had it produced water, there would have been no need for the water from the rock. God's supplies are not measured out to match the need. The need is only what calls them out. They go far beyond it. The supply overflows.

In the wilderness there is nothing to see, nothing to look at; and something to look at was just what Israel wanted... They felt their own importance, and forgot the Lord; they had the blessing, and did not want the Lord of the blessing... And is not this true of the church of God? We bring in self, which is only a broken cistern, and depart from Him, who is the living fountain and power of blessing.

Israel complained that they had no water, and even that only shows the interest, the care, the love and the provision of the LORD... let no one turn away and say we do not act like them, because that is the tendency of all our hearts every moment. The thing that tests us is the wilderness; the circumstances of the way are the very things that bring out what is in us. If our eyes are on the living God, we can stand the pressure of wilderness circumstances; if not, we break down.

No wonder Moses and Aaron fell on their faces at such shameful unbelief. But the glory of the LORD appeared. Without a word of reproach the LORD said to Moses, "Take the rod, and gather the assembly together, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give its water."

Aaron may die, Miriam may die, Israel may complain, the waters may fail. As far as earth goes, there is nothing the eye can rest on. But the Rock and the Rod are the same.

Miriam the prophetess dies; that kind of testimony comes to an end. Israel grows old, so to speak, in the wilderness. The voice that sang songs of triumph as they came up from the depths of the Red Sea is silent in the tomb. They also lacked water. The journey was still prolonged. The resources were far from increasing. Instead, what joy and testimony there had been was vanishing. They gather themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. God directs them to the provision He had made against murmurings. If we have just seen His holiness, we now see His resources and His blessing.

It was a sweet relief for Moses to escape from a noisy crowd. He turned to the only One whose resources were enough to meet such an occasion. "They fell on their faces, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them." On this occasion they do not appear to have made any reply to the people. They "went from the presence of the assembly" and cast themselves on the living God. They could not possibly have done better. Who but the God of all grace could meet the ten thousand needs of wilderness life? … God's treasury is absolutely inexhaustible. He can never fail a trusting heart. Let us remember this. God delights to be used. He never grows weary of ministering to the need of His people.

Moses, you know, did this first. The congregation gathered themselves to murmur. How good to see that Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the congregation to the door of the tabernacle. And they fell on their faces before God. This is what we deeply need — that spirit of intercession. Would to God that we all had it. Here we see the responsibility of one person for the welfare of everyone. Let our souls take it to heart.

The human heart remains the same. The new generation raises the same murmurings, reproaches, and questions all over again. Moses and Aaron fall on their faces. This time they are not before the congregation, as on other occasions, but "at the entrance of the tent of meeting." The glory of the Lord appears to them, this time not to consume the people but to act in grace. Such grace would be shown on the basis of the priesthood, confirmed through the life shown in Aaron's rod.

"And the glory of the LORD appeared to them." How blessed this was for Moses! And this is especially our portion now. Whatever the confusion, whatever the trial, whatever the circumstances, the glory of the Lord appears the moment we get before Him. This is what God places before us, for the comfort and support of our souls.

No other nation had seen the glory of God, though, sadly, it usually appeared in answer to the rebellion and murmuring of Israel. How much more blessed for the disciples to see the glory of the Son of God shining through the human veil (John 1:14). And how much more blessed for us to see the glory of God unveiled in the face of Jesus in heaven (2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:4–6).

Also they lacked water. The journey was still prolonged. The resources were far from increasing; on the contrary, what there had been of joy and testimony was vanishing. They gather themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. God directs them to the provision He had made against murmurings. If we have just witnessed His holiness, we see now His resources and His blessing.

It is deeply touching to find Moses, again and again, on his face before God. It was a sweet relief to escape from a noisy crowd and turn to the only One whose resources were enough for such a moment... As far as we can tell, they made no reply to the people at all. "They went from the presence of the assembly" and cast themselves upon the living God. They could not possibly have done better.

God told Moses and Aaron to take "the rod." This was clearly Aaron's rod that had budded. Moses took it "from before the Lord," where Numbers 17 says it had been stored.

"Take the rod," says God — He knows of no other now — "and speak to the rock, and it shall give forth its water." There is nothing to do but show the sign of grace... and speak the word, and the people's needs are met at once. This was not exactly the grace that had followed the people from the Red Sea to Sinai. Nor was it authority punishing sin. It was grace taking priestly knowledge of sin and needs.

The first time the people needed water, the rock had to be struck (Exodus 17). That pictured the Lord's death on the cross. But blessing ever after would and does flow from His intercession as our High Priest on high. So in Numbers 20 Moses was to take Aaron's rod, and with it in his hand simply speak to the rock. The rod spoke to God of the future high priesthood of His Son. The whole scene pictured in advance the blessing of the Lord's active intercession for the people.

We have apostolic authority for believing that the rock is Christ. In Exodus, God directed that the rock be struck — struck by Moses' rod of judgment... In Numbers it is the opposite. God told Moses to take the rod, that is, Aaron's rod of priestly grace from before Jehovah. He and Aaron were to speak to the rock in front of the people, and it would give water.

But Moses takes the rod as God commanded, and the rebellion of the people has soured him. He thinks of his authority and their rebellion. He does not grasp the counsels of grace, and speaks rashly: "Must we fetch you water out of this rock?"... The rebellion of the people and the contempt of his authority have got a firmer hold on his mind than the understanding of the grace of God. He strikes the rock with his rod.

The rock was struck once; that never needs to happen again. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." No need for that to be repeated... Ever after, all that is needed is to "speak to the Rock." The ministry of the Word ministers Christ to us in the refreshing power of the Holy Spirit.

God told Moses to take the rod and gather the congregation together. Then he was to speak to the rock in front of them, and it would give water for the people and for the animals (v.8). Moses therefore took the rod from before the Lord (v.9). This was Aaron's rod that budded (ch.17:10), the rod of priesthood. No doubt Moses remembered that he had used a rod before to bring water from a rock (Ex. 17:5). But that was not Aaron's rod. It was the rod of Moses, the rod of authority and judgment, and God told him to strike the rock with it. In that case, the striking speaks of Christ being judged at Calvary for our sins.

There was, also, Aaron's rod that budded, the witness that God had really called him to the priesthood. It was a rod cut off, its life taken away. Then, in the presence of God, it budded and brought forth fruit. It is a beautiful picture of how Christ, cut off in death, brings forth much fruit in resurrection — and so is marked out as the true Priest.

There was no need for Christ to be struck twice. Once was enough, and rivers of life-giving water flowed to us. Moses stood for God with the rod of priestly grace in his hand. So, on God's behalf, he had only to speak, and the waters would be given again. When our "great high priest … passed through the heavens" (Heb. 4:14), He was, so to speak, laid up before the Lord. Then the word was spoken, and what abundant waters flowed from Him in the gift of the Spirit, as recorded in Acts 2.

God called Aaron's rod "the rod." The other was set aside. They were never under that rod again. It is Christ for us, or nothing. It is only a word now, and every blessing flows. To smite the rock again would be the same as saying, because we fail Christ must die again. It is denying grace to say that anything is needed now except intercession.

There was no misunderstanding. "Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock." From this point on, however, everything was wrong. Moses was provoked by the great ingratitude and revolt of the people, and he "spoke rashly with his lips." "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" Who asked this of him? Moses was overcome by evil instead of overcoming evil with good.

Neither of them had learned the meaning of "the" rod. In anger Moses took his own rod, but what right had he to be angry when God would show only mercy? Both he and Aaron must die in the wilderness. … God remembered mercy, Moses thought of their sin. God looked at the rod as a pledge of grace, Moses saw only the "token."

Moses did not count on God's grace, which was all that was needed. But does God stop His grace because of this? Does He stop the water flowing to quench their thirst? No, He does not. He comes in Himself when the one who should act fails. He will act according to the rod He appointed, if Moses does not.

Moses did take the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him. But when he and Aaron gathered the people, he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels!" Instead of speaking to the rock he speaks to them. He was not told to do so.

He was so jealous for his authority that for the moment he forgot his own place as a servant. "Shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" Where was the honour due to God in that word "WE"? No one was as meek as Moses. But here he failed, and he did not honour God as holy in the eyes of the people. His own place and authority filled his mind: there was no room at that moment for the thought of grace.

He acted in defence of the holiness of God when he broke the tablets in pieces at the foot of the mountain. His anger burned hot, yet his behaviour fitted the command, "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger." But when Moses raised his rod to strike the rock and said, "You rebels," his anger had sunk far lower. He was no longer defending the character of God, as he had done before. He now laid himself open to God's righteous anger, because he acted in direct opposition to His word and will.

The rebellion of the people and the contempt of his authority have got a firmer hold on his mind than the intelligence of the grace of God.

His sin was simply this: he gave a false picture of God to Israel. He misrepresented God to a rebellious people... God was acting towards Israel in the boundless grace of His own heart. It was grace, and priestly grace too, because only priestly grace can bring a complaining people through the wilderness. But Moses, instead of taking the rod, takes his own rod, the rod of judgment and government... he stood before the people the very contrast to that character in which God was dealing with them.

He did not serve in God's way. So his service was not acceptable. It displeased the Lord so much that he was not allowed to go into the land because of it... The failure was very great. He did not obey the Lord's plain command, and he also spoiled the picture. That picture was surely meant to teach us that the rock, once struck, need never be struck again. It would give out refreshing streams at the cry of faith, as we now know Christ.

We see, then, how angry God is with those who interfere with His ways in grace and dare to try to block its flow, whether towards saints or sinners. So God let Moses strike the rock, but He did not let that sin stop the tide of His grace. That grace rose higher than the sins of His people — including the sin of His servant Moses.

Oh, learn, I beg you, to choke your anger. Weep over your folly and sin in the presence of God. Be firm in your efforts to control the workings of your passions within. Firmly refuse to open your lips to say your words while they are red hot. Let them cool, or else like Moses you will speak rashly with your lips.

God told Moses to take the rod laid up before the Lord, which was Aaron's rod that had budded, and with it to speak to the rock, and the water would gush out. He struck the rock in disobedience. The water came out in grace, but he suffered for his act. What Moses no doubt did not understand then is plain to us now. Blessing flows to us only on the ground of the Lord's death. But He died only once. So on the first occasion when water was needed the rock was to be struck, a picture of the Lord's death on the cross. But blessing ever after would and does flow from His intercession as our High Priest on high.

There can be no repetition of the death of Christ; and so Moses was wrong to strike the rock twice with his rod — wrong to strike it at all. He was commanded to take "the rod," Aaron's rod, the priestly rod, and speak to the rock. The atoning work is done. Now our great High Priest has passed into the heavens, to appear in the presence of God for us. The streams of spiritual refreshment flow to us on the ground of accomplished redemption.

Moses has forgotten the rod. What is Moses? Nothing; he has no power to fetch water from the rock, and he has forgotten the present power of God, the only thing that could enable him to do it. He has forgotten God; he is thinking about himself. Here we see again the sin of our hearts, using the very grace God has given us for the purpose of self-exaltation, to say "we."

He who had so long lived as the meekest of men failed in this very respect at last. God was magnifying His mercy and calling attention plainly to the truth that nothing but priestly grace could bring an erring people through. At that moment Moses gave way to natural resentment and asserted his own authority. He had sunk to their level, instead of hiding himself, as faith would have done, behind the grace of God.

He had been told to speak to the rock; but he strikes it twice, as though divine power needed to be backed up by human energy. Yet still "the water came out." God's faithfulness is not touched by the failure of His servant... God may be using someone's ministry for the blessing of others at the very moment when He is about to discipline that same person.

At the water of Meribah Moses and Aaron sinned seriously. They committed a very high offence in striking the rock and challenging the congregation. But the water came out, and it came at once and abundantly, as though all were right. The whole congregation drank of it, and to all present appearances the Lord had no dispute with anyone. But afterwards the Lord let them know that their offence had not been overlooked. Because of it they would fall short of the land of Canaan and die on the wilderness side of the Jordan.

Moses spoiled the picture. The rock had been struck once. Christ has been struck once... What we need is not a fresh giving of the Spirit. We don't have to have Christ go and die again in order to give us the Spirit again. No! Speak to the Rock. Christ is the Rock. Speak to Him, so that the fullness of the Spirit may flow out more and be seen in His saints.

In Exodus God told Moses to strike the rock, and he struck it with his rod of judgment. The gift of the Spirit comes from Christ after He was struck and suffered for us. In Numbers it is the opposite. Moses was told to take the rod — that is, Aaron's rod of priestly grace, kept before the Lord. He and Aaron were to speak to the rock in front of the people, and it would give out its water. But there they failed. Moses did take Aaron's rod, as the Lord commanded him, but he struck the rock twice with his own rod. So they failed in faith to sanctify the Lord before Israel. Striking was as wrong now as it was right before.

There can be no repetition of the death of Christ. So Moses was wrong to strike the rock twice with his rod — wrong to strike it at all. The atoning work is done, and now our great High Priest has passed into the heavens, to appear there in the presence of God for us. The streams of spiritual refreshment flow to us on the ground of finished redemption. They flow in connection with Christ's priestly ministry, and Aaron's budding rod is the beautiful picture of it.

How did they fail to sanctify God? By not doing as they were commanded. The truth of priesthood taught by the rod was set aside as if it were of no use to the people... But God is most jealous of anything at all that interferes with His grace. God remembered mercy; Moses thought of their sin. God looked at the rod as a pledge of grace; Moses saw only the "token." He did not see the mercy side of the rod. No wonder he took his own rod, the symbol of the righteous government of God. He said "Hear now, you rebels" — a word the Lord had not put into his mouth.

He was so jealous for his authority that for the moment he forgot his own place as a servant. "Shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" Where was the honour due to God in his saying "WE"? No one was as meek as Moses; but here he failed and did not sanctify God in the people's eyes.

God most of all resents a grave misrepresentation of Himself by someone who ought to have known Him well. Moses and Aaron were very near to God. They had entered — Moses above all — into His grace. That is exactly why their total failure now became the reason for setting Moses aside as a vessel that had done its work.

Moses and Aaron did not sanctify Him; they gave up grace to defend their injured authority. Had this been God's feeling, they would have brought no water out of the rock at all. The Lord was sanctified all the same. He kept to His own word and His own grace, despite the failure of Moses and Aaron. That failure brought immediate reproof on them, and the sharp chastening of dying outside the land where grace was leading the people.

Neither Numbers 20 nor Deuteronomy 1 says anything about Moses in his official role. We have the man himself before us. God forbids him to enter the land because he spoke rashly with his lips.

God, in government, kept Moses out of Canaan. God, in grace, brought Moses up to Pisgah. These two facts in the history of Moses show clearly the difference between grace and government... Grace pardons and blesses; but government takes its course.

This was called the water of Meribah (which means strife), because Israel quarreled with the Lord there, and because He was set apart as holy — separate from them in His character of grace, which was so different from their attitude (v.13).

Verse 13 speaks of the place where all this happened as "the water of Meribah." That was the name given to the place where the rock was rightly struck, as recorded in Exodus 17:7. So the two events were linked from the start.

Moses' failure at this time was this: he gave a false picture of God to a rebellious people... God was acting toward Israel in the unbounded grace of His own heart. It was grace, and priestly grace too, because only priestly grace can bring a murmuring people through the wilderness. Moses, instead of taking the rod, takes his own rod, the rod of judgment and government. So he misrepresented God in every way. In picture he denied the one sacrifice of Christ by striking the rock twice, and he misrepresented the voice of God by speaking to Israel as he did... We are left here to give a right picture of Christ in our actions, our words, and our ways in this world. The only way the world can see Christ is in His people, since He has gone away.

"Hear now, you rebels" might be true and even just, if it were a question of man; but was it God's word for that moment? Was He acting in grace or in judgment? And if it were added, "must we bring water for you out of this rock," was God before their eyes? Was it not self, wounded by the ingratitude of man?

The death of Christ can never be repeated. So Moses was wrong to strike the rock twice with his rod — wrong to strike it at all. He was commanded to take "the rod," Aaron's rod — the priestly rod — and speak to the rock. The atoning work is done, and now our great High Priest has passed into the heavens, there to appear in the presence of God for us. The streams of spiritual refreshment flow to us because redemption has been accomplished, and through Christ's priestly ministry. Aaron's budding rod is the beautiful picture of that ministry.

Moses and Aaron did not sanctify Him; they gave up grace to defend their own injured authority. If God had felt as they did, they would have brought no water out of the rock. Yet He was sanctified — by holding to His own word and His own grace, despite the failure of Moses and Aaron. That failure brought them an immediate rebuke, and the sharp discipline of dying outside the land, Canaan, where grace was leading the people.

God had told him to speak to the rock, but he strikes it twice, as though divine power needed human energy to back it up. Yet still "the water came out." God's faithfulness is not touched by the failure of His servant... God may be using someone's ministry to bless the souls of others at the very time He is about to discipline that same person.

God, in government, kept Moses out of Canaan. God, in grace, brought Moses up Mount Pisgah. These two facts in the history of Moses show the difference between grace and government very clearly. That subject is of the deepest interest and of great practical value. Grace pardons and blesses; but government takes its course.

The discipline had in it an element of mercy. If Moses had been spared to lead the host into the land, what further heartbreaks would have been his! About fifteen centuries later, he stood on the mount of transfiguration with Christ and spoke with Him about His departure. For that moment he was in the land, under far happier circumstances.