You Can't Unscramble Eggs
Notes
Transcript
The whole Book of Deuteronomy is set with Moses’ impeding death in mind. This is mentioned as early as chapter 3 and is the theme of the last few chapters.
God is about done with Moses.
His Mission is complete.
There have been bumps in the road but for the most part, Moses has faithfully led the children of Israel for 40 years.
There is a season for everything. And Moses’ season is passing.
Do you ever wish you could have a do-over?
During the youth retreat I sat on the beach watching little kids and their parents playing in the sand. I have to admit I was overwhelmed with emotion longing for a do over with my almost grown kids. I’m already understanding why grandparents spoil their kid’s kids.
Truth is we don’t get do-overs.
You Can’t Unscramble Eggs.
Lets read together
48 On that same day the Lord spoke to Moses,
49 “Go up Mount Nebo in the Abarim range in the land of Moab, across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan I am giving the Israelites as a possession.
50 Then you will die on the mountain that you go up, and you will be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people.
51 For both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites at the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence.
52 Although from a distance you will view the land that I am giving the Israelites, you will not go there.”
God reminds Moses that he and his brother Aaron had not been true to the Lord nor given Him the Glory when Israel needed water. Because of this God would not let Moses enter the Holy Land. There was no do-over. There was no second chance to get this right. Sometimes the choices we make have life-long consequences.
What can we glean from this?
God’s Temporal Provision
God’s Temporal Provision
2 There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron.
3 The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord.
4 Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?
5 Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no water to drink!”
6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell down with their faces to the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 The Lord spoke to Moses,
8 “Take the staff and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence just as He had commanded him.
This is the second time this has happened. On another occasion, the children of Israel had no water and God told Moses to strike the rock, but this time He tells Him to speak to the rock.
(By the way it is interesting that over and over in Deuteronomy 32 God refers to Himself as the ROCK. )
I called this God’s temporal provision. Temporal means fleshly, physical, material etc. In other words God was concerned and interested in providing for the everyday needs of his people.
25 I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread.
Paul reminds us in Philippians that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. That’s limitless supply.
In the midst of Israel’s fear, their grumbling, and their complaining, and their forgetfulness of all that God had already done for them, God still wanted to do it again.
Moses’ Costly Presumption
Moses’ Costly Presumption
10 Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?”
11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”
13 These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and He showed His holiness to them.
There are two things that stand out in this passage.
Moses’ anger- It’s not stated but you can feel the heat as Moses deals with the incessant whinging and complaining. “You Rebels”. I could be wrong but I think when Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it, he was letting off steam. Many a person has cost themselves in the longrun by an outburst of anger. Broken things. Broken people. Things said that can’t be taken back. Actions taken that ripple for years and across many lives.
Moses’ arrogance- “Shall we bring water out?” He’s gotten a little fed up and a lot cocky! He’s taking credit for what only God could do. Water from a rock!
God had two indictments against Moses.
51 For both of you broke faith with Me among the Israelites at the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin by failing to treat Me as holy in their presence.
One was that they broke faith- They violated a contracted. They were unfaithful
The second was the failure to treat as holy- Failure to give God the glory.
God took this very seriously.
Interestingly enough, Paul gives us a hint about why this was such a serious offense. And that leads to the final gleaning.
Christ’s Eternal Provision
Christ’s Eternal Provision
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.
In this chapter Paul is warning Christians against the kinds of sins Israel had been guilty of.
And he says that while Israel was wandering around in the desert, the rock that gave water was Christ. Let me remind you again that Moses calls God “the Rock” over and over in this very chapter.
when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, he told her he would give her living water and she would never thirst again.
Spiritual water that satisfies the deepest needs of the soul.
Please listen carefully. The first time Israel needed water, Moses was told to STRIKE the rock, but the next time he was told to speak to it!
Christ is that rock. He was struck once for our salvation at the cross. After we come to faith in Christ, He keeps supplying our needs for now and for eternity. We speak to Him. We call on Him. He keeps saving us. He keeps delivering us.
He died to pay for our sins and satisfy God’s wrath and give us eternal life, once and for all.
You can’t unscramble eggs, but God can redeem all the mess and sin of your life through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.