Comment: This is an inspiring account of the Holy Scriptures that is of great lesson to God’s worshippers in our spiritual journey to the symbolic Land of Canaan. It treats the themes of anger, disobedience, rashness, etc. 

In the text under review, man’s frailty was seen in the failure of the leadership to adhere to God’s instruction to speak to the rock. Moses did as he was commanded, but was disrespectful in tactic: “Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” In anger, Moses struck the rock twice. (Numbers 20:10,11) The consequence of his action was a serious sanction from the “Judge of all the earth”. “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.” – Numbers 20:12.

The Psalmist stated: “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.” (Psalm 106:32,33). Leaders in God’s Organisation need spiritual circumspection in order to avoid the errors of anger, reckless speaking and impulsive actions that go against the will of God. – Ephesians 4:26,27, 29, 31.