Even Leaders Fail

Again the children of Israel complain. And it's not surprising. They didn't have any water.

So who was to blame?

Moses and Aaron, of course.

Interestingly, they didn't get to their complaint until the end of their rant.

"Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here both we and our cattle?And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink" (Numbers 20:3-5).

They wished they had died already in one of the other judgments.

They had forgotten that they were following the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire - God's direct leading.

They had forgotten that God had worked the 10 plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea.

They had forgotten that they had made a choice to rebel against God at Kadesh-Barnea.

They had forgotten that God was judging them and they were all going to die.

And they blamed it all on Moses and Aaron.

Moses and Aaron go to the tent of meeting and fell on their faces before God. God's glory appeared and gave Moses instructions to go to a rock and command water to come out of it.

Moses gets up. Picks up his staff and heads to the rock, calling the whole nation together.

"Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" (v 10).

Moses was putting the responsibility in the same place as the people had done: on himself and Aaron.

Then rather than speak to the rock as God commanded, he struck it with his staff.

Water came out. Not just a trickle. It must have been a mighty river because it was enough for all the people and their livestock.

God provided. But Moses and Aaron were disobedient.

"Because you did not believe in Me, to uphold Me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them" (v 12).

Moses, the humble leader, was disobedient. His disobedience cost him entrance into the Promised Land.

For leaders, which we all are in some way, this serves as a warning. We are not immune from lack of belief which leads to disobedience.

For followers, which we also all are in some way, this serves as a warning. We are to follow our leaders as they follow Christ. Don't follow them if they are headed away from Christ. Don't put the leaders up on pedestal that they can do no wrong.

God is gracious in spite of our sins. Even though Moses and Aaron acted in unbelief, God provided the needs for His children.