The first time the congregation of God had no water to drink in the wilderness, God commanded Moses to take his rod and strike the rock once. But the second time, However the second time the congregation had no water to drink, God commanded Moses to take the rod and speak to the rock. Speaking to the rock was sufficient to provide water for the whole congregation. But instead of obeying the Lord and speaking to the rock, Moses turned his words to the murmuring people and smote the rock twice. By smiting the rock twice, Moses became disobedient to God’s commandment, which had consequences for his life. Why did Moses smite the rock twice, instead of speaking to the rock? Why are the rock and the strikes on the rock a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ?
The congregation of God had no water to drink
When the children of Israel abode in Kadesh in the desert of Zin, the congregation had no water to drink. The children of Israel gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron. Instead of believing their God and trusting Him, that God would provide, as God provided for them before, the children of Israel contended with Moses. Since Moses represented God, the congregation strove with God.
After listening to the complaining people and their accusations, Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation and fell upon their faces.
When they fell upon their faces, the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.
The Lord commanded Moses to take the rod, gather the assembly, and speak unto the rock
The Lord spoke to Moses and commanded him to take the rod and together with Aaron gather the assembly and speak unto the rock before their eyes and the rock would give forth his water and Moses would bring forth to the congregation water out of the rock and give drink to the whole congregation and their beasts.
Moses took the rod from before the Lord, kamoo Jehova a laetseng kateng.
Then Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation before the rock, kamoo Jehova a laetseng kateng.
But instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord commanded, Moses spoke to the complaining and murmuring congregation.
Ka nako eo, Moses didn’t act by faith in obedience to the words of God. But Moses went his own way. Moses was led by his feelings and acted from his anger and rebelled against God.
Despite Moses’ unbelief and disobedience to the words of God, and his rebellious act of smiting the rock twice, God didn’t withheld the water from the people.
After the strikes on the rock, the water came out of the rock abundantly and the congregation and their beasts drank from the water of the rock.
Why did the water come out of the rock after Moses struck the rock twice with his rod?
The water came out of the rock after the strikes, because God is good. God showed His goodness and mercy to the people. Although Moses didn’t sanctify God by his rebellious deed and the strikes on the rock, the rock bringing forth water sanctified God.
Moses was appointed by God to represent Him to the people and God loved His people. Therefore Moses’ unbelief and rebellious act of disobedience to God had no consequences for the congregation. God provided for the needs of His congregation.
This proves that signs and wonders are no proof that someone is obedient to God and does His will. (Bala hape: How do you recognize false prophets?).
But Moses’ unbelief, Ho se mamele, and rebellious behavior did have consequences for his life and Aaron’s life.
Why was Moses punished by God for striking the rock twice?
Moses was punished for striking the rock twice because he disobeyed God’s commandment. God spoke to Moses and Aaron and confronted Moses with the fact that by his deed of the strikes on the rock, Moses showed that he didn’t believe God. Through his deed of disobedience he didn’t sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Moses didn’t show by his deed that he believed God and didn’t sanctify God before the congregation, but Moses put God to shame, Ka hoo, Moses and Aaron were not allowed to bring the congregation of God into the land, which the Lord had given them.
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 (Lipalo 20: 12)
Why was Moses not allowed to enter the promised land?
Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land due to his unbelief and disobedience to God.
All those years, Moses and Aaron had been faithful to God. Leha ho le joalo, because of this one deed of unbelief and disobedience to God, their leadership and the responsibility of God’s congregation was taken from them. Moses and Aaron were not allowed to enter the promised land and bring the congregation into the promised land.
Moses was only allowed to see the promised land, but that was all.
God punished Moses for his unbelief and disobedience. And God didn’t reconsider His words and His decision.
God didn’t put water in the wine, but God stayed faithful to His words.
Molimo ha a re, Ah well Moses, I have spoken these words to you, but because it is you, I forgive you and you can still enter the promised land. (Bala hape: Have not faith with respect of persons).
If God would have said this to Moses, then the words of God wouldn’t be credible anymore. The people wouldn’t fear God, but they would strike a bargain every time.
But God doesn’t strike a bargain with anyone. Not even with Moses, eo e neng e le moemeli oa Hae (Exoda 4:16).
When God speaks, His words should be obeyed and followed. Sena se sebetsa ho balumeli bohle, who are born of God and belong to God. Haholo-holo tseo, who are in leadership and represent God and have a responsibility for the souls of the congregation.
Moses didn’t enter his rest, while Jesus did enter His rest
Moshe, the mediator and redeemer of the Old Covenant became disobedient to God and went his own way. Ka hoo, Moses was denied access to the promised land. Moses was not allowed to bring the congregation of God into the promised land and enter his rest.
Unlike the Mediator and Redeemer of the New Covenant Jesus Christ, Mora Modimo, who remained obedient to God and went God’s way. Because of that Jesus entered His rest. Jesus took place on the throne of mercy in the Kingdom of God and became the Way for everyone, who believes in Him and becomes born again in Him, and enters His rest (Liketso 4).
Jesus went through all the hardships of life. He was tempted and attacked from all sides and experienced persecution. He saw the (tsa moya) mess of the spiritual leaders and the scattering of the sheep of the house of Israel. But despite everything, Jesus remained faithful to His Father and didn’t murmur and complain. But Jesus obeyed His words until His death at the cross.
Jesus wasn’t led by His feelings
Mantsoe a Molimo e ne e le matla a phahameng ka ho fetisisa bophelong ba Hae. Jesus submitted everything to the words of God, whereby everything was submitted to Him; Lentswe.
Jesus wasn’t led by His flesh. He wasn’t sense-ruled and wasn’t led by the circumstances, the behavior of people, Maikutlo a hae, le maikutlo. But Jesus was led by the Spirit and the words of God.
Jesu e ne e le Letsibolo la pōpo e ncha. His life shows, how children of God ought to walk. Eng kutlo ho Modimo and a full consecration, Tumelo, khalaletso, and fear of the Lord contains.
His obedience to God led Jesus to the cross, which is not the most wanted and desired place to end up. And it is certainly not considered a blessing and a reward of obedience to God to the old man (popo ya kgale). But Jesus trusted God. He knew that God loved Him and went the way of suffering out of love for Him. Jesus knew where His obedience would lead Him to.
Empa Jesu o ne a boetse a tseba hore ho soma, Chastoment, lefu sefapanong, ’me mahlomola a lefu qetellong a ile a lebisa tlhōlong.
Liphello tsa ho otla Lefikeng e bile eng?
Jesu o ile a jara libe le bokhopo ba motho ea oeleng 'me a fetoha Lefika la moea. Lefika la semoya le ile la otlwa ke Modimo hang, ka baka la borabele, ho se dumele, le ho se mamele ha (oele) motho ho Modimo, ho ntsha metsi a phelang.
Ska sebele ke eena ea jereng mahlomola a rōna, mme a jara liphoso tsa rona: leha ho le joalo re ile ra mo halefisa, ya otlwang ke Modimo, le mahlomoleng. Empa o ile a tsoa likotsi bakeng sa litlolo tsa rona, O ne a phethola ka lebaka la bokhopo ba rona: kotlo e re tlisetsang kgotso e mo wetse hodimo; 'me re folile ka metsero ea hae (Esaia 53:4-6)
Jesu o ne a tlameha ho otloa feela (kotloetsoe) mme a thakgiswa hang. Nako e le 'ngoe e ne e lekane ho lopolla motho ea oeleng le ho boelanya motho ea oeleng ho Molimo. Feela joalokaha Moshe a ile a tlameha ho otla lefika hanngoe ’me khetlo la bobeli a bue le lefika bakeng sa metsi.
O tlameha feela ho dumela le ho bua le Lefika la moya Jesu Kreste le ho nehela bophelo ba hao ho Yena. Ka tumelo le ho bua le Jesu; lefika, u tla lopolloa, u boelane le Molimo, u noe metsi a phelang a tsoang Lefikeng la moea.
Ka baka la dikotlo Lefikeng, o ka noa metsi a phelang
Ha motho a nyorilwe, a tle ho Nna, le ho noa. Ya dumelang ho Nna, kamoo Lengolo le boletseng kateng, mpeng ea hae ho tla phalla linōka tsa metsi a phelang (Johanne 7:37-38)
Hobane haeba re etsa sebe ka mor'a moo re fumane tsebo ea 'nete, ha ho sa na sehlabelo sa libe, Empa ho batla ka tšabo le khalefo ea mollo, e tla harola bahanyetsi (Baheberu 10:26-27)
Mme haeba le nole hotswa metsing a phelang a Lefika la moya, ha o batle letho le leng.
Bonyane, ha pelo ya hao e qenehela Jesu mme o mo rata. Ha o rata Jesu, o tsamaya ka tumelo ka boikokobetso le kutlo ho Yena. O tla etsa seo A se bolelang. Mme ka baka leo, le tla hlompha le ho halaletsa Jesu Kreste le Ntate hara batho.
Empa ha o rata mesebetsi ya nama le lefatshe ho feta ho rata Modimo, joale ho na le monyetla o motle oa hore u fetohe mokoenehi ’me u ikele ka tsela ea hao bophelong. Mokhoa oa ho se lumele le ho se mamele Lentsoe la Molimo. Le ka bophelo ba hao (ka mantsoe le liketso tsa hao), latola Jesu mme o etse Jesu sekgobo pontsheng ya batho.
Mme haeba motho a wele mme a inchafatsa pakong hape, motho o thakgisa Jesu ho yena kapa ka boeena ka lekhetlo la bobeli ’me o hlabisa Jesu lihlong pepeneneng (Baheberu 6:4-6).
“E be letsoai la lefatše’
