Thursday, March 5, 2026

          There’s a sober lesson about obedience that we find in Numbers 20.  Most of us would agree that obedience to God is both good and important.  A failure to obey God is called sin.  And sin, or disobedience, has landed us in the mess that we are in when left to ourselves—mired in sin, sin’s penalty and often sin’s consequences.  We can easily find ourselves trying to justify certain behaviors and actions as being almost obedient or at least the “old college try” at doing what God commands.  However, the reality is there is disobedience and everything else.  If we find ourselves trying to explain how “technically” we were obedient, then we already have a problem.  Obedience is clear to see and rather easy to explain. 
            In Numbers 20, Israel was complaining again.  This time they were complaining about a lack of water to drink.  In the middle of their complaining, they again looked back at Egypt with longing and sentimental hearts and eyes.  God spoke to Moses and told him how to secure water for the people.  God said, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink” (Numbers 20:8).  God was clear in His instructions to Moses—speak to the rock.  Speak!  Consider Moses’ response, “Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank” (Numbers 20:11).  Moses did not speak to the rock.  He struck it.  And there was a consequence for what he did.  The Bible says, “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them’” (Numbers 20:11).  Disobedience carries consequences.  We might be inclined to dismiss Moses’ actions as “no big deal.”  Is disobedience to God not a big deal?  Are we that quick to write off our rejection of what God has said? 
            The reason we need a Savior, Jesus, is because we have disobeyed God.  Because of our sins, we deserve the wrath and judgment of God.  But Jesus accepted that punishment in our place.  This story in Numbers tells us some important truths about disobedience.  First, disobedience is not a matter of not knowing what to do.  God has given us His Word.  God has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us.  Even the human conscience bears witness against us when we disobey (or in some cases consider disobeying).  God’s standards are as clear today as they were in Moses’ day when God told him simply what to do at Meribah but Moses disregarded the direction. 
            Second, disobedience is not a matter of “keeping the spirit of the law” but ignoring “the letter of the law.”  We walk an awfully fine line between obedience and disobedience when we have to justify what we have done.  And that line can take us to the wrong place.  More often than not, disobedience is just plain old defiance and choosing our ways above God’s ways. We may try to soothe ourselves by thinking we have kept the spirit of obedience or at least tried to do the right thing.  When we see that we have sinned against God, we need to confess that sin and turn from doing it again.  We want to be sure that we do not “dumb down” our disobedience and try to make excuses for it.  We never want to be at home in our sins and excuses.
            Third, disobedience can often result from misplaced anger or letting our emotions guide our decisions.  Moses was likely angry or frustrated with Israel.  They had been grumbling for a long time.  In the fog of anger, he made a rash and emotional decision to strike the rock at Meribah instead of speaking to it.  Perhaps he was venting.  Maybe he had bottled up his anger for as long as he could.  Still, the decision was wrong because he let the emotion of anger or frustration or aggravation lead him to a bad decision.  We often have to be careful not to let emotional responses like anger or venting override our minds.  Emotions are good, God-given parts of our being.  But emotions have to be guided by our mind and faith.   
            Finally, disobedience is often the failure to trust God enough to listen to Him.  Disobedience can be seen as trying to take matters into our own hands.  The Bible warns us not to add to it or take from Scripture (Revelation 22:18-19).  We obey God’s Word and guidance as they are given to us.  And let’s remember that God never leads us in ways that conflict with Scripture.  If we act contrary to God’s Word, we are disobedient.  Obedience often demands that we trust God when we cannot see the future.  Israel’s grumbling and complaining revealed a memory problem.  They had forgotten how God had orchestrated their Exodus and safely protected them from Pharaoh’s army.  Remember where God has been faithful and good to you in the past.  And let that memory encourage and compel you to trust and to obey God here and now.  Have a great Thursday!