What can we learn about obedience from God's instructions to Moses in Numbers 20:7? Setting the Scene Israel is thirsty again in the Wilderness of Zin. Complaints rise, Moses goes to the tent of meeting, and “the LORD spoke to Moses” (Numbers 20:7). One simple verse opens a doorway into how God expects His servants to obey. The Core Instruction “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water.” (Numbers 20:7-8) Lessons About Obedience • Obedience starts with revelation – Moses hears before he acts. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). – We cannot obey what we have not first stopped to hear. • Obedience means doing exactly what God says – God specifies the staff, the assembly, and the command to speak—not strike. – Deuteronomy 4:2: “You shall not add to the word I command you nor take from it.” Precision matters. • Obedience is immediate – The directive is in the imperative. Delay would equal disobedience (cf. Psalm 119:60). – God’s instructions assume instant follow-through. • Obedience is public testimony – “Before their eyes.” Israel needed a visible demonstration of trusting submission. – Our obedience, too, points others to God’s faithfulness (Matthew 5:16). • Obedience relies on faith, not force – “Speak to the rock.” No dramatic action, only a word of faith. – Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD.” • Partial obedience is disobedience – Moses later strikes the rock (v. 11). The water came, but the cost was grave (v. 12). – 1 Samuel 15:22: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” • Obedience upholds God’s holiness – “Because you did not trust in Me to show My holiness…” (v. 12). – Our obedience showcases God’s character; our disobedience clouds it. When Leaders Obey—or Don’t James 3:1 warns that teachers “will incur a stricter judgment.” Moses’ lapse shows how a leader’s obedience (or failure) influences an entire community. Practical Takeaways for Today 1. Cultivate a listening posture; open Scripture daily expecting direction. 2. Act on God’s word exactly as given, without editing for convenience. 3. Obey promptly—hesitation breeds unbelief. 4. Let obedience be visible; it strengthens fellow believers. 5. Depend on God’s power, not your own methods or anger. 6. Remember that the goal of obedience is to exalt God’s holiness, not merely to solve a problem. |
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