Tuesday August 06th, 2024
« But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” »
1Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there.
2 Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.
3 And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!
4 Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?
5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”
6 So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”
9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”
11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
In Exodus 17:1-6, the children of Israel were thirsty so, God told Moses to strike a rock that water may come out of it for His children.
In Exodus 17:6 NKJV the Bible says
« Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel »
You see, the Lord our God is the Rock (2 Samuel 22:23).
He was with the Israelites all through their journey in the wilderness and this further validates Hebrews 13:5 where God said He would never leave nor forsake us.
In the Bible reading for today, God told Moses to speak to the rock, but instead of speaking, Moses smote it and God was angry with him.
- The Lord is not to be smitten twice.
The first time Jesus was smitten on the cross of Calvary, He gave us living water which is the Holy Spirit.
- After that time, we are to speak to Him.
Anyone who smites Him again is inviting the wrath of God.
Hebrews 6:6 says whenever you sin, you are crucifying Christ the second time.
In Hebrews 10:26-27ERV, the Bible says
« If we decide to continue sinning after we have learned the truth, then there is no other sacrifice that will take away sins. If we continue sinning, all that is left for us is a fearful time of waiting for the judgment and the angry fire that will destroy those who live against God »
- If after you have gotten to know Christ and His blood has washed away your sins, you then go back into sin, you are inviting the wrath of God.
Proverbs 26:11 says it is dogs that go back to their vomit and Revelation 22:15 says the place of dogs is outside.
The word ‘backsliding’ denotes a gradual process backwards.
Check your life: are there some things that you stopped doing when you became born again, but now you are gradually going back to them?
Stop those things immediately!
Don’t smite the Rock the second time!
Don’t invite the wrath of God upon your life.
Application – Are you moving forward or sliding backwards in your walk with Christ?
Author – Bishop Enoch Adejare Adeboye; General Overseer of the RCCG
Edited by Naomie Joseph
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