CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 884

“Speak to the Rock”

…tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. (Numbers 20:8)

Have you ever taken action when you were so angry you could just spit – and then regretted it later? Moses was angry. He was fed up with all the grumbling and complaining against him by a people that he had poured out his heart and soul for in obedience to the call of God. …And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses… (Numbers 20:2-3)

This had happened to Moses before when the people were ready to stone him because of their thirst when they were camped at Rephidim. Then, the Lord instructed Moses to strike the rock to produce water. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it… (Exodus 17:6) This action affirmed Moses in the eyes of the people that he had power and authority from God to lead them as he carried the staff of God. (Exodus 4:20)

Now at Meribah, God did not want faith to be wrongly placed in Moses or his staff. God wanted to be glorified in the eyes of the people so he instructed Moses to merely speak to the rock in His Name. The rock was to produce water not because some man touched it or hit it with a holy icon, but because in the Name of God it was told to do so.

Moses’ anger clouded his judgment and dulled his faith. He probably thought that these people would surely stone him to death if he spoke to the rock and nothing happened. His fear of failing gave rise to disbelief that God would deliver him and provide the water. So in his anger, fear, and frustration he spoke harshly to the people and in an attempt to vindicate himself and Aaron, he struck the rock twice in their name – not the Lord’s. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice… (Numbers 20:10-11)

There are a couple of lessons we can take away from this Biblical account. The first is that salvation is as easy as speaking to the rock that is Christ …if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) Salvation is not by works that man would be glorified. The rock was struck once on the cross and not to be struck again. Jesus has the power to save and give eternal life – we only have to speak in faith to Him.

The second lesson is that whatever we do in life is to be done to the glory of God. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) There is a saying that ‘No good deed goes unpunished’ and Moses experienced the truth of that firsthand from the people that he led out of Egypt. We, oftentimes, experience vilification and ingratitude from those we serve in the name of the Lord. It can come from family members, coworkers or employers. It is important to never seek vindication by our own hand especially in anger. We must always look to the Lord and as Moses would bring these issues to Him at the tent of meeting, we must continually bring them to Him in prayer and allow Him to act on our behalf that He may be glorified in our deliverance.