May 2

“He spoke unadvisedly with his lips.” Psalm 106:33

After more than thirty years of proving God in the wilderness, the people of Israel were still rebellious, and quick to blame Moses and Aaron for the lack of water.

For his part God was ready to meet their needs, and commanded his servant to take his rod and speak to the rock that it might give water. Moses took the rod, but he was so provoked by the people’s unjust accusations that he spoke to them in anger and then struck the rock twice. He erred; yet the water flowed freely from the rock.

Because of this, God reprimanded his servant. It was as though he remonstrated, “l saw that my people were thirsty and was willing to provide water for them, so why did you scold them?”

Clearly Moses had given the people the wrong impression of God as fierce and unmerciful. Let us be warned by this never to draw God into human failure by giving to others the impression that the faulty attitudes we display are his.