Moses Strikes The Rock In Anger and Water Gushes Out (Numbers 20:9-11).
But Moses and Aaron were seething with anger. They had had enough of these treacherous people. First it had been their fathers, and now it was them. They were almost reluctant to act to provide the water. They considered that the people did not deserve it. But what they failed to consider was their own attitude. What they did not realise was that by their behaviour they were forfeiting their own right to lead the people of God, and that God could see it. Not only Aaron, but Moses also, had come to a low ebb. They were no longer fit to lead.
‘And Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he commanded him.'
Outwardly all seemed well. Moses obeyed Yahweh's commandment and took the rod ‘from before Yahweh'. That it was essentially Yahweh's rod that he used was well recognised by the people. But in taking it from before Yahweh he ought to have recognised how obediently he should have used it. It was not given to him for the glory of Moses. He was within the sphere of God's commands, and it was intended to be for the glory of God. Even the rock would recognise the authority symbolised by that rod. The Creation would gladly respond to its Creator. But it was to be through the word of power, not through ill-will and violence.
‘And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels. Shall we bring you forth water out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice, and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle.'
But in the eyes of all the people, the whole assembly, the two leaders, instead of revealing the gracious power and provision of Yahweh, castigated the people, calling them rebels, and then pointed to themselves as the providers of what was to come. ‘Shall we bring you forth water?' And then reluctantly and peevishly Moses, such was his lack of control, struck the rock twice with ‘his' rod. What should have been a glorious revelation of Yahweh's power and goodness and authority, and have enhanced Moses reputation as the servant of Yahweh, became a petty display of temper and highhandedness against God's express command. Moses and Aaron had taken over from, and misrepresented, Yahweh.
Apart from Moses' anger the people might not have known that anything was wrong. They were not party to God's commands. What they heard was their leaders' accusation of rebellion. What they saw was Moses striking the rock twice with the rod of God, and the water pouring out. And they rejoiced and hastened to drink.
But God saw something very different. He saw two men who were taking God's very symbol of authority and wildly misusing it, appropriating Yahweh's authority to themselves and in the process wholly misrepresenting Him. He heard anger that should have been compassion. He saw resentment that should have been love. He witnessed the unbelievably arrogant behaviour of these two who claimed to be leaders and to represent Him. He heard the claim that the water was being brought forth by Moses and Aaron. And He saw Moses take His rod and with it disobediently smite the rock, not once but twice. We might almost suggest that He could not believe His eyes. It was as though all the disobedience of the people was being lived out by these two men. They had got above themselves.
The water did come. The people were satisfied. But God was very ‘angry' indeed. His servants had totally failed Him. They had proved themselves unfit for His service. They were no longer suited to the task ahead.