Numbers 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

Psalm 95:8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Without some study and perhaps even some sound teaching, it is difficult to see these two verses are speaking to the same thing. I call this devotional testing because a temptation is a testing. It reveals your innermost self.

Moses was provoked by Israel’s attitude. Moses was asked by God to speak to the rock and draw water forth for the people and the animals. Rather than obey God, Moses struck the rock as he had done previously, struck it twice in fact.

In all that Moses did since his burning bush experience, Moses never failed God, obeyed Him in all things, until this moment. For this one and only moment of disobedience Moses and Aaron were not allowed to lead Israel into the promise. Why was that?

John 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

Israel trusted in Moses even though he was not perfect. Trust needed to be transferred from Moses to Jesus. Only Jesus was perfect in performance, in obedience, in mercy, in grace, and in love. Both were tested, only Jesus was without spot.

Some will come to you and point at this one failing of Moses as justification for perfect obedience. If they do, it is not because they demand obedience to God, they want you to obey them. Do not be fooled by the testing of Moses and the results. We all fail and our failings have nothing to do with God’s grace and mercy. And how do I know this?

The water came from the rock even after Moses disobeyed.