Numbers 18-20

The children of Israel are in the desert wilderness of Zin in Kadesh which is in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula close to Egypt in the broader Negev desert. Lacking water the Israelite tribes go to Moses and complain contentiously against Moses and Aaron, and ultimately God because all authority belongs to God, that there is no water and that they would have much rather remained as slaves in Egypt with food and water supply or died with the rest of the rebellious. Seeking the word of the LORD Moses and Aaron fall before God and the glory of YAHWEH appears to them and gives specific instruction for Moses to speak to a rock for water to come forth in front of the entire assembly. Similar to my thoughts on Sunday  regarding Korah's rebellion and the sin of presumption, it would seem to me that Moses had a bit of unbelief and possibly pride in his heart against God to which He says:

Numbers 20:12 (NIV) "But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

There is a trust issue in Moses' heart. Presumption is rooted in unbelief and ultimately pride, similar to the deception by the serpent to Eve in the garden of Eden, the temptation of selfish ambition in the flesh is to take things into ones own hands outside the hand of God. When we act presumptuously it's doing things that we have not received permission to do, it's a willful act of pride that we know better than the LORD that our ways are higher than His ways. By acting presumptuously we denigrate the holiness of the LORD bringing honor to ourselves selfishly, and for Moses the consequence for his sin was not entering into the land of milk and honey. Trust and faith are crucial in the daily Christian walk, we have the choice to trust the LORD in faith and walk in obedience or to walk in selfish presumption which leads astray. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

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