#103: Similar Challenges; Different Remedies.

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One thing that we must be careful of in our walk with God is a déjà vu experience. Moses encountered one in his wilderness journey with the Israelites and the way he handled it cost him entrance into the promise land.

Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Exodus 17:1

This was the first time Moses was encountering this challenge, so he took it to God and God answered:

And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall STRIKE THE ROCK, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus 17: 5&6

Moses did as the LORD had commanded. Everything went on fine. But later on in life, the Israelites were in a similar situation in the wilderness of Zin.

Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness Of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. Numbers 20:1&2

The very same challenge they had at the wilderness of Sin was before them in the wilderness of Zin. And Moses sought the face of God again and He answered:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. SPEAK TO THE ROCK before their eyes, and it will yield its water..." Numbers 20:7-8

Even though it was a similar challenge, God would use a different methodology to remedy the situation. This time, Moses was to speak to the rock and not strike the rock. But Moses was a bit careless here, but today stands as a warning to us. He struck the rock as he did in the wilderness of Sin. He used the method that had worked for him before-the one that was tried tested and trusted. Let us look at what God said to Moses:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you DID NOT BELIEVE ME, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." Numbers 20:12

We may have our various reasons to justify why Moses did what he did, but God saw it as an act of disbelief. He did not believe in God's new method and this cost him the inheritance of the promise land. There may be several other reasons we will be careless in our work with God. Sometimes we may fail to go back to God to seek directions on how to handle our Zin experience and instead use our Sin experience to solve it. God wants us to be always dependent and obedient circumspectly. We cannot give a formula for God. He is infinite in wisdom. The way He would choose to use you in 2019 may be different from other years. Only believe and yield. Trust and obey.

Thought: The rock in this story was Christ (I Cor 10:4) [just as the bronze snake represented Christ too] and he was meant to be struck once and for all-after which He would become the living water (John 4: 10).

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