Moses – Speak or Do?

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Moses disobeyed Yahweh God on this one.

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Ex 17:6 makes it sound like Moses was instructed to hit the rock

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In numbers 20, God told Moses to speak to the Rock to get water.

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In Deuteronomy 32, Yahweh God tells Moses he cannot go into the Promised Land because he trespassed, that is, he disobeyed God.

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At first the scriptures seem to be a contradiction, until you look at the whole discussion.

When he struck the rock instead of speaking to it he disobeyed God according to numbers and Deuteronomy.

But in exodus it looks like he was given permission to strike it?

We are seeing different parts of the same conversation and story in the different books of Deuteronomy and Numbers.

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So I think the sin was not hitting the rock with the stick.

Because in all the references he is told to have his Rod ready.

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The sin was not speaking to the Rock before Moses hit it.

Speaking is the creative part where you bring things into existence.

So Moses was supposed to bring the water into existence by speaking to it.

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In the creative process, it is the spoken word that does the creating.

The physical action is just a visible manifestation of what is already intended in the spirit.

The physical energy cannot create on its own.

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At that moment in time, God wanted the people to understand that it was the Word of God that would bring forth water, not a mere man hitting a rock with a stick.

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Moses had just been criticized by the entire congregation, and wanted acceptance, and to be seen as having value again. .

This was not the first time he had been criticized by the group.

So, he put on a display.

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Since that time, man has tried to act on his own, to gain recognition for whatever is accomplished, to be accepted as having value.

Man tends to hit his rocks in life with his stick, and then take the credit, as if he could really do that on his own power.

This is self-centered activity.

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If we love and accept ourselves, and know Yahweh God’s love for us, we should not be that insecure.

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In every action and accomplishment, we should recognize the Word of God as our directive, and Yahweh God’s power and Spirit behind our abilities.

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This way we are giving glory to God in all we do.

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