I encountered rebellion again this morning in the book of Numbers. Yesterday (Numbers 16) it involved Korah & Co. who made a play for the priesthood, standing up against Moses and Aaron. Didn’t end very well . . . the ring leaders were swallowed up by the earth . . . the 250 who partnered with them were consumed by fire from heaven . . . and, before the insurrection could be completely quelled and atonement made, 14,700 had died from a God sent plague. The punishment was extreme . . . but so was the nature of the pride-fueled rebellion against God’s anointed. This morning, the rebellion seems far less serious . . . but the consequences are just as severe . . . and, it involves God’s anointed . . . and some “minor disobedience.”

“And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them . . . Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.’ . . . And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain.” (Numbers 20:12, 24, 28 ESV)

The rebellion occurred at Meribah. There was no water for the congregation . . . they were thirsty . . . and so, as they were so prone to do, they “assembled against Moses and against Aaron” . . . and whined . . . and complained . . . and quarreled . . . “why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place . . . there’s no water to drink!” (20:2-5). Good grief! . . . . again and again with the “life was better in Egypt, Moses” stuff . . . and so Moses and Aaron go to the tent of the meeting, fall on their faces and cry out to God. And the glory of God appears to them . . . and God speaks to them . . . “Take your staff, assemble the people before the great rock and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. And then watch the water flow from the rock . . . enough water for them and their livestock” (20:6-9 paraphrased).

Moses takes the staff . . . gathers the people . . . and rebukes them, “Shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Wait a minute! Back up the bus! Moses, who’s going to bring the water out of the rock? And then, Moses lifts up his hand and strikes the rock twice with the staff . . . and water comes flowing forth in abundance (20:10-13). Mission accomplished? Yup. Damage done? Yup, again. There it was . . . that’s the rebellion of Numbers 20 . . . instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded, Moses, in his frustration, whacks the rock . . . and God says, “For such rebellion, you will not lead this people into the land I’ve promised them.”

That’s it? Hitting the rock versus speaking to the rock? After all Moses and Aaron had endured with these people . . . after all they had done for God . . . That’s the big rebellion? That’s enough to be excluded from setting foot in the promised land? Yeah . . . that’s it . . . “Because you did not believe in Me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land” (20:12). That was the rebellion of Moses and Aaron at the waters of Meribah . . . they did not trust God enough to demonstrate His holiness to the people (NLT).

Not that the people noticed . . . the water gushed forth — still a miracle of epic proportions . . . the Lord showed Himself holy (20:13) . . . but Moses and Aaron improvised with the command of God . . . for whatever reason, they did what they thought would work, what had worked in the past (Ex. 17:6) . . . and God called it for what is was, they rebelled . . . through unbelief they acted in a manner which compromised the glory of God . . . and for it, there was a consequence. Ouch!!!

Let me read about Korah and I can easily distance myself from that kind of rebellion. But let me read about Moses and Aaron . . .unbelief failing to uphold the holiness of God . . . “minor disobedience” equated with rebellion . . . and I can relate way too much with stepping on to this “unholy ground.” My God is holy . . . and those who are His are to be holy . . . and uphold His holiness . . . in faith and obedience . . . that His glory might be known. Oh, that by His grace and for His glory, I would be faithful . . .