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Since ancient times, Jewish and Christian interpreters alike have puzzled over God’s decision to prevent Moses from entering the Promised Land. The immediate context for the decision is found in Numbers 20. It’s the fortieth and final year of the Exodus, and the Israelites have once again run out of water in the wilderness.
Faced with this calamity, the people begin complaining against Moses and Aaron, saying they wish they had stayed in Egypt. (It’s because of this complaining that the place receives the name Meribah, or “contention.”) Moses then goes to the tent of meeting, where God delivers him an instruction:
After assembling the congregation, Moses prepares to draw water from the rock. But rather than commanding the rock to yield its water—which is what God had told him to do—instead Moses “struck the rock twice with his staff, and water came out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank” (Num 20:11 NABRE). It’s at this point that God issues a solemn warning to Moses and Aaron:
On its face, this feels like a major overreaction. Moses and Aaron are guilty of a seemingly trivial departure from God’s instructions, and in return they’re given a devastating penalty. The punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime. So what are we to make of this confusing episode?
A Lack of Faith?
Continued below.
stpaulcenter.com
Faced with this calamity, the people begin complaining against Moses and Aaron, saying they wish they had stayed in Egypt. (It’s because of this complaining that the place receives the name Meribah, or “contention.”) Moses then goes to the tent of meeting, where God delivers him an instruction:
After assembling the congregation, Moses prepares to draw water from the rock. But rather than commanding the rock to yield its water—which is what God had told him to do—instead Moses “struck the rock twice with his staff, and water came out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank” (Num 20:11 NABRE). It’s at this point that God issues a solemn warning to Moses and Aaron:
On its face, this feels like a major overreaction. Moses and Aaron are guilty of a seemingly trivial departure from God’s instructions, and in return they’re given a devastating penalty. The punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime. So what are we to make of this confusing episode?
A Lack of Faith?
Continued below.
Why Was Moses Not Allowed to Enter the Promised Land? - St. Paul Center
Since ancient times, Jewish and Christian interpreters alike have puzzled over God’s decision to prevent Moses from entering the Promised Land. The immediate context for the decision is found in Numbers 20. It’s the fortieth and final year of the Exodus, and the Israelites have once again run...
