Numbers 20

Water From the Rock

1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD's community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!"

6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to Moses, 8 "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."

9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

12 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."

13 These were the waters of Meribah, ^[a] where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them.

I have been a Christian for nearly 5 years and when talking to someone dear today, i realised this... I didn't know this was the reason why Moses and the Israelites didn't make it into the promised land. I've always assumed that it was because they were disobedient and that they complained too much in the desert, and made God angry...but i didn't realised it was because Moses decided to strike the rock instead of speaking to it... was it that? it was something more... it was disobedience and dishonouring Him... in the sight of all His people... Moses disobeyed and dishonoured the King of kings... and that bore severe consequences... the judgement of God....

this is certainly a revelation to me... besides the reason why the Israelites were wandering in the desert for 40 years, but also the severity of the judgement of God....

yet another book in the bible came up in my mind....

16Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed^[c]? 19So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
Hebrews 3:16-19

Hebrews 4

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.^[a] 3Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "^[b] And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."^[c] 5And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."

6It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."^[d] 8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus the Great High Priest

14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,^[e] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

( bold words were what struck me most in those passages)

Today, as I was praying... it was different from usual... I started praying for people I usually didn't pray for, not unless they asked or I knew they needed prayer... I just did... and I prayed for things that I didn't know about, somehow just believing that God knew what they needed and I just have to pray... even without knowing what actually I was supposed to pray for...

and amazingly... God came through... and I am encouraged... even when I didn't know, He knew what they needed.... I prayed God would speak to someone dear to my heart... and comfort and help him through a difficult time.... and that somehow he would remember God's word even as he is going through a bad time...

and He did... answer my prayer...

Thank You, Lord.... and I learnt something more....

'Ye of little faith' me has just received a boost from Him.... I BELIEVE...

for those who are having finals... I am praying for you... God is awesome!!!

p.s: the above passages and the below stuff may seem unrelated. They actually are...bit of a fragmented post... =)