Rash words, rash actions

Everyone has their breaking point.

Someone continually hurts you.

Someone continually angers you.

And perhaps you hold on to that hurt or anger in your heart, never letting it show.

But the pressure builds, and eventually you explode.

That’s what seems to have happened to Moses.

One of the humblest men who ever lived suffered through the complaints, grumbling, and rebellion of the people for nearly 40 years.

And now despite wandering back and forth through the desert and seeing the Lord’s provision time and again, once again they complain.

“Why did you bring us here Moses?  Where are all the figs, pomegranates, grain, and grapevines that you promised?  Egypt was so much better!

“Now we’re going to die because there’s no water.  We might as well have died with those other guys that the Lord put to death.  At least that was a quick death!”

(Amazing how their fear of the Lord after that incident eventually turned to rebellion once again).

Moses went before the Lord, and God told him, “Go back to that rock you went to years ago to get water from.  Only this time, don’t strike it, just speak to it, and water will come out for everyone.”

I don’t know that Moses actually thought this, but perhaps as they were on the way there, Moses started muttering to himself.

“I can’t believe these people.  How many times do I have to go through this?  40 years!  40 stinking years!

“And God!  Why doesn’t he just provide for us so that I don’t have to hear these complaints.  Strike the rock!  Speak to the rock!  Who cares?”

Perhaps as they were walking along, Moses spewed out all these things to Aaron, with Aaron nodding in agreement.

And so they reach the rock, and all the years of frustration boils out.

Moses turns to the people and shouts, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

Then, instead of speaking to the rock, he strikes the rock twice with his staff and water comes gushing out.

God showed grace to Moses by giving the water.  But he was not pleased.  And he said,

“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.” (Numbers 20:12)

In Psalm 106:32-33, it says,

By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them;  for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.

Rash words.  And rash actions.  Both of them showing a lack of trust in God, and a lack of honor towards him.

And all because of an anger that Moses allowed to take control if only for a time.

But how often do we do the same?  How often do we say rash words, and do rash things in our anger or in our hurt?

But by doing so, we not only hurt others; we also hurt God.

I’ve mentioned before that the rock in the desert was a symbol of Christ.  (1 Corinthians 10:4)

Just as the rock was to be struck once to give living water and from then on only needed to be spoken to after that to give out water, Jesus was struck only once when he went to the cross so that we might receive eternal life.

Now, all we have to do is to speak to him, confess him as Lord, and ask his forgiveness for our sins, and we’ll receive the living water of eternal life.

But when we give into our emotions and say and do things that show a lack of trust in him and dishonor him, it’s like we’re striking Jesus all over again.

It was that lack of trust in God that led Adam and Eve to fall and dishonor God, sending Jesus to the cross.

And now, even though we’ve been saved, we’re showing that lack of trust and honor all over again.

All of us get hurt.  All of us get angry.  But what do we do with it?

Do we deal with it in a way that honors God?  That shows our trust in him?

Or do we by our rash words and actions strike Jesus all over again.

The apostle Paul wrote,

“In your anger do not sin”:

Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.  Ephesians 4:26-27.

When we hold on to anger in our lives, when we let it fester, it gives the devil a foothold in our lives that leads to rash words and actions.

Let’s not give the devil that foothold in our lives.

Instead with our words, and with our actions, let us trust in Jesus, and honor him.

He deserves no less.