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The other aspect of the sin of Moses was afterwards expressly stated by the Lord
Himself, when Hepronounced on Moses and Aaron the sentence that they should not
"bring this congregation into theland," which He had given them, on this ground:
"Because ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel"
(20:12).
Thus in their rebellion against Moses and Aaron, the people had not believed that
Jehovah wouldbring them into the land which He had given them; while, in their
anger at the people, Moses andAaron had not believed God, to sanctify Him in His
power and grace in the eyes of the children ofIsrael. Israel failed as the people of God;
Moses as their mediator. Hitherto Moses had, under everyprovocation, been faithful as
a steward over his charge, and pleaded with God and prevailed,because he believed.
Now for the first time Moses failed, as we all fail, through unbelief, looking atthe sin
of the people, and thence inferring the impossibility of their inheriting the promises,
instead oflooking at the grace and power of God which made all things possible, and
at the certainty of thepromise. Unlike Abraham in similar circumstances, "he
staggered at the promises." And havingthrough unbelief failed as mediator of the
people, his office was to cease, and the conduct of Israelinto the land to devolve upon
another.
It is only in this sense that we can accept the common statement, that the sin of Moses
was officialrather than personal. For these two - office or work, and person - cannot be
separated either asregards responsibility or duty. Rather would we think of Moses and
Aaron as aged pilgrims, wornwith the long way through the wilderness, and footsore
with its roughnesses and stones, whosestrength momentarily failed when the weary
journey was once more resumed, and who in theirweariness stumbled at the rock of
offense. Yet few events possess deeper pathos than this"babbling" at the waters of
Meribah. Its true parallel is found not in the Old but in the NewTestament. It is true
that, in similar circumstances, Elijah also despaired of Israel, and was directedto "the
mount of God," there to learn the same lesson as Moses - before, like him, he was
unclothedof his office. But the full counterpart to the temptation of Moses is presented
in the history of Johnthe Baptist, when doubting, not the Person but the mode of
working of the Messiah, and despairing,from what he saw and heard, of the fulfillment
of the promise at that time and among that generation,he sent his disciples on that
memorable embassy, just before he also was unclothed of his office. Thisis not the
place to follow the subject further. Suffice it to point out, on the one hand, Moses,
Elijah,John the Baptist, and, on the other, Joshua, Elisha, and our blessed Lord, as the
types and antitypespresented to us in Scripture.
(^)