"Angry Men Don't Get Where They Want to Go"

Numbers 20.10-11 NIV

“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?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.”

Have you ever kicked the dog, cursed your neighbor, yelled at the kids, or nagged your wife? You knew they didn’t deserve this treatment, but (you thought) you couldn’t help it. You were angry and didn’t care who knew it. You had problems at work. Traffic was horrible. Nothing went your way. It was a very bad day and at the end of that day your friends and family would suffer the fallout.

Moses was having a bad day. In fact, he was having a bad forty years! The leader was sick and tired of Israeli whiners. All they ever did was complain, threaten to run back to Egypt, bellyache about manna, and grumble among themselves. Moses was ready to let ‘em have it, and this was the chance he was waiting for.

“‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’

Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff.”

Moses did not do what God told him to do. Actually, it was not possible for Moses to obey God in his enraged frame of mind. Obedience is not an option when we (choose to) get mad and lose our cool. That’s why James said, “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1.20 NASU). An angry man in the midst of his tirade will mishear the voice of God and misapply the will of God... guaranteed!

God gave Moses precise instructions: 

“…take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch,

speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide

enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.”

Numbers 20.8 NLT

God told Moses to take the staff. He didn’t tell him to use it. Moses was to carry the staff, and speak to the rock. Instead he yelled at the people and hit the rock with the staff... twice! Water still poured out for the people but Moses paid a high price for his disrespect...

“...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.’”
Numbers 20.12 NIV

Moses never made it to the promised land! Don’t let rage keep you from where God destined you to go.