BIBLE READING: Numbers 18-20
Sin is a term that has been defined as “missing the mark”. If the “mark” is the sinless life of Christ, then we are all subjected to committing sin because we all fall short of that “mark”. In fact, the Bible is very clear in that “we call sin and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3.23). It isn’t enough that we must struggle with sin, we also are forced to deal with the consequences of our sin. Sometimes the consequences are small and somewhat insignificant to our eyes and then sometimes those consequences are very big and noticeable. Today we read about one of those big and noticeable consequences of Moses’ sin. The Israelites have again found themselves in a state of murmuring and complaining because they had no water to drink. God instructs Moses on what to do to remedy the situation. In Numbers 20.10-13, the Bible describes that Moses took a few liberties in following God’s commands. Although these liberties might have seemed small and insignificant on the surface, to God it was a blatant act of disobedience. Because of Moses’s sin, God does not allow him to lead the people into the Promised Land. As an outsider, we might view this as a harsh punishment for a small oversight or lapse in judgement on Moses’s part. However, God wants us to see that all sin is an abomination in His sight and all sin is to be punished. The lesson for us is this, it doesn’t matter how good of a life we might live, we are still in need of God’s grace and mercy. If God handed down a stiff punishment for Moses’s small act of disobedience, He would certainly punish me for my sin. Therefore, I must take advantage of the grace and mercy that God offers to me so I will not miss out of the ultimate Promise Land of Heaven. Not even Moses who was one of the greatest human beings to have ever lived could achieve the Promise Land without the help of a Savior. Therefore, we need to take advantage of what Jesus offers to us – Thank God for His Grace and Mercy.