1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
David has stopped playing games with God. He has stopped the coverup of his string of sins that began with the one night stand with Bathsheeba and wound up with manipulated murder on the front lines of a battle. As he writes Psalm 51, he has stopped deceiving himself and has thrown himself on the mercy of God.
"I too am painfully aware that intimacy with God comes only when I am brutally honest with the Lord about specific sins in my life. I start making headway when I give up self-deception and stop playing games with myself and the Lord. Reality, not rationalization, leads to growth." (From A Musician Looks At the Psalms, by Don Wyrtzen)
Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Israel has been wandering in the wilderness for 38 years. They are just now beginning to make their way back toward Canaan, as most of the original offenders are now gone. But they have no water.
"They spoke the same absurd and brutish language their fathers had done. It made their crime the worse, that they had smarted so long for the discontent and distrusts of their fathers, yet they venture in the same steps. Moses must again, in God's name, command water out of a rock for them; God is as able as ever to supply his people with what is needful for them. But Moses and Aaron acted wrong. They took much of the glory of this work of wonder to themselves; 'Must we fetch water?' As if it were done by some power or worthiness of their own. They were to speak to the rock, but they smote it. Therefore it is charged upon them, that they did not sanctify God, that is, they did not give to him alone that glory of this miracle which was due unto his name. And, being provoked by the people, Moses spoke unadvisedly with his lips. The same pride of man would still usurp the office of the appointed Mediator; and become to ourselves wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. Such a state of sinful independence, such a rebellion of the soul against its Savior, the voice of God condemns in every page of the gospel." (From Matthew Henry Daily Readings)
I get a couple of things out of this reading. First is that we should be learning from the mistakes of our "fathers." We should always be aware of the actions of those who go before us, and be smart enough to avoid the same errors. Unfortunately, just as the children of Israel, we too often fall into the same traps as our ancestors. Some of that is pride...some of that is just human nature. In a lot of ways, we just can't help it.
The second thing is a little more severe. Moses spoke and acted in untruth. He spoke something that was NOT God's word. He took credit for something that God was about to do. And he acted independently from what he was told by God to do. Moses's punishment for these things was that he did not get to enter the "Promised Land." That thing that he had spent his entire life working toward was ultimately denied him because of his pride (and his anger towards those who were unjustly confronting him and Aaron).
Now let me say right up front that I DO NOT believe that this teaches that we can be denied heaven at the end of our lives because of one mistake we make. That was a totally different era. Christ had not yet come to pay the price for sin. And I believe that Moses has his place in God's Kingdom.
However, I DO believe that there is a price to pay for making claims in the name of God that God has not approved or made himself. I constantly hear people proclaim "truth" that is nowhere to be found in Scripture. The most obvious one is "God helps those who helps themselves." God never said that. In fact, the whole point of salvation is that God is helping those of us who CAN'T help ourselves! But that's kind of a minor one. One that is much more dangerous and much more prevalent in our society today is coming straight out of pulpits. "There might be more than one road to heaven." Joel Osteen himself...massively popular motivational speaker (I refuse to call him a "preacher") in Houston...refused to state, in a national television interview, that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Where are you going with that Joel? Are you so concerned about offending someone that you will water down God's truth? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is, not only to your "congregation" but to your own soul as well?
Just as God was silent to Israel for many years in yesterday's Psalm reading, I believe that God will tolerate this heresy for a time, and allow these false prophets to "prosper." But there will come a judgment. There will come a time to "pay the piper," as it were. God will not put up with this forever. He has made certain declarations of truth in the Bible. We have no right to declare "other truth" that is not in the words of God. Look at what it cost Moses.
*steps off soapbox*
I also pray that I will never declare things that are not the truth from your Scriptures. I might have opinions about things that are not explicitly explained in your words. But those cannot be thought of as "truth." They are only beliefs and opinions, and I can only declare them as such. Let me always be faithful to your words, Lord. I hold the Scriptures in very high regard and am very zealous that they not be defiled by the words of men, especially men who claim to be speaking for you. I pray that I will always hold to the same standards that I expect of others. That is sometimes the hard part for us. We are too quick to hold double standards. I have no desire to be that way.
I thank you for Stephanie's demeanor and countenance these last few months, Father. She is doing so well. We pray that this will continue.
I pray for Rachel and Justin, Lord, that you will be close to them in their lives.
I pray for Christ's legs, Father...her knee has been hurting her very badly lately. I ask you to heal that pain. I also ask for healing for Larue's cancer. I thank you for the joy that has been so prevalent in her.
There are many others in our body of believers at Wings of Freedom that are experience physical maladies. I pray that we will always turn to you for our needs and pains. I pray for healing for all of them and for physical needs to be met as well.
Grace and peace, friends.