TWO STRIKES…YOU’RE OUT!

Image by the Providence Lithograph Company

Have you ever missed out on something because of someone else’s actions? When I would read about how God allowed Moses to look at the Promised Land from the vantage point of a mountain but not allow him to go in, that used to make me upset. Matter-of-fact, I would get mad. Anyone who knows about Moses knows that he was a leader that guided the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land. This took 40 plus years, and the people of Israel, who were former slaves by the way, were rebellious and complainers. One of the times that they complained was when they were thirsty. They were in the middle of the desert without a drop of water in sight. God instructed Moses to speak to a rock, and enough water would flow from that rock to quench everyone's thirst—even the livestock. But Moses got so angry at the Israelites and their complaints that he struck the rock twice instead of just speaking to it (Numbers 20:7-11). Well, that did it! God was so angry at Moses for being disobedient that He told him that his 'ticket' to the Promised Land was now null and void. Hmmm....are you with me on the unfairness of it all? Yes, Moses was disobedient, but did he deserve such a harsh penalty for just hitting a rock?

At any rate, we later find Moses overlooking the Promised Land with the inability to go in. I can only imagine what was going through his mind. At this point, Moses had now come to the end of his mission. Could he have felt some disappointment for allowing his anger to get the better of him? Maybe so. But it was not until recent years that I realized that probably was not the case. You see, although the Promised Land was to be a great place--a land flowing with milk and honey--this was not Moses's ultimate reward for fulfilling his God-given purpose. The real 'promised land' was heaven. God was allowing him to see that his work on earth was done, and that he was about to enter to a land where the gates are made with one single pearl; the streets are made with gold (Revelation 21:21); and where he would be with our loving Father forever and ever. This is a place that would put any top interior designer to pure shame. The love that God had for Moses did not end because of disobedience. God still loved Moses dearly. The scriptures even reveal how God Himself buried Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). How awesome is that! The Word of God illustrates how a loving Father takes the time to do this last earthly gesture to honor the child that He loves. So, when Moses struck out, he was actually hitting a home run.

Photo from Bible.com