Joel M Bradshaw

23“And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, 24‘O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? 25Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ 26But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. 27Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. 28But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.’ 29So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.—Deuteronomy 3

God answered Moses’ fervent prayer with a NO. In fact, ENOUGH. Let’s revisit Moses’ story. As you read these historical books, it seems that Moses was always dealing with grumbling, whining Israel. At times they were thirsty and there was no water. In Exodus 17, God told Moses to strike the rock and water miraculously came forth. In Numbers 20, God told Moses to take the same staff as before, but this time to SPEAK to the rock. Moses chose to strike the rock twice. And by God’s grace, water still miraculously came forth. God’s response was sobering…

12And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

So here in our text today, Moses was at the precipice, right at the border. He prayed one last time to see if it was still God’s will that he not cross over. And God still said no. We might even wonder about Moses’ words here, too. He said it was because God was angry with Israel. You and I remember Numbers 20. Moses didn’t obey. Moses made the miracle more about him and his double striking than about trusting God and simply speaking. The striking had happened before. It was more dramatic and experiential. Speaking to a rock? Almost sounds like the ‘which is easier’ moment with Jesus and the paralyzed man in Mark 2:9.

So God said NO, but what do we still learn here.

1. God still expected Moses’ obedience moving forward.
2. God still would use Moses and gave him a leadership legacy.
3. God still cared for Moses’ heart and let him look.

I have had MS for over 20 years. In the earlier days, hundreds and hundreds of people poured out their prayers for me that I would be healed. I was a young man who had just entered his 20s. But God said no. Prayers have continued over the years, and God continues to say no. But God still expected me to move forward. And so in faith I did. God had a great plan to use me and my weakness. And so I trusted in him and that plan. And God cares for my ministry heart. God transformed my story. In my weakness, I get the honor of depending upon God’s strength. And when I journey with people who need that kind of faith, I get to model it. My greatest weakness has led to my greatest ministry strength. I trust God. It’s as if I am standing at Pisgah and looking out. Trusting that God is God and that God is good. I am nobody special. You also can have that kind of trust in God. God sometimes says NO. And that can be a wonderful thing. But pay attention when he does.–JMB