History has shown that even the best of leaders fail, sometimes! One of the greatest leaders in Israel’s history was MOSES. He led the children of Israel with distinction out of slavery in Egypt and throughout 40 years in the wilderness. God honoured him in the Bible with these words: ‘But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face’, Deuteronomy chapter 34 verse 10-12.

It is almost unthinkable that such a leader should ever fail; nevertheless, he did! The people complained vehemently to him in the wilderness about a lack of water to drink. He turned to God for the answer, Who said: ‘Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Hebron; and you shall STRIKE THE ROCK, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink’, Exodus chapter 17 verse 6. Moses obeyed and water came out of the rock. It was a powerful picture of a future time, when Jesus would be struck by Jehovah’s rod on the cross.

What a tragedy that Moses should, so soon after, fall from grace! True to form, the people soon complained again about a lack of water, Numbers chapter 20 verses 2-3. God instructed Moses: ‘Take the rod . . . gather the congregation together. SPEAK TO THE ROCK before their eyes and it will yield its water’, Numbers chapter 20 verse 8. Sadly, however, he did not obey. He STRUCK THE ROCK, TWICE! Water came out but Moses, without doubt, wished he had not done it! God reprimanded him: ‘Because you did not believe Me . . . you shall NOT bring this assembly into the land which I have given them’, Numbers chapter 20 verse 12. He had made a serious error, because the rock pointed to Christ, 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4. Christ was smitten once for our sin on the cross. All we have to do now is to speak to Him to receive His help!