Why Won’t Men Ever Read the Directions? Week 6 Day 3, Numbers 20-27

Why Won’t Men Ever Read the Directions?  Week 6 Day 3, Numbers 20-27

There is an urban legend that men will never read directions.  I Goggled the topic and came up with the following:

-         Why men don’t ask for directions
-         Real men don’t read instructions
-         Why men don’t listen and women can’t read maps (Don’t get mad at me ladies, that was just one of the items that showed up.  Sorry!)
-         Why people don’t follow directions (At last, a little “affirmative action.”)
-         How to get a man to ask for directions: 10 easy step (10 steps, how can that be easy?)

Most the time I actually read the directions, especially if I’m considering the purchase of electronics.  I’ll normally download the directions before my purchase so I can find out that the item really does, not just the marketing hype.

Moses apparently doesn't always read (or listen to) the directions.  God clearly told him to speak to the rock.  Instead Moses struck the rock twice with his staff.  Water water everywhere, more than enough to drink.  Hum, wonder if that trick would work in California.  We could really use the water.  So everything is great.  Right?

Not really. It turns out that God is angry.   He's angry at Moses and Aaron, and what a punishment.  Both are told they won't get to lead the people into the Promised Land!  That must have been a bitter and hard pill to swallow.  Really God!  After all that time together in the desert, crossing the Red Sea, the plagues, going back to Egypt when he could punished for killing an Egyptian.  All THAT and one lapse leads to such a harsh punishment.  You got to be kidding God.  That's just way out of line.

I've often heard people question God in this story.  They wonder at how small Moses infraction was.  They question the severity of the punishment.  I thought Moses was friends with God? This doesn’t seem like the way you should treat a friend.  Moses whole goal was to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land and now he won't get to enter himself.  Some thirty states have a three strikes law.  Moses hits the rock twice and he's gone, or doesn't get to "enter in."  I thought God was forgiving?  With forgiveness like this, not, who needs accusers?

But while I've often heard people question God, I don't know if I've ever heard them question Moses, Hey Moses, dude, why did you hit the rock? Why didn't you follow the directions?  Well dah!  He's a guy. And everyone knows guys don't follow directions. But why?  Why do we have so many problems following directions?  I mean if Moses, God’s buddy couldn’t follow God then what chance have I got?

Maybe Moses is just tired of always following directions.  Just once he’d like to do it his way.

Maybe Moses forgot what he was supposed to do, a simple mistake.

Maybe Moses was angry at the stiff necked people that constantly gave him grief and he struck the rock in anger.

Maybe, maybe, maybe.  The reality is that Moses didn’t do what God wanted him to do the way that God wanted him to do it.  That’s called sin.  We tend to rate sins.  Really bad sins like murder.  Not so bad sins like speeding.  But sin is sin.  Disobedience is disobedience.  Moses who is described earlier in Numbers as “a very humble man, more humble that anyone else on the face of the earth” did things his way, not God’s.  And sin leaves its mark, on us, on those around us, on the world.  Yes, there is forgiveness but there is also consequence.

Sometimes those consequences can hardly be perceived.  Other times the consequences are horrific, like Moses missing the Promised Land here on earth. 

We think we can do wrong with no ill effects.  But even what to us seems to be the most minor offense can have dire consequences.

God, I really don’t understand how much I effect the world around me.  I look at my life and it seems so small, so trivial.  But only You know the impact that I have on me and the world around me.  So Lord, I need to learn how to better listen to You.  I need to learn the to better follow You.  Let me only speak whey You want me to speak.  Let me strike only when You want me to strike.  I know I have Your forgiveness.  Now create in me a constant obedience to You.  Amen

Leonard