In Greed We Trust?
We talked about GREED yesterday and how it is this intense selfish desire of wanting more. The desires take over our hearts and minds and cause us to get lost chasing the "things" from "StuffMart." I received an email where someone gave me this definition for GREED: "get all you can, can what you get, and sit on your can." That certainly falls in line with what Jesus was talking about in Mark 14:3-11 with the Foolish Rich man. It is evident that "In Greed He Trusted!"
Today, studying the book of Numbers I'm wondering if there isn't a more subtle GREED that plagues our lives, especially those who are following Jesus? I've read the story before, as I'm sure you have too, in Numbers 20 where Moses faces the grumbling people of God again for the umpteenth time. It seems like they have run out of things to complain about so they are back to an old complaint of no water. Moses and Aaron do the right thing in crying out to God, humbling themselves before God in the tent of meeting. I'm not sure I could have taken any more complaints, much less be Godly about it and pray :) But Moses does the right thing and God provides a plan: "Take your staff before the people...tell the rock to yield its water..." Seems simple-- again God will save the day. Here's where it gets sticky. Moses goes before the people and goes to the rock and lifts up his hand, strikes the rock with his staff twice and water pours out of the rock. I remember first hearing this story as a child and wondering what's wrong with what Moses did? Didn't they get the same results? Water. At first glance it just seems as a question of semantics but when one looks deeper there is seen the heart of man. God says to Moses "Because you didn't 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 I have given them" OUCH! Instead of letting God's Word reveal power Moses felt the need to raise his hand and use his staff and hit the rock not just once but a magical twice, bringing attention to himself rather than allowing God to do the work. Ever wonder what was going through Moses' head? Was he worried that God wouldn't do what He said He would? Had Moses just gotten confused and was just used to waving his staff around and hitting things with it? Hardly, for God know's the heart of man and nothing is hidden from Him. Moses failed to honor God by his actions, there was something missing that caused Moses to take some kind of credit. Or was it a lack of trust in God, wanting to make sure this miracle happened; did Moses feel that he had to add something to it??? We will never know what Moses was thinking, only that it didn't line up with what God told him to do even though the output was the same, the means were not.
For us today I see that happening so often where many come in the name of Jesus and often with really good intentions, but instead of listening to God and doing things His way we tend to take matters in our own hands much like Moses. Maybe it's a desire to trust ourselves more than God, that maybe God can't handle it so we need to add a safety net. Or possibly it could be our fleshly desire to receive the accolade and credit for something God has really done. Either way there is a subtle hint of GREED that seems to seep in and cause us to honor ourselves instead of honoring God. A sense of entitlement to doing things our way, no matter the way we justify it by the end result. Clearly this does not please God as Moses will not be allowed to enter into the Promised Land.
I think it's a constant "gut check" to see what is really motivating us and our actions. Is it about building our kingdom? Our reputation, our legacy, or is it about our GREED?
The great thing about Moses' story is that there is restoration, even in the midst of the consequences there is grace and mercy given to Moses. He will not enter into the Promised Land here on earth, but Moses certainly enters the final Promised Land in heaven with God Himself. I wonder what those first conversations were like in heaven between God and Moses?
I bet God just wrapped His loving arms around Moses and told him good job My faithful servant!
That's what I've adopted from a mentor of mine, one day he told me that what kept him in the ministry (he's been in for over 25 years) was that he longed to hear those words from our Father in heaven, "well done, good and faithful servant." At the end of the day I pray that is our motivation for all that we do, for the kingdoms that we build here on earth would be for the true King God our Father. That in all we say and do we honor Him doing things His way netting His results not our own. May God give us as leaders courage and strength to do things His way, in His time, yielding His results, honoring His name above our own name, therfore sanctifying the name of Jesus before the eyes of all the people.
I think you're onto something here with the idea that Moses trusted in himself rather than God. It seems like such a crazy story, but it carries so much weight. God previously told Moses to strike the rock, and water came from it. Now God tells Moses to speak to the rock, and water will come from it. Is God inconsistent? Did any of the Apostles write about this wild account?
ReplyDeletePaul writes in 1st Corinthians 10 about the Exodus and Wilderness history of Israel. He says, "They all drank the same spiritual drink...they drank from the rock...the rock was Christ." This is heavy stuff. This was a kind of sacrament for Israel. It wasn't a repetitive sacrament like the Lord's Supper or Baptism, but Christ was clearly (after Paul makes this clear for us) in, with, and under the rock and its water.
So why would God have told Moses the first time to strike the rock? God wanted Moses to graphically portray the crucifixion of God. When Christ is on the cross, His side is struck with a spear, and water flows out of it, mingled His blood. The water is intimately connected with the most sacred blood of the Messiah. The water carries the holy blood. So when Moses strikes the rock, he prophetically shows that the crucifixion of Christ will cause the living water of eternal life to save the miserable sinners dying in the wilderness, the desert they chose over the Promised Land. The death of Jesus provides Adam with a new life after he renounces Eden.
But then, why the change the second time? We find that God is a genius, a very patient genius. He could have unleashed His holy vengeance on Israel. As we say, "Fool me once..." But He bears their insults and complaints. And He takes it as an opportunity to catechize! He finds an occasion to display Christ even more. He has already shown a sign of faith in the crucifixion, now He wants to paint a picture of the benefits of Baptism: the living water gushes forth at the Oral Word.
ReplyDeleteBut Moses becomes an Anabaptist. He trusts in the sign of the cross over the efficacy of the Verbum. Perhaps this could be chalked up to what Paul says, "The Jews seek a sign." Moses assumed Israel needed a sign. So he condescended to Jewish culture, unintentionally bankrupting God's intended treasure. He gives them the societal norm, in this case a physical wonder. It seems strange, but that is the sense of it all. Moses accidentally denies the power of the Word of Christ to effect the Sacraments. He instead trusts in the work of his own hands. He looks to his own righteousness, to past examples of faithfulness. He completely forgets that Christ is the one speaking. Christ is the one who has done all and will do all. Moses then turns the marvelous work of Christ, which is done through Moses for his own good as well as others. He turns that wonderful work into his own leadership, trusting the power of his own preaching. He becomes an anti-Christ by trusting his own past deeds and now the good work he is about to accomplish. He forgets the power of Christ's words is despite himself. He has lost the sacraments. He no longer preaches a Christ who has saved him from the house of bondage and now works good deeds in Moses. Suddenly Moses puts his own good deeds forward as pleasing to God on their own account. He no longer puts forward the work of Christ which takes place in him, Moses, and for his benefit as well as Israel.
This happens the second he accedes to his culture in order to make God acceptable to them. And for that God says, "The second it is feasible, you will be defrocked. At the end of this season, you will no longer be under-shepherd of the flock of Israel." Death seems like a terrible punishment for one error, but it was not a death eternal, as you well said. It was bodily chastisement. It was a spanking in the eyes of Israel, public punishment for a public sin. God set Moses forward as a special example to all Pastors. When the Moses account is considered in light of the letters to the Angels, that is messengers, a.k.a. preachers, Pastors, in the Revelation, Moses as Pastoral teaching becomes a little more clear. Moses denied the Word of God by not following a simple command: Do this. Moses belittled the sacraments by making them acceptable to his culture. He defaced Christ by becoming too culturally sensitive. He denied Christ by trusting in his own works, works of mercy for God's people. He clings to his own charity instead of the abiding charity of Jesus Christ.
But Christ is so merciful. He rebukes Moses, even to death. But makes full atonement for the sin of Moses at Kadesh. If anyone doubts this, let them ask themselves why two streams flow from the side of Christ when he is struck on the cross. The rock is struck; two streams flow. Despite Moses' overbearing wickedness at Kadesh, Christ turns it into a blessing for all of Israel. They hear a wicked preacher portray Christ in dissonance to God's clear word. But this does not prevent the Holy Spirit. He can work through tom-foolery if He wills. Moses was about to make God look like a fool before all of Israel. So God worked through preaching containing false doctrine to save Israel.
Moses, according to his pastoral office, was not released from the consequences of his actions. He was removed from office while he was at the height of his ministry. Deuteronomy 34 tells us that Moses had lost none of his manly vigor when he died. He did not retire. God removed Him from active duty while he was fully capable of being Israel's Pastor. But Moses, according to his person, did not bear the burden of his sin. It says in Deuteronomy that God Himself buried Moses. In other words, Moses ran after his culture, and in so doing lost the Sacraments, especially Baptism. But God buried him. This is heavy, heavy stuff. Moses is still spoken of in Baptismal language! He rejected Baptism in the sight of Israel and was thence removed from office. But God kept him in his Baptismal grace. Even though it was necessary to replace Moses with a new Pastor, he nonetheless remained buried with Christ in the washing of water with the Word.
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