Some reasons as to why Moshe and Aharon did not get to enter the Promised Land

What a powerful Torah portion we just read in Parasha 39!  In it, we learned one of the reasons why Moshe and the High Priest Aharon - the holiest men on earth at the time – did NOT get to enter the Promised Land. Take a look:

Numbers 20: 8 "Take the staff, assemble the community, you and Aharon your brother; and before their eyes, tell the rock to produce its water. You will bring them water out of the rock and thus enable the community and their livestock to drink." 9 Moshe took the staff from the presence of ADONAI, as he had ordered him. 10 But after Moshe and Aharon had assembled the community in front of the rock, he said to them, "Listen here, you rebels! Are we supposed to bring you water from this rock?"

11 Then Moshe raised his hand and hit the rock twice with his staff. Water flowed out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, "Because you did not trust in me, so as to cause me to be regarded as holy by the people of Isra'el, you will not bring this community into the land I have given them." 13 This is M'rivah Spring [Disputation Spring], where the people of Isra'el disputed with ADONAI, and he was caused to be regarded as holy by them.

Notice, Moshe HIT the rock with his staff. He didn’t “tell the rock to produce its water,” as ordered. And what was this “WE” stuff in verse 10?

While it's certainly understandable why Moshe said "we" (after all, he was chosen by YHWH Himself to communicate "face-to-face"/in His Presence - which had to be a huge ego builder!), YHWH didn't appreciate Moshe trying to take ANY glory for himself. MOSHE didn't produce the water; YHWH did....

Yet, despite of the lessons we see in Torah, for some reason, people today believe they can get away with anything, just because they "believe in Jesus." They tend to forget that "they" are NOT in charge, and that obedience to YHWH’s commands is also required in order to please our Creator.

We must never lose sight of that! Just take a look at what happened to Aharon (and let's not forget that, in the end, Moshe didn't get to enter the Promise Land, either)....

Numbers 20: 23 At Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, 24 "Aharon is about to be gathered to his people, because he is not to enter the land I have given to the people of Isra'el, inasmuch as you rebelled against what I said at the M'rivah Spring. 25 Take Aharon and El'azar his son, bring them up to Mount Hor, 26 remove the garments from Aharon and put them on El'azar his son. Aharon will be gathered to his people - he will die there."

This parashah is truly a powerful example of the high expectation YHWH has for His leaders, and His people, in general.