The land was beautiful! It was everything God had told him it would be. As he glimpsed the vineyards in the distance, the weariness caused by his climb dissolved. The cool breeze of the mountain refreshed him. The land beyond the Jordan was truly one flowing with milk and honey. He smiled a wistful smile as he realized that he would never set foot across the Jordan. Joshua and Caleb would lead the people into Canaan. It would be their privilege to do so; one that he had forfeited at Meribah…

The people were always grumbling. They were never satisfied. They asked for food and God had given them manna- bread from heaven. Then when they had bread, they asked for meat. The Lord sent them meat in the form of quails. But their desires kept growing.

Hadn’t they witnessed the plagues in Egypt, including the dreadful tenth one? Hadn’t the Lord proved Himself faithful time after time? He delivered them by parting the Red Sea, letting them cross it but drowning the Egyptians. Why did they still grumble?

Despite God’s deliverance many longed to be back in Egypt. They preferred the whips of the taskmasters to the discipline of the Lord. Why were they so rebellious? An eleven day journey became one of forty years because of their rebellious nature.

And he had grown older during those years- older and weaker. He had seen the Lord perform miracle after miracle to convince the people that He was their God. And though he was God’s instrument, he never ceased to wonder every time God used him to demonstrate His love. He didn’t doubt the Lord. But the people? They were always testing Him.

Now it was water. True, they were in a desert. But couldn’t they just ask for water? Why did they always have to grumble?

As usual Aaron and he had approached the Lord with the people’s need. They told Him they needed water; as if He didn’t know! They prostrated themselves before God and waited for His instructions.

Speak to a rock!? Surely You jest Lord! The last time, You asked me to strike the rock. What’s different this time? Nothing!

Speak! To a rock! Absurd! Who’s ever heard of something like that? He could accept striking the rock. At least it would involve some concrete action. But just speaking! What would that accomplish?

Aaron felt the same way. They had both heard the same words. But both thought they had heard wrong. The earlier method of getting water from a rock had worked. There was no need to deviate from the tried and tested procedure. Surely they had heard wrong. Speak to a rock? Ridiculous!

The decision was made. They withdrew from the tabernacle. The people looked on in anticipation- some faintly believing, others openly sneering-as he approached the rock, his staff in his hand. They eagerly waited to see what he would do. What had God told him to do?

“Speak! Speak to the rock!”

“Nay, Lord”, he thought as he struck it, the sound of the blow ringing through the desert and echoing from the mountains in the distance.

Why? Why had he struck the rock? Why hadn’t he spoken to it? One lapse and he was denied the promised land. If only he could be at Meribah again! He’d undo what he had done. Why?

Many centuries later another Rock would be struck. The sound of Roman hammers against iron spikes rang through the land from a hill outside Jerusalem. But louder than the clanging of the hammers was the cry of despair:

“My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

(Written on Wednesday, 1 February 1995)