Jeff Adams

Famous evangelist D. L. Moody had just finished preaching an evangelistic meeting in Brockton, Massachusetts during the 1880’s. A testimony meeting followed, and a young man stood to share what God had done in his life. It was quite clear that he was not a public speaker and didn’t know much about the Bbile. Nevertheless, in one of those special moments when a new believer stumbles upon deep truth, the young man pressed on in his attempt to verbalize what he had just experienced. In closing he said, “I’m not sure – but I’m going to trust, and I’m going to obey.”

One of the people listening that night was a musician named David Towner. Taking notes on what the young man had said, he passed them on to John Sammis who turned them into lyrics. The result was a beautiful hymn that has been sung by countless thousands ever since. Here is the first verse and chorus:

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

I thought of those words early this morning as I was reading through Numbers 20. I try to get to the office early enough on Sunday mornings to have some time to get my heart warmed by letting God preach to me before I preach to you. God’s message to me this me this morning is that it is very important to understand that trust comes before obedience. If we trust, we will obey. A small child jumps into Daddy’s arm because of trust. You can obey a robber who has a gun to your head, but that does not mean you trust him. Begin with trust and obedience follows.

In Numbers 20 the saga of Israel in the desert continues. The people are thirsty and begin to complain once again. With their short memories, they complain that they never should have left Egypt and would be better off dead. By this time Moses is up to his ears in whining and complaining. He’s simply had it! He and Aaron fall on their faces before God not knowing what to do.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. Numbers 20:7-12

God tells Moses to take his shepherd’s rod and speak to the Rock. You can observe a bit of an attitude as Moses spits out this verbal explosion calling the people rebels and doing some complaining himself. “Must we fetch water out of this rock?”

Excuse me! Just who is going to cause the water to come out of the rock? Would that be Moses and Aaron, or would that be God?

The real problem, though, is that instead of speaking to the rock, Moses hit it once again with the rod. You might not think that to be a big deal, especially since that is exactly what God had told him to do the first time in a similar event recorded back in Exodus 17:1-7. But God was painting a picture, giving them a living parable, and Moses messed it all up.

The Apostle Paul clearly explains in 1 Corinthians 10:4 that the rock is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 1Corinthians 10:4

This Rock, Jesus, is to be smitten only once. That’s what happened on the cross, never to be repeated.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Romans 6:10

But after that you can speak to him all you want.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Notice something else, something I think is profound. God rebukes Moses and Aaron telling them that for this reason they will not be the ones to lead the people into the promised land. But, he does not rebuke them for disobeying, rather for not believing, for lack of trust. “Because ye believed me not,” is how God expresses it. To believe is a concept that can admit several shades of meaning, but this particular Hebrew word translated believe is one that carries a strong and basic implication of trust more than mere intellectual belief.

Some people get so concerned about a literal, legalistic obedience, they pass over the deeper issue of trust. You can obey without trust, but if you truly trust you will freely and naturally obey. I am reminded to examine my own heart to affirm that I really do trust God. How about you?