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Moses Fails on the Border of Canaan
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to deal with sin as an evil that is fatal to the peace and happiness of
the universe.
God had forgiven the people for greater transgressions, but He
could not deal with sin in the leaders the same way He did in those
who were led. He had honored Moses above every other person on
earth. The fact that he had been blessed with such great light and
knowledge made his sin more serious. Past faithfulness will not
make up for one wrong act. Greater light and privileges given to
someone only make failure less excusable and the resulting punish-
ment heavier.
Moses’ sin was a common one. The psalmist says that “he spoke
rashly with his lips” (
Psalm 106:33
). To human judgment this may
seem a small thing, but if God dealt so severely with this sin in His
most faithful and honored servant, He will not excuse it in others.
The spirit of self-exaltation, the tendency to condemn our fellow
believers, is not pleasing to God. The more important one’s position,
the greater the need to cultivate patience and humility.
If those in positions of responsibility take to themselves the glory
that is due to God, Satan has gained a victory. Every impulse of
our nature and leaning of the heart needs to be under the control of
the Spirit of God moment by moment. Therefore however great our
light, however much we may enjoy God’s favor, we should always
walk humbly before the Lord, pleading in faith that God will control
every impulse.
The burdens placed on Moses were very great. Few people will
ever be as severely tested as he was, yet this did not excuse his sin.
No matter how great the pressure brought on a person, sinning is our
own act. It is not in the power of earth or hell to force anyone to do
evil. No matter how severe or unexpected the temptation, God has
provided help for us, and in His strength we may conquer.
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