The Sin God Doesn’t Forgive

 

I’ve been reading through the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) in my reading time lately.  One story in these books that confuses and disturbs some is the story of Moses striking the rock.  Perhaps you are familiar.  The Israelites are complaining.  Again.  This time it is because of thirst.  Where is the provision God promised?  Where is the water? 

 

Moses approaches God, seeking help.  God gives him the following instructions: “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water.” (Numbers 20:8a)  Moses proceeds to go out among the people, and instead of speaking to the rock, Moses strikes it.  For this, God tells Moses that he won’t enter the Promised Land. 

 

Some interesting points of context.  Moses has been leading the people for decades, and their complaining had no doubt worn him down.  In addition, his sister had just died.  Moses probably wasn’t in the best place emotionally.  Why was God so harsh?  I can’t imagine I would have acted any better.

 

One thing we can see in the story is that Moses seemed to want to take some credit for the miracle.  “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”  We?  Was Moses the miracle worker?  It seems, in his moment of emotionally vulnerability, that Moses let slip something previously unstated: he and God were working together to lead the people.  Pride, a sin wrecking people since Cain and Abel, was messing Moses up. 

 

Still, though, why didn’t God forgive him?  Moses had done so much for God, for the Hebrew people.  Why would God have taken away from Moses something which Moses had sacrificed so much to achieve.  Why was this sin so egregious? 

 

Consider this for a minute: God had, many times, proclaimed such judgements against the Hebrews.  They would be destroyed for their disobedience.  They would never enter into the Promised Land.  Each time, Moses intercedes for them, and God relents.  There is a pattern in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 

 

1. Sin
2. Proclamation of judgement
3. Intercession
4. Withholding of judgement

 

So, what’s going on here?  Why is there no withholding of judgement in the life of Moses?  As God says to him in Numbers 20, Moses never enters into the Promised Land.  The answer seems to be that there is something in Moses’ sin which God can’t forgive.  Is it pride?  Certainly, God has forgiven people for their pride many times over.  Was it because Moses took credit for the miracle?  Again, this isn’t a unique sin, and God does indeed forgive this sort of thing in Scriptures. 

 

The answer, I believe, is found in Deuteronomy 4.  The people are getting ready to enter into the Promised Land, and Moses has some final words for them.  Some sermons.  This is essentially what the entire book of Deuteronomy is, after all.  It’s Moses’ sermons to the people.  Moses giving them some final word.  Thirty-three chapters of final words.  It’s a lot. 

 

Anyway, in Deuteronomy 4:21, Moses says this: “The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.”  Did you pick up on the point I’m trying to make?  Moses tells the people that it is their sin which has caused God to refuse him entrance into the Promised Land.  “The LORD was angry with me because of you.” 

 

For reference, let’s look at exactly what God tells Moses.  “Because you did not 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 that I have given them.”  Whose sin was keeping Moses out of the Promised Land?  It wasn’t their sin; it was his.  I’m sure this irked Moses.  I’m guessing it really ate at him.  Which is why, a little while later, he blames the people for his sin.

 

Certainly, anger was a factor in Moses’ sin.  Some would even call it righteous anger.  The people, after all, were complaining against God again.  Didn’t Moses have a right to be angry?  Apparently not.  More importantly, Moses blamed others for his sin, and because he blamed, he never confessed, never interceded for his own sins. 

 

Remember the pattern from before? 

1. Sin
2. Proclamation of judgement
3. Intercession
4. Withholding of judgement 

The pattern has changed.  

1. Sin
2. Proclamation of judgement
3. Blame
4. Judgement remains 

Would God have forgiven Moses if he confessed?  We have every reason to believe He would have.  He forgave time and time again.  Many of those sins would be considered far worse than Moses’ sin.  Instead of confession, though, Moses blames.  Because of this, Moses’ judgement remains. 

 

The application is, for me, one of big lessons we should take away from the lessons in Scripture.  God wants to forgive our sin.  He “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).  The only thing which keeps back forgiveness is sin which we blame on others.  We love to blame others for our sins.  Our anger, which we might even call righteous, keeps us from true confession.  It’s easier on the conscience is we can find someone else to point the finger at.  The problem is, this keeps us from God.  In refusing to acknowledge our sin, we have decided to push away the God who died to forgive us. 

 

John puts it this way in his first letter: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”  (I John 1:8-10)