God was not "punishing" Moses at all. God was "protecting" His people.
The explanation went something like this:
- The people left Egypt knowing nothing but SLAVERY for generations. They had no other world view from which to comprehend anything except the experience of a Master ordering a Slave around and harshly punishing disobedience.
- God sent Moses to lead the people out of Egypt with a staff, like the Egyptian Masters carried as a symbol of authority, and dealt with them in the "language" they were capable of understanding.
- Moses struck the rock the first time as a slave would expect a master to strike a servant to compel obedience. The people were able to understand God commanding them through that imagery.
- Forty years passed. Those people raised slaves died in the wilderness. These people were the people of God that had known nothing except the God that offers shade and light and provision. There is no need for the people of God to approach God as a Slave approaches a Master, expecting a beating for any slight disobedience.
- God sent Moses to SPEAK to the rock and command water to come forth ... as a son might approach a father and expect provision from him. However, while the PEOPLE had changed, Moses had not. Moses was incapable of growing out of the mode he had left Egypt with.
- The people deserved a leader that would represent a loving God leading His people with his words ... gently. Not an Egyptian Master leading the people with a rod and beatings.
Thus Moses was the man to reach the GENERATION and lead them out of Egyptian Slavery, but Moses was not the man to lead the GENERATION of free people to follow their loving God into the land He had promised to give them.
Different horses for different courses ... Moses was no longer the right horse for the course ahead.
Not about PUNISHING MOSES ... about BLESSING the PEOPLE.
I was just curious what other people thought before I offered this new option for consideration.
I am still chewing it over.
