Let’s read Numbers 20:7-12, “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.”

The children of God were in the desert of Zin.  There was no water for the people there (verse 2), so they murmured against Moses.  They lamented that they had ever left Egypt (verse 5).  Moses and Aaron interceded on behalf of the people and our ever-gracious Lord used them to provide water to the people.  Moses became very frustrated at the people and instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock.  He also failed to acknowledge the Lord before the people.  In verse 10, Moses said, “must WE fetch you water out of this rock?”  For this act of unbelief and disobedience, Moses was not allowed to lead the people into the land of Canaan.

We read of Aaron’s death in Numbers 20:23-29.    Now, let’s read of Moses in Numbers 27:12-14, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.”  We also read in Deuteronomy 34:5-7, “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.”  So, Moses was allowed to SEE the promised land, but he was not permitted to ENTER it.  The Lord took his life in Moab and buried him in a spot that no one could locate.

Although Moses’ physical life was taken from him for his act of disobedience and unbelief, that does not mean that Moses was not a believer.

* It was Moses and Elijah that appeared to the Lord in the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-9.

* It was said of Moses in Acts 7:22 that he, “was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.”

* In the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, we read of Moses, “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” (Verses 25-26).

* We read of Moses’ faithfulness in Hebrews 3:5, “And MOSES VERILY WAS FAITHFUL in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after.”

* We read of Moses as a servant in Revelation 15:2-3, “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of MOSES THE SERVANT OF GOD, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.” Although Moses committed a terrible act that resulted in his death, we can see enough evidence from scripture that he was truly a saved man and now resides in the presence of the Lord.  (361.4)