Shalom.
When the children of Israel left Egypt heading to their promised land, they traveled through the wilderness until they reached a place called Kadesh-Barnea. That area was extremely dry, surrounded by huge mountains and many valleys. Crossing that desert was the hardest part of their journey. When the Israelites looked back, they saw how far they had come, and looking forward, the destination was still far. So they began to grumble against God and Moses.
Then God told Moses, “Take the staff and strike the rock before their eyes, and water will come out of it for the people to drink” (Exodus 17:6). Moses obeyed, struck the rock, and water flowed out. The Israelites drank and were satisfied. The journey continued.
But after many years, while wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, God brought the children of Israel back to the same place. As usual, the area was harsh, even worse than before. They looked at the rock that once poured water and now it was dry. Their children and livestock were dying of thirst. What remained for them was to repeat the same thing they had done before—grumbling against God and Moses.
Moses then went to the Lord to ask what to do. God said, “Go, speak to the rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water” (Numbers 20:8). But Moses didn’t follow God’s instructions carefully. He assumed God’s way would be the same as before because the place, the rock, and the surroundings were the same. So, instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck it.
Water did come out, and the people drank, but God was displeased and said:
“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’” (Numbers 20:12)
It is God’s nature to repeat the same circumstances to speak to you, but that does not mean the message is the same. For example, the Bible we read has 66 books; one could finish reading it in a week. Many people have read it over 500 times in their lifetime. But if you read it just to get new information every time, you will get nowhere, because for you it’s just repetition and will become boring.
However, if you read to hear the voice of God, every day one verse will feel new to you, as if you’ve never read it before. Why? Because you open your understanding to hear God’s voice more than just looking at your past experience of reading or hearing it.
Another example is in the book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, where Jesus gives John letters to send to the seven churches of Asia Minor.
John delivered those letters to all the saints in the seven cities, and each church had its own special message. But that message was not just for that time. We who live in the last days understand that the seven churches also represent the seven eras of the Church. From the time of the apostles until now, seven church eras have passed, and we live in the final seventh church called Laodicea, which started in the early 1900s and will end at the rapture.
Therefore, we must be very careful to hear God’s voice and not get used to His Word by judging it with the same repeated circumstances or familiar verses we have read before. If Moses had truly heard God’s voice, who knows if God had planned for the rock to continually pour out living water, flowing with them until they entered the promised land, unlike the first time when water only flowed briefly (1 Corinthians 10:4).
The Bible says that rock was Christ, and Christ does not give temporary water but springs of living water flowing forever (1 Corinthians 10:4).
God teaches us not to get used to His Word. He wants to teach us new things every day, knock on different doors every day, but if we say, “Oh! I’ve heard this before,” then we are still immature in understanding God’s voice.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 8:2:
“Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.”
It is my hope and prayer that all of us will begin to seek God’s voice regardless of how many times we have preached or read the same Word.
Psalm 12:6 says:
“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.”
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