A Word about Errant Blows

 

Today I want to share a word about errant blows, as I comment on Numbers 20:7-12. This passage reads:

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

The Good Idea Fairy:

My wife and I live in the country, and in recent weeks I have occupied myself  from time to time on Saturdays by clearing a fence line. We have a small fenced pasture in the front of our home, and a larger pasture in the rear. Our neighbors to the south have a fence along our shared property line, and so the only section of our land that is without a fence is our northern property line between the two pastures. The “good idea fairy” visited me some weeks ago, and convinced me that I needed to erect a fence along that line, and so I have been making the necessary preparations.

The problem was that the good idea fairy didn’t  realized that the new fence line would run through terrain that is essentially jungle. I was able to use a chain saw to begin the task of clearing the fence line, but because the tops of the trees and shrubs were intertwined and bound together by vines, the chain saw work resulted in what resembled a green tunnel that was not tall enough to stand in, much less built a fence under. So, I had to go old school, and I assembled various hand tools from which I could attack the green tunnel from within.

One of the tools I used was a small axe, larger than a hatchet, but smaller than the full-sized tool. I have never been good with an axe, and that was still true as I worked to open the top of the green tunnel. 

The key in using an axe is to strike the same two places over and over again. One stroke to score the log, and a second to cut out the wood leaving a notch, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. Soon you need to switch the the other side of the tree, take a stroke to score the log, then a second to cut out the wood leaving a notch, then rinse and repeat; you get the picture. If done properly, the tree or limb will soon be severed, leaving a clean stump and an arrow-shaped log. That is, if you hit the same two places time and again. Sadly, I often can’t.

Errant Blows:

I often found myself making errant strokes, hitting the tree in question in multiple places without effectively notching out the opposing sides of the tree. It was the logging equivalent of a death of a thousand cuts, and it frequently made a mess of the process. I have found that a few precise blows were worth much more than a flurry of wild, uncoordinated strokes. Not only does the tree get cut more quickly, it is also much less tiring for me as well. 

In the midst of my exertions in the green tunnel, God brought to mind a simple, but I think profound truth: A errant blow is a wasted blow. Flailing away at a problem or situation is no more effective and efficient than it was when I was flailing away at the undergrowth in the green tunnel. This is a lesson we can also learn from our focal passage for today.

Moses, apparently frustrated because the Children of Israel were vociferously complaining of their extreme thirst, didn’t listen when God gave him instructions to speak to the rock. Instead, he struck the rock with his staff, not just once, but twice. He didn’t miss the rock, the way I missed my mark with cutting trees, but still he made two errant blows on the rock, and significant consequences followed.

Note that God, in His mercy, provided water for the Israelites despite the errant blows. He had every right to withhold the water because Moses disobeyed, but, since we know God is love, He nurtured His people. So, Moses disobeyed, stuck his errant blows, and it was all good, right? Uh . . . no! Not at all!

Costly Blows:

God’s justice demanded that Moses and Aaron be held accountable for their disobedience, and both were banned from the Promised Land. These consequences were severe for a seemingly minor lapse. After all, the Israelites were getting on his very last nerve, so it was natural that Moses was distracted. Yet, errant blows are dangerous and we need to avoid them.

An errant blow with an axe can be dangerous and many toes have been severed  in such a manner. A errant blow in spiritual matters may lead others astray or present a bad witness for the cause of Christ. 

An errant blow with an axe can be very tiring, but an errant blow in spiritual matters may cause us to strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.

A errant blow with an axe is a wasted blow, but an errant blow spiritually is disobedience. 

The Need for Focus:

One of the most important safety factors in using any tool is to stay focused. Someone who is distracted can strike an errant blow with an axe or some other tool and cause irreparable damage to themselves or to another person. Losing our focus spiritually can also result in delivering errant blows, with untold consequences.

We need to maintain our focus and our spiritual poise. We need to maintain our trust in God and in His guidance and instructions us. God can strike a straight blow with a crooked stick, but we don’t have His supernatural powers. Let us guard our hearts and strike solid blows in faith for the cause of Christ!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt