Last Words

"Above all, be strong and courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction Moses commanded you."

These words reverberate through my mind as I stand at the river's edge.  Suddenly, I'm flashing back to that day so long ago.  Moses and Aaron had led us to Kadesh and there was no water.  The people were beginning to panic.  Shouting curses and threats, accusing Moses of leading us out of Egypt just to die.  An angry mob of fathers and mothers worried about their children, scared of what would happen if we didn't find water soon.   The whole area had been scouted, there was nothing.

These people hadn't learned anything from all the other times they had cried out against the Lord.  Nothing had turned out like we had all expected it to, when we left Egypt, but God had never let us down so far.  Didn't they remember the manna they picked up this morning?  Didn't they see every time Moses prayed, God provided?  Didn't they look at the Presence in the cloud every day?

As I looked up at my leader and friend I noticed the new lines around his eyes and the slight slump in his shoulders that hadn't been there a few short months ago.  The people and their endless complaining was taking it's toll.  He looked weary and defeated.  As they yelled out accusing him of leading them out in the wilderness to die of thirst, I was overwhelmed with sympathy for him but also secretly relieved it was him and not me that had to deal with these people.

After the worst of the shouting was over and the crowd was subdued, Moses and Aaron went straight to the tent of meeting, they fell face down and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.  The Lord spoke to Moses, "Take the staff and assemble the people.  You and Aaron SPEAK to the rock while they watch, and it will yield it's water.  You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for this community and their livestock."

I watched as Moses walked out of the tent of meeting.  Instead of defeated as he had been walking in, he looked angry.  Who could blame him?  These people were stubborn and rebellious.  They always complained and never praised the Lord for his provision.  They were always accusing Moses and God of neglecting them.  They always begged to return to Egypt.  It was as if they couldn't remember that we were slaves in Egypt.  Sure we had food and water, but didn't they want to be FREE?  Didn't they want to have their own land and live for God in freedom?  Didn't they marvel at all that God had already done for us.

Moses and Aaron called all the people together and with the staff, which had been used to miraculously  part the red sea, in hand he said to the people, "Listen, you rebels!  Must we bring water out of this rock for you?"  Then he raised his hand and with the anger that had been building up for months, he swung that staff and hit the rock twice.  Immediately water rushed out and all the people roared with cheers and rushed to take their fill of the cold refreshing flow.  It was a miracle.

That was years ago and I had almost forgotten about that day, until a few days ago, when Moses called me to him.   At the end of his life, just days away from finally seeing the Promised Land, the man that I had followed, loved and respected for most of my life stood before me with only one thing on his mind.  That day.  He wasn't reliving all the glory days or the miracles he had seen and been a part of.

The man was sitting quietly thinking about the day that he forfeit seeing the land promised to our people.  He was thinking about the day that he didn't follow the Lord's command completely.  The day that cost him the most.

Moses looked at me with fire in his eyes and he said, "Joshua, above all do everything the Lord commands you.  Be strong and courageous."

Moses my hero, who had lived such a life of faith, was thinking about the time He didn't trust the Lord enough and with his last words he begged me to trust God and obey him completely."

The last words of a man reveal everything about him.  The regret that I saw that day sways my decision today.  I will not listen to the lies.  I will believe that if God says, "Do it this way" that his way is better and I will do it his way.

At the river's edge as the sun begins to set and shines out across the water I relive that day again.  I hear my friend one more time urge me to be strong and courageous and turning on my heel I issue the command to prepare...  We walk into the raging river tomorrow.