THIEVES THAT DESTROY

Adam and Eve were the first to encounter the thieves of disobedience and pride that bring destruction. For the thief comes to rob, kill, and destroy. The following examples reveal how the spirit of pride elevates itself above God. Then disobedience takes the lead, while refusing to acknowledge and repent of sin.

Moses and Aaron were leading the people of Israel through the desert, when they gathered to oppose them. They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” (Numbers 20:5). 

Moses and his brother went where they could pray and the glory of the Lord appeared and said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the [people] together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water”  (Numbers 20:6-7).

Moses took the staff as God commanded, and He and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock. Moses then said, “Listen, you rebels. Must we (Aaron and I) bring you water out of this rock?” (Moses was taking credit for the miracle that God was about to do). God does not tolerate pride.

In frustration and anger with the people, Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord was angry and 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 [them] into the land I give them.” (Numbers 20:9-12).

Why did Moses’ actions anger God? The rock was symbolic of Christ, the Rock and Cornerstone, who would be struck for our sakes. The risen Christ would bring forth streams of living water, representing the Holy Spirit. 

In Exodus 17, God had initially told Moses to strike the rock once, which represented Christ’s beating and crucifixion. Moreover, Christ died unto sin ONCE: but in that He lives, He lives unto God" (Romans 6:9-10 NKJV). Striking the rock twice symbolized crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting Him to open shame (Hebrews 6:6).

Moses pleaded with the Lord: “Sovereign Lord, You have begun to show to Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works You do?  Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.” Then Moses blamed the Israelites for his failure to obey God. “But because of [the Israelites] the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to Me anymore about this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” Deuteronomy 3:26-28). His pride and disobedience prevented him from entering into the Promise Land.

The thief of disobedience is rebellion that resists and often ignores authority. It is as the sin of divination (witchcraft), and presumption (assumption, arrogance, disrespect). It is as iniquity and idolatry (1 Samuel 15:23). Satan’s rebellion caused his expulsion from heaven, along with 1/3 of the angels.

King Saul, another example of disobedience, ignored God’s explicit orders to destroy the Amalekites (the first nation to attack Israel). God then sent the Prophet Samuel to give Saul a message. “The Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord?” And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 

The common denominator in both narratives is that Moses and King Saul disobeyed God’s instructions and then blamed others for their failure to obey Him. Thus, they forfeited the blessings that God had for them.

God has His reasons for giving specific instructions; thus, He does not tolerate disobedience. Disobedience began in the Garden of Eden, when Eve wanted to be like God. She sinned and when questioned by God, blamed the serpent. Adam had joined her in sin, yet he blamed God and Eve for his disobedience. Moses blamed the people for his prideful disobedience. Aaron blamed the people, even though he had instructed them to bring their gold jewelry to form the golden calf. Saul’s greed motivated him to disobey God and then blamed his soldiers for his own failure in not carrying out God’s explicit orders. And the stiff-necked, complaining Israelites walked in unbelief. They all refused to acknowledge their sin of rebellion and disobedience.

God has a purpose in everything He does and requires of us. His love and purposes were established before we were born. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart…” (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV). “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

God does not rob people. People rob themselves when they choose to follow their own willful plans and desires and ignore God’s counsel. They excuse their behavior and either blame God or others for what is wrong. But this is God’s word to the rebellious, disobedient, and unrepentant. “I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out My hand and no one has heeded. Because you have ignored all My counsel and would have none of My reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you” (Proverbs 1:24-26 ESV).

God gives warnings because He loves us and because He knows the future and we do not. His warnings and instructions are for our protection and not for the purpose of denying us something that we believe to be good. If we choose to listen to the voice of God, then we will recognize those thieves of disobedience and pride that come to rob, kill, and destroy.

PRAYER: FATHER, help me to recognize any pride or disobedience in my life, so that I may repent. Guide me and direct my steps so I do not stray and give the enemy a foothold to rob the plan You have for me and the blessings that accompany that plan. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

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