Obedience is better than sacrifice
Deuteronomy 3:25,29 (NKJV).
Our God is a loving and merciful God, slow to anger and quick to forgive. But He is also a Holy God and will not tolerate sin of any kind, or description.
Moses paid a very heavy price for his disobedience and God would not change His mind on the issue despite Moses pleading with the Lord. He said that Moses would not cross over the Jordan River because he struck the rock and never spoke to the rock as instructed by God, in front of the Israelite Nation.
We cannot manipulate our Heavenly Father in any way.
Romans 6 :23 (NKJV) says very clearly, “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
We are not speaking here about Moses losing his salvation, but because of his disobedience he was prevented from entering into the land of milk and honey.
God always forgives when we repent and say sorry, but unfortunately the scar remains .
Often I have heard a young person say, “let me have a bit of fun first, sow my wild oats, so to speak and then I will serve the Lord with my whole heart “.
The price is too high, that so called having a bit of fun could cost you your life, or your entire future. Don’t do it because it is not really worth it.
Jesus will always forgive us if we truly repent, but the consequences of our actions and wayward lives remain.
Rather just simply obey God and have an abundant peaceful life, because there are more than enough challenges in this world anyway, then having to make even more problems for ourselves.
I really must be honest I felt so sorry for Moses when I first read this account, but at the same time the Holy Spirit revealed to me again just what a truly Holy God we serve. He is not to be taken lightly or in anyway to be manipulated, His yes is yes, and His no is no.
To obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).
Jesus bless you and your loved ones as you obey the words of eternal life. Remember they are there for our sakes, and not for His.
Angus and Jill Buchan.