People of God endeavour always to distinguish acts of faith that is underpinned by man’s ‘spirit’ from works of flesh that boast in man’s power and does not sanctify God. The conduct of Moses at the waters of Meribah exemplify works by flesh, where he calls the children of Israel ‘rebels’ and boasts that he and his brother Aaron were going to give them water (Numbers 20:10-11). Also, Moses disobeyed God’s command to “speak to the rock“, and instead struck the rock twice with his rod.
Therefore God said to them, “because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them” (Numbers 20:12). This breach cost Aaron his life as God commanded.
There is a symbolism in Moses’ ‘work in flesh’ (boasting and striking the rock in disobedience) and the ‘work by faith’ (speaking to the rock) that was commanded him by God. It represents the contest between the boast in “law of works” of Moses and the “law of faith” created in Christ Jesus unto good works. No man can boast for the latter because it is a gift of God by grace (Ephesians 2:8-10).
By the “deeds of the law” can no “flesh” be justified , but by the faith of Jesus Christ as evidenced in Moses and Aaron estopped from entering the promised land because of their “work in flesh” (Romans: 3. 27-28; Galatians:2. 16). I implore you therefore in the words of Jesus to “search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of [Jesus] (John 5:39). Prepare your hearts to believe in the messiah and sanctify your God, rather than put faith in dead “deeds of the law” that do not yield eternal life.
c) The ‘Work’ Of God in faith is To Believe in Christ
