Yves Gashugi 
They Misread It and Taught It Wrongly; God Never Told Moses to Strike the Rock
Have you really understood this? It’s like one of those classic comprehension questions we were often asked in school, and still are today. Many times, when teachers posed such questions, we would quickly answer “yes, we understood,” but in reality, we often hadn’t truly grasped the meaning; we had merely memorized the words.
A teacher’s aim in asking comprehension questions was not simply to check if we had memorized facts, but to see whether we had understood. True wisdom is not built on rote memorization; it rests on understanding.
God Never Told Moses to Strike the Rock
You might have paused when you read the title, thinking to yourself, “Is that really true?” Yes, it is true, God never instructed Moses to strike the rock in order for water to come out for the Israelites to drink.
For much of my life, I heard preachers teach that God had told Moses to strike the rock once to bring forth water, but Moses struck it twice, and that was why he was barred from entering Canaan. I relied on what I heard from others rather than studying the Scriptures carefully for myself, and as a result, I missed out on a deeper revelation of God.
What Did God Command?
In Numbers 20:7–9, the Lord said to Moses: “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes, and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
As we see clearly, God told Moses to take the staff but never instructed him to strike the rock. Instead, God commanded him to speak to the rock. God’s plan was not for the miracle to come through striking but through speaking.
Having a tool or weapon does not mean you should use it unless you have been explicitly instructed by the One who gave it to you.
Numbers 20:9 confirms: “So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as He commanded him.”
Recently, I watched a YouTube video of a military officer giving battle instructions to his troops. I carefully listened as the soldiers followed his every word. They all carried different weapons and equipment, yet each one only used what they were commanded to use. None dared act on their own initiative, even if they thought they had a better idea.
Jesus Himself said, “The children of this world are wiser in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light” (Luke 16:8). Moses was told to take the staff, yes, but he was not told to use it. He was commanded to use his mouth. It is unwise to act beyond God’s instructions, even if what you are tempted to do seems useful.
I will end here for now. If the Lord wills, I will continue with Part Two of this message.
