Week 4: Anger

“Then 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 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 this community into the land I give them.” (Numbers 20:11-12)

Most leaders would be able to connect with Moses’ anger in Numbers 20. Right in the midst of leading the Israelites to the promised land, the people begin to threaten to go back to Egyptian slavery because of lack of water. 

The first time this happened, God had instructed Moses to strike the rock. But this time, God challenged Moses to speak to the rock. But the roar of the crowd’s demands led Moses to strike the rock out of anger. 

Water gushed out anyway. 

In Buddhism, the main principle is: “when we wish for things to be different than they are, we suffer”.

Most anger stems from fear. The Israelites were angry because they feared they would die in the wilderness. After over 400 years in Egypt, this was new for them. Moses’s anger came from his fear that God had chosen the wrong person to lead the people. He was constantly doubting himself. 

Everyone wished that everything was different. So they suffered, feeling trapped in the grip of temporary emotions and frustrations that stemmed from deeply rooted fears. That’s what led to Moses lashing out in anger. 

But God showed up anyway.  

Grace Space

Rarely are you ever truly angry about what you are obsessing over.

Most likely, that thing has touched on a deep fear you are holding. In Numbers 20, Moses lashes out in anger at a rock and it produces water. This act disqualifies him from entering the Promised land with the people. 

Moses’s insecurity was that he never knew who he was. Was he an Egyptian or a Hebrew? Now God is calling him a leader?! 

I know we’ve all had to navigate this space before. Trying to live up to the calling and responsibilities we are learning to navigate in real time. Sometimes the pressure can get to us so much that we allow our anger to set us back. 

I’m Moses’s case, God took him into his glory. What looked like the death of a great leader to the Israelites turned out to be a promotion into God’s glory! Your decision may have caused one door to close but God’s overwhelming presence is always available! It’s truly a “Grace Space”!