Moses misrepresented the nature and character of the Father. In blowing his top, Moses signaled to the people that God must be angry with them. But He wasn’t. Psalm 103 says our Father has compassion on us, remembering our frames, knowing that we are dust. Our God is a God of incredible mercy, a Father of intense compassion. And because Moses misrepresented Him, he would not be able to lead the congregation into the Land of Promise.

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. - 1 Corinthians 10:1–4

When the children of Israel began their journey, God told Moses to smite the rock. And out of the rock came water (Exodus 17:6). The Rock is Christ. Christ was smitten once, never to be smitten again. Yes, our sin demanded the Rock be smitten. But He died once for all - for all sin, for all time, for all men. The price has been paid, and now Moses was to speak to the rock. The rock was only to be smitten once because Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient. But Moses ruined the picture by striking the rock again.

It’s not our job to beat people up or straighten them out. Yes, we are to share the truth with them in love, but anger or bitterness will disqualify us from true leadership, for the wrath of man never works the righteousness of God (James 1:20). Moses no doubt thought, “This is it. It’s been almost forty years and these people never stop complaining. Certainly, God, You must have had it up to here with Your people.” God’s mercy, however, is inexhaustible. It extends all the way to the heavens (Psalm 36:5).

“Your mercies are new every morning,” the prophet proclaimed (see Lamentations 3:22–23). Like Moses, we can think God surely must be exhausted, upset, or angry with us and the rest of the sinners surrounding us. But He’s not. His mercy is new every morning, and where sin abounds, grace abounds much more (Romans 5:20).