Deuteronomy 32:51 Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.
The Lord God is serious about disobedience and about upholding His Holiness among His people. After all the years of faithful leadership, the Lord banned Moses from entering the Promised Land and experiencing the fulfillment of the promise. Why? Because of one seemingly little trespass: to bring forth water from the rock Moses hit it with his staff, instead of speaking to it as commanded. In spite of all the good works and years of faithful service, one sin brought severe punishment. Moses did not live to see the results of his labors.
This incident impresses upon us the Holiness of God and the sin of man that separates us from God and His life (His Kingdom). James 2:10: “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” If we do not like this verse or we question what happened to Moses, it is because we fail to grasp the Holiness of God and the perfection of His Word.
Unwittingly, Moses thought he knew better than God. That’s the real trespass. “Smiting the rock worked before. God must have got it wrong in telling me to speak. So I’ll hit it.” Thinking you know best trespasses against Him. God’s Name must be kept holy among us. That is what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer.
We have failed to sanctify the Lord in our midst. Sanctify means to set apart something for a specific purpose. This is what is broken every time we trespass, the perfections of God. God is Holy! Really. And so must you be also. And this is exactly what Jesus came into our life to do: sanctify us, set us apart as holy unto the Lord. Praise the Lord and rejoice!