Pope Benedict - Waters of Meribah

This commentary by the Pope is not directly about Moses or the Waters of Meribah, rather the Pope is awarding some prizes in theology, the science of faith, and asks whether or not this is a contradiction.  He speaks of the "double use of reason"

a use that is irreconcilable with the nature of faith and of a use that instead belongs precisely to the nature of faith. There exists, he says, the violentia rationis, the despotism of reason, which makes itself the supreme and ultimate judge of everything. This kind of use of reason is certainly impossible in the ambit of faith. What does Bonaventure mean by this? An expression of Psalm 95:9 can show us. Here God says to his people: "In the wilderness ... your fathers tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work." Here there is reference to a double encounter with God: they "saw." This, however, was not enough for them. They put God "to the proof." They want to subject him to experiment. He is, as it were, subjected to a questioning and must submit Himself to a procedure of experimental testing. 
  The particular verses go

Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your ancestors tested me and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.  (Psalms 95, 8-9)

The Pope says, "God is not an object of human experimentation."  Understanding this helps to understand God's anger at the Israelites as well as, maybe, his impatience with Moses when Moses strikes the rock rather than just commands the rock to yield water (Numbers 20).

Pope Benedict speaks on Moses' Intercessory Prayer

I've included a link to this somewhat lengthy article because I thought it would be useful for future reference and contemplation.  I couldn't absorb it all on the first reading.  Here is how the Pope sets the stage: 

Also at Sinai, when the people ask Aaron to fashion for them a golden calf, Moses prays, thus carrying out in an emblematic way the true role of an intercessor. The episode is narrated in Chapter 32 of the Book of Exodus and has a parallel account in Deuteronomy Chapter 9. It is this episode that I would like to dwell upon in today's catechesis; and in particular on the prayer of Moses that we find in the Exodus account.

Needless to say, there is plenty to reflect upon when considering "Moses, the man of prayer"  as Pope Benedict calls him.

Numbers

Book Written:  over a period of a thousand years (?); edited in time of Ezra, 5th centuryB.C.

Time Period/Setting:  Numbers is a record of the 40 years of wanderings (1290 B.C. to 1250 B.C.) of the Israelites as they head toward the Promised Land.  I followed their whereabouts with interest on the map; Kadesh-barnea  and the Wilderness of Zin seem to be where most of the action takes place.  There's a record of their journey in Chapter 33.

Title:   From the Greek Arithmoi and refers to census that occurs in first chapter;  the Hebrew name is Bemidbar meaning 'in the wilderness.'

Nazirites.  The Nazirites are introduced to us in Ch. 6.  I had heard of this group with some suggestion that Jesus might have been a Nazirite.  That's probably not the case, but I picked it up somewhere along the way.  Samson, however, was a Nazirite, and the notes in my study Bible about Samson set me up pretty well for his story coming up in Judges. Can't wait.  I've always been fuzzy about Samson and Delilah.

Aaronic Blessing. The beautiful Aaronic blessing is also found in Ch. 6.24-26.  I heard this first and most often in the Presbyterian church;  Catholics seem to refer to it less often.

Moses. Far and away the best part of Numbers, though, is the recurring puling and complaining of the people to Moses. Who doesn't recognize in their voices the voice of a two-year old who stamps his foot and says 'no' or the teen-ager who keeps complaining about how boring his life is or our own voices when we moan and groan about whatever it is that is annoying us at the moment.   "If we only had some meat!"  (i.e. If only we had more  money/time/fill-in-the-blank ..)  "We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing."  (i.e.  I told you we shouldn't have done this.)  "There's nothing at all but this manna to look at."  (i.e.  I clean and cook and shop all day and have nothing to show for it.)    ". . .now our strength is dried up" (i.e. It's not my fault.)   "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!"  (i.e. You're mean.  I wish I was dead!) 

Moses picks up the mood as well and goes directly to the Lord with some irony and humor, "Did I conceive all this people?  Did I give birth to them . .. "(11.12-15)   He gets very upfront and personal, much as before when the Lord first calls him.  In so many words, Moses faults God for abandoning him with this miserable lot of whining good-for-nothings, that if this is the kind of friend God is going to be Moses, thanks, but no thanks, he'd sooner die.   Moses is kind of nervy, a real noodge.  My study Bible refers to him as "indignant" in this exchange with the Lord.

Chapter 20 concerns the waters of Meribah.  Here is where Moses disobeys orders, a lack of faith really, and strikes the rock instead of just commanding the rock (the importance of "the word?") resulting in his being unable to enter the Promised Land.   My study Bible says that "no satisfying explanation has ever been given for the punishment of Moses and Aaron. .. . "  Ever?  As I commented earlier, the punishment seems harsh to me, but maybe the problem here is that Moses doesn't just show a lack of faith, he disregards a direct order from the Lord.  However, lapses of faith and disregarding God's orders  would seem to boil down to the same thing.  They are very human flaws.   Thoughts?

                         
Balaam.  I wish that I might have summoned up more interest in this story, but just didn't. 

  

Exodus

Book Written:  10th century B.C. with editing in 6th century; attributed to Moses

Time Period/Setting:  1290 - 1250 B.C.

Title:  Exodus means 'departure' and is the Greek-derived name;  the book's Hebrew name is taken from the first words of the book, 'These are the names'.


Call To Moses. God's Call to Moses is instructive, wryly funny and depicts human nature in all its weakness.   The reluctant Moses is another one of us average people who would be just as happy to carry on as usual (and be mediocre)except that now God has chosen him to do un-average things. 

After Moses hears that he's the lucky one to be tapped by God to go to Pharoah, he begs off,  as any but the most vainglorious would, and says (3.11) in so many words, Please.  I'm nobody. Why me?  God briefly explains that he will be with Moses.  Not to worry. 

But Moses, who is clearly looking for excuses to worm his way out of this job, tries again and  wants to know what he should say if the Israelites ask for the name of the one who has sent him.  God expounds at some length as to how Moses should respond to such a question and recapitulates his intentions for Moses. 

Ever persistent (and clever, argumentative but not unrealistic), Moses has thought of a third angle to pursue that might get him off the hook.  He asks God what to do if the Israelites won't believe him.  For this one the Lord gives Moses some practical help.  He instructs Moses in giving signs, first, the staff thrown down to become a snake, second  the hand inside the cloak which then reappears as leprous.  The patient Lord must be anticipating Moses' next objection because before Moses can ask what to do if neither sign works, the Lord advises that if you don't get anywhere with the first, you will with the second, pretty spectacular,  but here's a third just in case, turn the water of the Nile into blood. 

Amazingly, Moses comes back at the Lord with a fourth excuse reminding God that he, Moses, is slow of speech.   The Lord in turn reminds Moses that He knows all about Moses' slow tongue, that He is God and can make people deaf, dumb and blind and that furthermore, He can tell them what to say and make them say it! With that, the Lord dismisses Moses with the equivalent of a human wave of the hand by commanding, Now, go!

Not be outdone, Moses again has a rejoinder! But this time he's beaten down.  The only thing left to say to the Lord is what Moses was really saying in the first place which is,  There must be somebody else.  Send them. 
Most remarkable to me about the interchange is that this is the Bible, inspired writing, and Moses is talking as if he's Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, challenging, questioning and negotiating with God (to paraphrase Tevye, would it really have been such a big deal for  God to have made him a rich man).   Equally remarkable, The Lord talks back and though  Moses tries His patience (4.14), God listens.  Not only does He listen, He finally accommodates and sends Aaron along to help.

Our God is awe-inspiring and mighty but not inaccessible or tyrannical.  Just the opposite in fact.  He sets high standards for even the most average of us, maybe standards that seem out of our reach, but He listens, He hears us, He's patient and, while He holds us to the high standards that He has set, He's more than willing to work with us, I guess, as long as we're willing to listen and work with Him. 

Waters of Meribah. I paid particular attention to the waters of Meribah in 17.1-8. where Moses was instructed to strike the rock in order to bring forth water.   I was unaware until very recently that Moses was denied entry to the Promised Land due to disobeying God's orders later (in Numbers 20.8) when he was supposed to simply command the rock to bring forth water.  Though I've just finished saying how patient and loving God is, here His punishment seems harsh.  Something to think about.

The Ark. Though detailed in the extreme, I did read with interest the instructions for constructing the ark (gold and acacia wood), the lampstand with cups in the shape of almond blossoms with "calyxes" and "petals,"  the tabernacle, the curtain (where did they get the crimson and purple yarns?), the breastplate (and whence the carnelian, emerald, sapphire, moonstone, beryl, onyx and jasper),  the vestments (pomegranates around the hem with golden bells in between, very beautiful) and I was gratified to read about the ephod, having once made the acquaintance of someone named Ephod (a man). 

Moses. Also food for thought is Moses' back-and-forth with God in 33.12.  Is this generally known as Moses' Intercession" as it's called in my Bible?  Moses seems to be challenging God to reveal himself--"show me your ways''-- asking for proof that God is there.    Though God says he'll comply, there are limits--"my face shall not be seen."   Why?