Recently, I was reading the Bible in the book of Numbers. I was struck by the story about Moses striking the rock to get water for the Israelites.

The story is told in Chapter 20. The setting is that the Israelites are in the Wilderness, during the “40 years” that they were trying to get from Mount Sinai (where God gave them the Ten Commandments) to the Promised Land.

Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses . . .. They quarreled with Moses and said, “Why did you bring the LORD’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” (Numbers 20:2-5).

The LORD said to Moses, “Take the staff, and . . . 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.” (Numbers 20:7-8).

Unfortunately, Moses did not do as the LORD commanded. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck the rock with his staff.

[Moses] gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must [I] bring you water out of this rock? Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. (Numbers 20:10-11).

God’s ultimate purposes always prevail. But our role in achieving God’s purposes and blessings depends on our trusting in the LORD—hoping in the LORD—instead of trusting and hoping in our own strength.

Forty years earlier (after the Israelites had escaped slavery in Egypt, but before God gave them the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai), the LORD commanded Moses to strike a rock to get water for the people. (Exodus 17:6).

But now, as the Israelites were about to reach the Promised Land, the LORD told Moses to speak to the rock instead of striking the rock.

it occurred to me that this difference between striking the rock and speaking to the rock gives me a valuable insight into the difference between the government’s role in religion today compared to the government’s role in Ancient Israel—and indeed the government’s role in religion until the insights of Roger Williams in the 1600s that led to the separation of church and state in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. (See my discussion of these events in my book Visions of America, at pages 18-21; 39-44; 49-52).

In Ancient Israel (and throughout most of the 2,000 years of Church history), the LORD permitted government leaders to “strike the rock” to establish and grow communities and nations that were following the rules of the Bible such as the Ten Commandments.

But in the Twenty-First Century, the LORD is no longer permitting us to strike. Instead, the LORD is commanding us to speak!

Nevertheless, many Christians today are making the terrible mistake of opposing the separation of church and state. Instead, they are trying to establish a theocracy—a nation that is ruled by religious leaders and religious laws—such as contemporary Iran and Afghanistan.

This mistaken belief is a pillar of Christian Nationalism in the United States and in Russia. It is part of the dangerous mistake of uniting the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of Kingdoms.

In contrast, wisdom teaches us exactly the opposite.

The Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of Kingdoms must be kept separate! (See my blogs “Keeping the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms Separate”; “Alcatraz: Imprisoned by the Powers of Kingdoms, Money and Religion”; “Alcatraz: Escaping to the Right Shore”; “Alcatraz: Escaping by Using ‘Countervailing Powers’ Wisely”; and “Jesus Climbs the Temple Mount”).

Uniting the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms in order to “strike the rock” repeats the mistake of Moses. Furthermore, this mistake risks the same dire result for us as it did for him.

What dire result?

The LORD kept Moses from entering the Promised Land.

Similarly, if we unite the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms, the LORD will keep us from entering the Promised Land where all people will be blessed.

This is an example of the wisdom of the Prophet Isaiah.

In Chapter 55 of Isaiah, verses 8-12, Isaiah gave us these words that the LORD spoke:

“[M]y thoughts are not your thoughts,

     neither are your ways [such as uniting the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms] my ways,

           declares the LORD.

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

     so are my ways [such as speaking instead of striking]

          higher than your ways

     and my thoughts [such as speaking instead of striking] than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

     come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

     without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and

     bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my

     mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will achieve the purpose for which I

     sent it.

You will go out in joy

     and be led forth in peace:

[rocks will give you water]

the mountains and hills

     will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

     will clap their hands.

(Isaiah 55:8-12 (emphasis and additional words added)).

As I wrote for the theme of my book Lighting the World:

You are the light of the world.

[L]et your light shine before [people],

that they may see your good deeds

and praise your Father in heaven.

“Not by might nor by power,

but by my Spirit,” says the

Lord Almighty.

     (Matthew 5:14,16; Zechariah 4:6)

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What is the best relationship between governments and religion? Why?

What are the dangers from theocracies? Why?

What are the dangers from uniting the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, and the Power of Kingdoms? Why?

READ MORE

For related ideas, please read my blogs “Keeping the Powers of Money, Religion and Kingdoms Separate”; “Alcatraz: Imprisoned by the Powers of Kingdoms, Money and Religion”; “Alcatraz: Escaping to the Right Shore”; “Alcatraz: Escaping by Using ‘Countervailing Powers’ Wisely”; and “Jesus Climbs the Temple Mount”.

In my book Lighting the World, at pages 183-184, I describe my personal memories whenever I hear the Prophet Isaiah’s vision that someday:

You will go out in joy

     and be led forth in peace:

the mountains and hills

     will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

     will clap their hands.

     (Isaiah 55:12).