Numbers 20:7 -- Jehovah's Reproval of Moses.

Numbers 20:12 -  And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. -- ASV.

If "the meekest man in all the earth," after long years of training and experience, made such a failure, even typically, the lesson to all spiritual leaders should be an impressive one. It says to us in inspired words, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Jehovah declares ... that the sin of Moses and Aaron was one of unbelief, "because ye believed Me not – to sanctify Me in the eyes of Israel."

It did require faith in God for Moses to smite the rock. Apparently, his lack of faith was in the people. Apparently he wished to produce a dramatic effect – to impress upon them a lasting lesson, "Ye rebels, must I bring you water out of the rock by a blow from this rod?" The effect may have been dramatic. The people may have stood in awe of Moses, but all the same, that was not the best way for dealing with the matter; for it was not God's way. Better would it have been for Moses to have hidden himself – humbled himself – and to have asked water from the rock in Jehovah's name.

Class leaders, Elders, ministers in the Church of Christ, will do well to remember that the blessings which God has arranged shall flow to His people from the smitten Jesus and will come for the asking; and that they are not authorized either to smite the "rock" or to pose dramatically before the people of God as necessary to the supply of the streams of grace and Truth.

On the other hand, Jehovah's people, Spiritual Israel, thirsting for grace and Truth now due, are to feel a great deal of sympathy for those who occupy teaching positions. There never was a time surely when the honesty and the faithfulness of Jehovah's servants were more severely tested than now. What all need is meekness, patience, longsuffering, brotherly-kindness, love – loyalty to God – faithfulness to their Covenant. -- Excerpt from "A Good Man's Sin", ZWT, 09/15/1913; Edited to present God's Holy Name as "Jehovah".