Due to failing to honor God's command and for speaking to the people in anger, he faced consequences from God, who said to Aaron and Moses, "Because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me before the children of Israel, you shall not bring this congregation into the land I have given them." The reason behind Moses’ words stemmed from the Israelites having previously troubled him with their complaints and harsh words, which led him to neglect the divine instruction he received. The term "divided in his mouth" indicates that Moses spoke with uncertainty, doubting whether the water would truly emanate from the rock; he perhaps believed that the rock might not yield water because the people had repeatedly shown ingratitude towards God, who had blessed them greatly. Moses lamented his situation, telling the Israelites that God was angry with him because of their behavior and swore that he would not cross the Jordan or enter the land promised to them (Deuteronomy 4:21). He further noted, "And the Lord despised me because of you, and did not listen to me, and the Lord said, 'Enough! You shall not speak of this to me any further'" (Deuteronomy 3:26). This serves as a warning: if even the lawgiver was punished for his transgression, imagine the suffering that awaits those who persist in wrongdoing. It is evident that someone who commits a great sin in secret will face lesser punishment than someone who sins openly and leads others astray. The great Basil, in astonishment, remarks that Moses, despite being a great servant of God, was barred from the promised land simply for asking the murmuring people if he should draw water from the rock. This punishment for such a singular act prompts one to understand the severity of God’s judgment; the Apostle illustrates this: "If the righteous is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18). The Creator, though He seemingly punished Moses by not allowing him to enter the holy land, orchestrated this for Moses’ ultimate good; He recognized the folly of the Jews and withheld the full promise to prevent them from viewing Moses as divine. For this reason, God concealed Moses' burial place. Additionally, this act was meant to highlight the temporary nature of the law. In a deeper sense, Cyril interprets Moses as representative of the law, Aaron as the priesthood, and Miriam as the figure who serves the divine law. Thus, neither the law, nor a lesser priesthood, nor symbolic worship can lead us into the realm of the holy or the truest promise. We cannot please God through sacrificial blood; instead, we are summoned to inherit the eternal city and the legacy of our ancestors under the leadership of Christ, much like the Israelites under Joshua’s guidance.
THEOSIS