Bummer

It used to think that God's punishment of Moses for the rock incident was pretty harsh. God told him to speak to the rock, but instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck the rock. In spite of the discrepancy, God gave water to the people anyway. Moses and Aaron received the full punishment for what they did. Their punishment was that they would not be able to enter the promised land of Israel. 40 years of faithful service in the desert could not overthrow the ruling. Despite all that Moses had done, he would not be entering the promised land.

The fulfillment comes in Deuteronomy 34 when God takes Moses up onto Mt Nebo where Moses dies and God buries him. Is this harsh?

Then I thought of the phrase "Promised Land". God was denying access to the land across the Jordan, but what was he getting instead? No where in the Torah is there any mention of life in heaven after we die. (This is why the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection, because the only adhere to Genesis-Deuteronomy as their bible) So it is very likely that Moses did not know that anything else could possibly be in store for him. It looked like a punishment to Moses, but in fact he was receiving the true Promised land that is incomparably greater than the one he was being denied.

One only has to read a few chapters into Joshua to realize that crossing over with the others would not have been any reward at all to a weary old man like Moses.

Only now that Moses had entered the true Promised land, would there be no more grumbling, complaining, usurping, rebellion, hunger, thirst, sweat, dirt, sunburn...etc.

Not getting what he wanted, was the best thing that could have ever happened to Moses at this point.

Did you not get what you wanted for Christmas? Then try to see it from another point of view. It just might be that greater blessings are in store for you.