sanctifying God

At Rephidim, the first time the Israelites complained that they needed water (Ex. 17:1-7), God instructed Moses to strike the rock with his staff, and water flowed from the rock.  At Kadesh, the second time the Israelites complained of thirst (Num. 20:1-13), God instructed Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses struck the rock twice with his staff.  God still provided water, but He was not pleased:

Num. 20:12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

I think it is interesting that from God's perspective, Moses and Aaron failed to honor Him as holy.  From my perspective, they simply failed to obey God's instruction, but from God's perspective, it was a misrepresentation of His character - specifically His holiness.

In a recent post, I reviewed some of the Hebrew words related to consecration holiness, and the word (וְהִ֨תְקַדִּשְׁתֶּ֔ם wə·hiṯ·qad·diš·tem, H6942) used for "consecrate" in Lev. 20:7 has the same root as the word (לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי lə·haq·dî·šê·nî, H6942) used for "honor me as holy" or "to sanctify me" in Num. 20:12.

I read several commentaries on this verse, and I think these two statements from Matthew Poole's commentary concisely address the heart of the issue:

Ye believed me not, but showed your infidelity; which they did either by their looks and gestures, or rather by the matter and manner of their expressions and actions; either, 1. By smiting the rock, and that twice, which is emphatically noted, as if he doubted whether once smiting would have done it, whereas he was not commanded to smite so much as once, but only to speak to it; or, 2. By the doubtfulness of these words, Numbers 20:10, .... 
To sanctify me, i.e. to give me glory of my power in doing this miracle, and of my truth in punctually fulfilling my promise so to do, and of my goodness in doing it notwithstanding the people's perverseness.

Heavenly Father, you are holy, and I want to honor you as holy.  I want to obey you and show your holiness.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.