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Speak to the Rock!
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather the assembly and speak unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water… and Moses took the rod from before the LORD… and said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank.”
Numbers 20:7-11
In our passage, Moses was instructed to “speak” to the rock. Instead Moses in anger spoke to the people, and smote the rock disobeying the LORD God.
Now think with me! Is not Moses at fault? So why would God command Moses to take the rod if he was commanded only to “speak” to the rock? Understand that the rod of God was identified with judgment. It was the same rod used in judgment against the Egyptians. Also the rod was used to strike the rock some thirty-eight years earlier (Exodus 17), which pictured the judgment that was to come upon Christ “our Rock” (1 Corinthians 10:4).
Moses was commanded to “speak” to the rock in order to show grace, but instead he struck the rock with the rod of judgment and that was emblematic of re-crucifying Christ. God is not pleased with man-made religious rituals that re-sacrifice His Son. God’s children are “sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Only one sacrifice for sin and therefore the rock was to be smitten only once.
Clearly, this is teaching that judgment is in the background when grace is given. If judgment did not lurk in the background then how would we understand God’s amazing and sovereign grace? Israel seeing the rod may fear, yet if Moses spoke to the rock it would produce a river of grace. Moses in anger struck the rock – but God graciously did not withhold water from the people. Nevertheless, the reaction of Moses was not without consequences. Moses did not sanctify God’s holiness before the people and therefore he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12).
We all need to be reminded that God’s holiness will never be compromised. Wonder of wonders it is that God in His sovereign purpose gives grace to the lost in a way that does not violate His holiness and His purpose, through His Son Jesus Christ. That is why Christ “our Rock” was smitten on the cross, which both satisfies God’s holy justice and reconciles lost sinners. What a plan! The Holy God remains holy, and sinners receive abundant grace. I hope you can see that it is a joy for God to pour out abundant grace for those who “speak” to the Rock. (Printed in the Marshall County Tribune)
David C. Hale, pastor
New Life Community Church
Lewisburg, TN 37091
“Rock-water”
“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it that the people may drink.” Exodus 17:6
Many times in our Christian walk God leads us into difficult situations for us to depend upon Him. In Exodus 17 Israel was led into a desert by God for them to demonstrate their faith. Instead, they murmured and rebelled. They sinned before God, but what did God do? God said to Moses, “I will stand before thee there upon the rock.” What an astonishing statement! God by His free will stood upon the rock identifying with the rock that was to be smitten, which also meant that God identified with these rebellious sinners. Instead of smiting the rebels, the LORD instructs Moses to smite the rock. If the LORD justly smote the rebels there would be a river of blood in the desert, but rather the LORD God condescended to show grace and love toward His people. As Moses lifts the rod of judgment and strikes the rock, water came out for the people to drink. God stood upon the rock to take the judgment for His people so that a river of life-giving water would flow out to them.
It’s truly a miracle for water to come out of a rock. Going to a rock for water is not natural. Marshall County is full of rock, but you cannot find one rock giving water. You may find some wet rocks around Rock Creek, but not a life-giving rock producing water. What a miracle! No one would expect water from a dry desert rock.
This miracle had even a greater meaning because it is an object lesson pre-figuring the Christ who would identify Himself with sinners by being smitten upon the cross in their place. Can you see Christ in this account? Clearly, the Old Testament and the New Testament are all about Christ if we have the spiritual eyes to see it. There are bloodstained pages from Genesis to Revelation, and the blood is the blood of Christ. When we miss Christ, we miss the message. The apostle Paul makes this clear when he comments on Exodus 17. Paul said that Israel “drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” 1 Corinthians 10:4.
Dear child of God, Christ did much more than just pay for your sins at Calvary? When He was smitten upon the cross, a river of free grace flowed out of Him and it continues to flow in order to cleanse you, and to refresh you as you walk in this filthy world. That is why Christ our “Rock-water” miraculously revives, rejuvenates, regenerates, and refreshes the soul now and eternally. Are you thirsty? Come to the Rock! – (Printed in the Marshall County Tribune)
David C. Hale, pastor
New Life Community Church
Lewisburg, TN
REASONS 4 BELIEVING 