Water
From the Rock
The people always had a need, and even with the presence of the Lord in their midst they would doubt and cry out. In the Book of Exodus we find the people of Israel in the wilderness camped at Rephidim again coming to Moses and quarreled with him.
"They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses then calls out to God.
"Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”Exodus:17:4
"They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”
But
the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against
Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and
our children and livestock die of thirst?”Exodus:17:1-3
Moses then calls out to God.
"Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”Exodus:17:4
Strike the Rock
God tells Moses to take the rod that he struck the Nile river with, and tells him to strike the rock so that water would come forth and quench the longing the people had.
"The Lord answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Exodus:17:5-7
"The Lord answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Exodus:17:5-7
Thirsty Again
In Numbers:20: 1-5 we see this thirst arise again in the people. God again directs Moses to go to the rock, but instead of striking it, he was to only speak to it in order that the life giving water would pour forth. But this time in his frustration with the people, Moses does not follow God's command to just speak, but rather he strikes the rock two times, yet, still God responds in the sight of the people. It was not necessary to strike the rock, that had already been done.
The Rock Already Struck
When we read the Holy Bible through the view that all Scriptures speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ we see so much more then just a historical miracle in the life of the people of Israel, we see the glorious operation of the great God in His Son Jesus. The Rock was our Lord Jesus Christ. The thirst of Israel speaks of the longing that we all carry with in us the need for life that must come from out side our selves, we can not quench our own thirst.
"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." 1Corinthians:10:4
Jesus is that One Who was struck for us, that the pouring forth of the Holy Spirit might quench the great thirst we all have.
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.Isaiah:53:4-5
This is what Jesus did for us, He was struck, smitten for us. This was only needful to happen one time such was the magnitude of the offering that our Lord gave. It was not necessary for Jesus to die but once.
"The death he died, he died to sin once for all" Romans:6:10
"For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit:" 1Peter:3:18
"so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people;" Hebrews:9:28
The Cross of Jesus was sufficient, nothing more need be done that the life found in the Holy Spirit pour forth to each who but will free accept it.
"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit" John:19:30
It is finished on our behalf by Jesus.
Blood & Water Came Forth
Evan there upon the cross, being dead our Lord continues to show forth the salvation He has finished for each of us , as His side is pierced and blood and water ,come forth , each of these are powerful Biblical and cultural symbols for life. Jesus gave His life that we might have life, that the Holy Spirit might pour out upon us.
" For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you
upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood
that makes atonement by reason of the life." Leviticus:17:11
The Blood of Jesus shows us His life being poured forth, the value of the blood is found in the life that it maintains; the blood of Jesus maintained the life of God in the flesh, therefore His blood is of more value than the sum total of all humanity.
"because he has poured out his life unto death:" Isaiah:53:12
The Death of Jesus makes possible the out pouring of the Holy Spirit that we see in the Book of Acts. This is the water of life that we might share in and never thirst again.
"But whosoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" .John:4:14
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified" John:7:37-39
"Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our times of need." Hebrews:4:16
We can come to Him at any moment when ever we are driven by a need. All we need do is speak to the Rock, we do not have strike it , it has been done. This should flow out to the people of God galdening our hearts.
"There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High" Psalm:46:4
The Death of Jesus makes possible the out pouring of the Holy Spirit that we see in the Book of Acts. This is the water of life that we might share in and never thirst again.
"But whosoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" .John:4:14
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified" John:7:37-39
Speak to the Rock
Moses was told to speak to the Rock looks to the place that our Lord now has as the One Whom we may approach to secure what help we might have, He is now risen and in the high places of Heaven there as our High Priest waiting for us but to just speak to Him; and to issue forth to us that water of life in any and all endeavors of the life and in our times of need , when we thirst for help and long for His grace.
"For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of
the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's
presence" Hebrews:9:24
"Inasmuch, then, as we have in Jesus, the Son of God, a great High Priest
who has passed into Heaven itself, let us hold firmly to our profession
of faith." Hebrews:4:14
We can come to Him at any moment when ever we are driven by a need. All we need do is speak to the Rock, we do not have strike it , it has been done. This should flow out to the people of God galdening our hearts.
"There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High" Psalm:46:4
This water will, in the eternity to come , flow forth to all who thirsts.Whosoever will but ask.
"how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"Luke:11:13
"how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"Luke:11:13
"And he shewed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Revelation:22:1-2
This , water of life will flow to all who will but freely drink of it, it is ours because our Lord Jesus, that Rock of Salvation, was struck for each of us. Eternal life , this is the water from the Rock...Amen
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
Washington, Pa
Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP
Radio 1710 & 1670 AM in Washington, Pa.and 1710 AM in Bentleyville ,
Pa. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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