Today the topic would be about water, rock, and ...ehm... rod :)
Yesterday I have written a posting about knowing GOD. We can learn to know different characters of GOD (which is conveyed to us through His name). Today we will learn one of the characters of God from one of passages about rock.
There are several meanings regarding GOD as our Rock. However in today posting we will learn from the first account about the Rock mentioned in the bible.
"Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." ~ Exodus 17:6 (NKJV)
The verse above is God's command to Moses when he asked to God about the response to Israelites' complaint.
And you may wonder why the Israelites were complaining. We know they are led by God Himself through the desert. We know God has proven His faithfulness so far in the journey. When the Israelites complained about bitter water in Marah, He made the water sweet so that they could drink. Then they came to wonderful place called Elim where there were plenty of waters and palm trees. But the journey continued on, and they were craved for meat and bread. And God gave them quails and manna, in the middle of wilderness.
Up to this point we would have think: "Gee, what a wonderful journey they had, they even had a delivery service in the middle of desert and they didn't even have to pay tip or wait for long time."
However, as the journey continued, they came to the place where there is no water to drink at all. It is interesting to know that before they came to this place, which is called Rephidim, they were camped in the place called the Wilderness of Sin.
The Wilderness of Sin. The meaning of Sin is "thorn" or "clay." While the place they come to is called Rephidim, which means "resting place". And more to this, it is God Himself who commanded them to move to this new place.
Now, if you are moving from "place of thorn" to "place of rest", wouldn't that be a better place? You are also moving closer to your initial destination, which is the Promised Land. Above all, God is guiding you along the way. He has done so many miracles which proves His faithfulness.
But the Israelites found themselves having no water to drink in the middle of desert.
Water, the very essence human being need to stay alive. Desert, the most awful place on earth to be without water.
This very fact made the Israelites mad. So mad that they tempted God and almost stoned Moses to death. They even accused Moses that he brought them out of Egypt to kill them with thirst!
In such critical moment, Moses cried out to God and God answered him by pointing him to a rock.
And God promised He would be standing before Moses there on the rock. He commanded Moses to strike the rock with his rod so the water will come out of it and the people may drink of it.
Needless to say, the Israelites finally got their craved water to stay alive. Water out of a rock.
And from this occasion we learn one of the meaning of calling God as Our Rock.
This particular passage provides a model which will be fulfilled by Jesus, our Rock of salvation for us.
In our journey of life, we will need living water. In the wilderness of this world, there will be no other source of living water. Only God Himself can provide for us. And He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the one who was struck at on the cross, to flow the living water for you and me.
Have you tasted the living water which flows from Jesus, Our Rock of Ages?
Lord, thank You for revealing to us the Source of living water. Thank You Lord Jesus for your sacrifice on the cross to give us the living water. Surely You are our Rock of salvation. Amen.
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