The Rock was Christ

When the children of Israel got to Rephidim in the wilderness, there was no water. They complained, just as they had at Marah where the water was undrinkable. God had healed the water there, but their memories were short, as ours often are. So they threatened Moses to the point that he thought they would stone him. He cried out to God and the Lord had him pass before the people with a few elders and take his staff with him. The staff that he struck the Nile with and God turned it to blood. Take your staff, Moses, and I will meet you at the rock at Horeb. Remember Horeb? It is where Moses first met God at the burning bush. It is where God commissioned him to go deliver the people from slavery. It is where Moses will meet with God later and receive the 10 Commandments. 

Moses is back at Horeb and God says, “I will stand before you there on the rock…and you shall strike the rock.” Notice this is the only time Moses was told to strike the rock. Years later, Moses finds himself in the same place again, back at Meribah with the people of Israel, and again there is no water. Again the people grumble and accuse Moses of trying to kill them. God tells Moses to take his staff and a few elders and speak to the rock. “Tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water,” God says. Instead, in his anger at the people, Moses disobeyed God and struck the rock. Twice! The water flowed. Because of his disobedience, Moses was not able to enter the Promised Land. Why would this one sin disqualify Moses from going into Canaan? He was allowed to see it before he died but would never step one foot there. Why? I believe the reason is two-fold, first because of Moses’ disobedience, but second because of the significance of the rock.

 Remember, Scripture interprets Scripture! Paul wrote, “For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” There has been much written about this, and we cannot say for sure what Paul meant. We know that God was with them in the wilderness. Does this mean that it was the pre-incarnate Christ who was there? We know about the cloud and the fire, but was there a rock that also followed the people in the wilderness? One thing we know for sure. This rock was a type. A shadow in the Old Testament that found its fulfillment in the New. 

God would send His Son to be born of a virgin some 1500 years after Moses. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, came to Israel and said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall never hunger.”  He said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” All that the people in the wilderness had grumbled about would be provided by Christ, their spiritual food and drink. Jesus also said, “This is my body, broken for you.” And He said, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many.” The people had wanted to stone Moses in the wilderness, but God did not allow it. But God did send His Son so that they would crucify Him. It was not the Jews or the Romans who put Jesus on the cross. It was God. For your sake and for mine, the Father struck the Rock and gave His Son as a sacrifice for sin.

The Rock of Ages was cleft for you and for me.