To smite or to speak to the Rock? That was the question.
Moses was to represent a shadow of sorts, of what the first and second coming of Christ would look like.
The first time Moses met up with the Rock, in Exodus 17:6, he was to strike the Rock, which he did so, and as promised, waters flowed from the Rock. This event foreshadowed Christ being smitten by God (and it was evident to “us” – Isaiah 53:4), and by that act anyone who would receive His sacrificial death, would receive Him as Living water.
More on that later.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
I've heard it suggested or questioned about why God's commands are required to be followed to a "T", meaning why perfection?
The reason is because sin is missing the mark - the littlest sin is an offence, and is vile to our holy God - so much so that He alone would have to endure the penalty for our sin if there was to be any hope of saving us. This is the gospel: Christ was crucified for the remission (payment) for our sins.
How did He pay? In death - separation from His Father (Hell) for eternity.
How would we pay (if we were to pay)? The same way, except that we repent and accept that Christ paid our debt for us.
But there is so much more to that, which we can’t understand fully:
- How much did He pay? We can never know (at least this side of glory).
- How much did He really endure? If we receive Him, we will never really know (and I am glad of that!).
The difference between Him paying and us paying is that since He had no sin of His own, the grave and death couldn't keep Him. If we die in our sins, the grave (death) will clutch and hold of us for eternity!
O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57:
That's why it's so urgent to share the gospel of grace, because two people are entering into eternity every second.
I've thought about how God's promised people, the Jews, will be saved at the end of the Tribulation period when they cry out to God and recognize that Jesus Christ IS their Messiah. It fits the narrative that Moses was supposed to speak to the rock in Numbers 20, just as the Jews would finally speak (cry out) to Jesus at the end, and He, being the Living Water, would "come forth" (John 7:37-38) to save them and they would be saved!
That is amazing grace, how sweet the sound!
Are you satisfied with Mana? Is Mana enough? Is the provision that God has made for us enough?
If it's not enough, what has taken the place of God's provision? Is there something that has been promised by the enemy of our souls to give us more satisfaction?
Is there something in our lives that has bamboozled and deceived us into thinking it will give us more satisfaction than the provisions of God?
As men of God, we MUST prevail and stand under the continuous flow of God's provision, that is in Christ, daily, weekly, monthly, without end and every moment in between. Because this life is not about me or my pleasure - it's about the Living Water that the LORD GOD wants to pour out over us, not only for healing and paying the price of our salvation, but to restore us to a fellowship that is better and more satisfying than anything that exists!
What a privilege it is to be able to CALL upon Him now and to receive Him now, in order that He would grant us the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12)