June 15 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 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. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD amongst us, or not? Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim." -Exodus 17:5–8 Massah and Meribah mean “temptation” and “chiding.” It was hot. The people were thirsty. And God said to Moses, “Here’s what to do: Take the rod which had become a snake before Pharaoh, smite the rock, and out will come water.” Paul gives the interpretation of this account in 1 Corinthians 10:4, where he tells us the Rock was Jesus Christ. This means that Jesus, the Rock of our salvation, was smitten by the “serpent” of Moses’ rod - perfectly portraying the prophecy given in the garden of Eden when God said to Satan, “You shall bruise His heel, but He will crush your head” (see Genesis 3:15). Was the heel of Jesus bruised? Yes. A spike was driven through it on the Cross of Calvary. But Satan was crushed, for the power he held over us was obliterated, washed away by the blood Jesus shed that day. What happened when Jesus was pierced with the spear? Blood and water flowed from His side (John 19:34). So too, here at Rephidim, the rock, smitten by the rod that was once a serpent, pours forth water. The analogy is perfect. This passage points to Jesus. Why would God lead His people from a place where they were being satisfied with manna to a rest stop where the drinking fountain was out of order? You might leave a Bible study or a retreat where you’ve been feasting on the manna of the Word only to find yourself in a place of dryness. “I don’t understand,” you say. “I was doing so well, but now there is a drought in my soul. Why am I so dry? Is there sin in my life?” Not necessarily. God led His people to Rephidim in order to do something very important. You see, after they ate of the manna, to make them aware of their need for a fresh drenching of water, God brought them to Rephidim to create in them a thirst for more of Him. Why would He do this? Because He knew what was about to happen. You see, every time the Amalekites are mentioned in the Bible, they portray the ongoing war we wage with our flesh. It’s as if God says, “I know you feasted on the bread. You’ve taken in the manna. But right around the bend, right up ahead, war is about to break out. And if you try to defeat Amalek in your own strength, you’ll be trounced.” Therefore, He took His people - as He does us - to a place where they were aware of their dryness in order that, after crying out to Him, they would be empowered afresh with the water of His Spirit. If you are going through a desert season, God has led you there. For what purpose? To create within you a craving for more of Him. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness,” Jesus said, “for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Who is filled? The one who hungers. The one who thirsts. The one who’s at Rephidim, longing for water.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:42:24 +0000
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