3-8-15. Exodus 17:5-7. God Provided Life Giving Water From A Smitten Rock-my devotional

Exodus 17:5-7                                                                                Kevin E. Jesmer

Key verse 17:6                                                                                3-8-15

“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.”

Exodus 17:5-7, “5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front 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. 6 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. 7 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?” (NIV)

There is a lot we can learn about God concerning his character, in this passage. We can see his grace and we can see Jesus alluded to.

First, we can see God’s grace in providing the water. God did not have to give the people anything. They were taking grumbling to an extreme. They were blaming God and blaming Moses and they were even about to stone Moses and go turn back to Egypt. God did not have to do answer anything for them. But he did. He forgave them, again and again. He never abandoned them but consistently considered them his own children. Just as a parent remains true to their child, God remained true to his suffering children and provided what they needed, vast amount of refreshing, life-giving water. God continues to be gracious even to those who allowed grumbling and complaining to go to the extreme. God was infinitely patient with his “treasured possession.” He was in their midst. God’s is ready to bless those who are mired in difficult times.

Second, we can see Jesus. This passage is also a foreshadow of Jesus. The rock is a type of Christ (1 Cor 10:1-4.)

1 Corinthians 10:1-4, “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” (NIV)

This event looks forward to the time when Christ would be among his people, giving living water to those who trust him. (Jn 4:13,14; 7:37-39; 1 Cor 10:4) The Rock that was struck, typified the cross. (Is 53:4) The water coming that poured out from the Rock typified the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39) The water, was not made available until the rock was struck. Likewise the Holy Spirit was poured out on all who believe after Jesus was crucified. (John 14:16-20)

The world is in great need for the Living water that comes forth from the Rock …Jesus Christ. People think that they are O.K., appearing lovely and strong for a short time, but really they are staggering spiritually in a dry and weary land. Amos 8:12-14 explains this very well. “People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. 13 “In that day“ the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. 14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria— who say, ‘As surely as your god lives, Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the god of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again.” (NIV)   People really need to see their reality and come to the one who alone can quench their spiritual thirst.

Jesus is the Living Water. He promised in John 4:13-14, “Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  A spring of water will well up with our souls, up to eternal life. This water will totally quench our thirsty hearts. It will overflow, from within us so that we can be a source of blessing to others. We will be quenched and God will quench others through us. King David confessed his spiritual thirst and the source of quenching in Psalm 63:1-3 which reads, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” (NIV) Identifying with and seeking God, beholding his power and glory, and experiencing his great love is key to drinking deep of the living water.

Actually John 4:13-14 is my life key verse. I was a very spiritually thirsty young man and out of my spiritual thirsts came many sins in my vain attempt to quench my own soul. But when I repented of my unbelief and believed in Jesus, God quenched my thirsty heart with his Spirit and his love. I was completely satisfied. I used to make others spiritually thirsty, just being around them for I was influencing them to sin. But now springs of living water flow from within me. By God’s grace I can be used to help others come to Jesus so that others may experience Living Water in their souls This is supported by the following text, John 7:37-39, “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 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.”

The living water available was not easily obtained for the water was not given until the rock was struck. Jesus it the Rock. The Holy Spirit was not given, in his fullness, until Jesus suffered and died and rose again. John 7:39, “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.”  Jesus was profoundly struck. Is 53:4, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.”

It was so costly for Jesus to be living water to us. But he willing allowed himself to be struck. He did it to quench our thirty hearts and fill us with his Spirit. Now he can dwell with us. John 14:16-20, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” We are no longer thirsty orphans staggering here and there is and weary lead. The living water is within us because of the grace of God. Psalm 95:1, “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.”

Prayer: “Lord, thank you for seeing our thirst and our deep spiritual need. Thank you for willingly allowing yourself to be struck so that living water can flow from within us. We hold onto you as we pass through this dry and weary land.”

One work: Jesus is the Rock and the Living Water that quenches our thirsty soul.