Water From The Rock
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 02/04/2024
Foundation Scriptures:
Numbers 20:1-12
Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 And the Lord said to Moses, 8 Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink. 9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as He commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock and Moses said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. Numbers 20:6-12 AMPC
1. Rock Struck Once.
a. Exodus 17:4-6 KJV –– And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 5 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. 6 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.
b. The children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness by their own bad choices.
c. When God sought to lead them into the Promised Land, they were rebellious, unbelieving, and disobedient toward Him.
d. Even when they were faithless, God was faithful.
e. When they had no water to drink, instead of coming humbly to the Lord to ask for His help, they dishonored God and blamed Moses for their predicament.
f. Still, God told Moses to strike the rock ONCE and water gushed out.
2. Christ the Rock.
a. The rock was a type of Christ (1 Cor. 10:4; Dt. 32:4,15,18,31,37;
2 Sam. 22:2,47; Ps. 18:2; 27:5; 62:6-7; Isa. 32:2).
b. Psalm 62:6-7 KJV –– He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
c. Moses struck the rock—once—which represented Christ’s crucifixion.
d. He was crucified ONCE for all men (Ex. 17:6; Rom. 10; Heb. 9:25-28; Heb. 10:10).
e. Hebrews 7:26-27 NKJV –– For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
3. Speak to the Rock.
a. The second time Israel lacked water, they blamed God and Moses, instead of themselves, for their hardships (Num. 20)
b. Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the people to the presence of God to ask for His help (Num. 20:6).
c. The Glory of the Lord appeared, and God spoke to them.
d. He instructed Moses to speak to the rock.
e. Because Moses was so angry with the people, He disobeyed God.
f. Instead of speaking to the rock, he addressed the people.
g. Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck it twice.
h. All that was required of Moses was to speak to the rock.
i. This would have been a proof to the Israelites of the benefits of the Messiah, Whom the rock represented.
j. The first time, the rock was struck once, representing His crucifixion.
k. This time, merely speaking to the rock would have brought the same benefits as it did before.
l. Jesus Christ has already been crucified.
m. All we need to do now is to ask, and we will receive (Mt. 7:7-11; 21:22; Mk. 11:22-24; Jn. 15:7,16; 16:23-26).
4. The Rock of Salvation.
a. Striking the rock twice was an act of unbelief.
b. God was revealing His plan of Salvation through Israel by the hands and mouth of Moses.
c. Both times, what God asked Moses to do, were prophetic acts—a type and shadow of His spiritual program.
d. Firstly, Moses addressed the people harshly.
e. This was wrong, because the Word of God tells us that salvation is of the Lord—not of man or his efforts.
f. We can do nothing in our own power to save ourselves.
g. Salvation comes through faith and confession.
h. Romans 10:9 KJV –– That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
i. Secondly, Moses was commanded only to address the rock, but he struck it—not once, but twice.
j. To strike it twice, represented Christ being crucified afresh and put to an open shame (Heb. 6:4-9; 10:26-29).
k. Moses and Aaron did not sanctify the Lord (set apart as holy, sacred, and to be revered) before the eyes of the congregation.
l. Because of this, God was bound to punish the transgression of Moses and Aaron.
m. They would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land with Joshua and Caleb and those who remained.
5. Water From the Rock.
a. Despite Moses’ disobedience, God sent water abundantly out of the rock for the second time.
b. This means that God is gracious, and the benefits of the crucifixion are abundantly offered to all men, even hardened sinners.
c. However, if they do not accept and make use of the provision He makes for them, they will receive no benefit at all.