Believing and Speaking - The Second Time Water Came Forth From the Rock

There are two times the Bible records God causing water to flow out of the rock in the wilderness. The first time was when the children of Israel first entered the wilderness. Moses was to strike the rock with the rod that turned the river Nile to blood. This appears to represent Christ the rock smitten on the cross. This also appears to represent our water baptism in Jesus name. (See previous post).

The second time God caused water to flow from the rock was at the end of their 40 years in the wilderness. Again, the children of Israel had no water to drink. God told Moses to take the rod, but this time God instructed Moses to speak to the rock for the waters to come forth. (Numbers 20:1-8).

"And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 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 beasts also." - Numbers 20:10-11 KJV

While the first time God brought water out of the rock it appears to represent Christ being smitten on the cross, the second time God brought water out of the rock appears to represent Christ pouring out His Spirit.

The feast of tabernacles commemorates the miraculous provision of God for the children of Israel in the wilderness, including the rock supplying water. During the feast, water was poured over the altar in a special ceremony.

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" - John 7:37-39 KJV

"And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." - Numbers 20:12 KJV

This appears to be a type of the gift of the Holy Ghost, for it is by BELIEVING AND SPEAKING that we receive the Holy Ghost. Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive:” (John 8:24, John 10:38, John 13:19, John 20:25, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Mark 16:15-16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Acts 2:4, Acts 10:45-48, Acts 19:5-6, Isaiah 28:11-12).

To be continued…

The Smitten Rock

 

Jesus our Rock said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" - John 7:37-39 KJV

In order for the “rivers of living water” to be poured out (the Holy Ghost), Jesus had to be smitten, just as the rock in the wilderness was smitten in order for the waters to pour out.

The Lord told Moses to take the rod “wherewith thou smotest the river” and to “smite the rock.” (Exodus 17:5-6).

The rod that God told Moses to take is the rod that Moses smote the Nile river with. When he smote the Nile river, the water turned to blood. (Exodus 7:20).

When God told Moses to take the rod that he had smote the river with, God was making a connection with the water turning to blood. Thus, when Moses struck the rock and the water came forth, there was the remembrance of a river of blood.

The rock in the wilderness that was smitten was a type of Christ the rock when He was smitten and died on the cross. Out of Christ’s side there came blood and water.

"But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." - John 19:34 KJV

The smitten rock that water came out of with the remembrance of blood is also a type of water baptism.

When we are water baptized in the name of Jesus, there is the remembrance of Jesus’ blood in the water. (Romans 6:3-4, Acts 20:28, Matthew 26:28, Acts 2:38, Hebrews 9:22, 1 John 5:6, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 7:14).

And that Rock was Christ

 

God shows His power, salvation, deliverance, and strength as our Rock.

Jesus is our Rock. (2Corinthians 5:19, Colossians 2:9, John 14:9-10, Psalm 18:31, 1 Samuel 2:2, Psalm 92:15, Psalm 95:1, Psalm 62:6-7, Psalm 78:16.)

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." - 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 KJV

In the wilderness, the Rock gave the thirsty children of Israel water to drink.

"And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out." - Isaiah 48:21 KJV

Just as the Rock in the wilderness gave water to the thirsty children of Israel, Jesus, the Rock in this world gives water to thirsty souls.

"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." - John 4:10 KJV

"Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." - John 4:13-14 KJV

The water that Jesus gives the thirsty soul is His Spirit.

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" - John 7:37-39 KJV

To be continued…

Church!

 

Built on the Rock

 

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." - Matthew 7:24-27 KJV

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." - Matthew 16:18 KJV

“Peter” is the Greek word ‘petros,’ while “rock” is the Greek word ‘petra.’  Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states, “Matthew 16:18 (some interpretations regard the distinction… between πέτρα, the massive living rock, and πέτρος, a detached but large fragment, as important for the correct understanding of this passage…)”

When Jesus said, “upon this rock I will build my church;” He was speaking of building it upon Himself, ‘rock’ being a metaphor and described as ‘the massive living rock.’ The metaphor for Peter is, ‘a detached but large fragment.’

Because the church as a whole, and us as individuals in particular are built on Jesus our Rock, storms can come and we will not fall. Not only will we not fall, but the gates of hell shall not prevail against us. By the gospel of Jesus, souls are set free, saved and delivered from hell. (Acts 2:38-42).

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler [shield], and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." - Psalm 18:2 KJV

God is our Rock

God is our Rock

"For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?" - Psalm 18:31 KJV

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." - Psalm 18:2 KJV

"He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved." - Psalm 62:6 KJV

To be continued…

Acts 2:38 The Original Plan of Salvation is Jesus