The first time the congregation of God had no water to drink in the wilderness, God commanded Moses to take his rod and strike the rock once. But the second time, the congregation had no water to drink, God commanded Moses to take the rod and speak to the rock. Speaking to the rock was sufficient to provide water for the whole congregation. But instead of obeying the Lord and speaking to the rock, Moses turned his words to the murmuring people. After speaking to the congregation, Moses smote the rock twice. By smiting the rock twice, Moses became disobedient to God’s commandment, which had consequences for his life. Why did Moses smite the rock twice, instead of speaking to the rock? Why are the rock and the strikes on the rock a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ?
The congregation of God had no water to drink
When the children of Israel abode in Kadesh in the desert of Zin, the congregation had no water to drink. The children of Israel gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron. Instead of believing their God and trusting Him, that God would provide, as God provided for them before, the children of Israel contended with Moses. Since Moses represented God, the congregation strove with God.
After listening to the complaining people and their accusations, Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation and fell upon their faces.
When they fell upon their faces, the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.
The Lord spoke to Moses and commanded Moses to take the rod and together with Aaron gather the assembly and speak unto the rock before their eyes and the rock would give forth his water and Moses would bring forth to the congregation water out of the rock and give drink to the whole congregation and their beasts.
Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as the Lord commanded.
Together with Aaron, Moses also gathered the congregation before the rock, as the Lord commanded.
But instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord commanded, Moses spoke to the complaining and murmuring congregation.
At that moment, Moses didn’t act by faith in obedience to the words of God. But Moses went his own way and was led by his feelings and acted from his anger and rebelled against God.
But despite Moses’ unbelief and disobedience to the words of God, and his rebellious act, after Mose smote the rock twice, the water came out of the rock abundantly and the congregation and their beasts drank from the water of the rock.
Why did the water come out of the rock after Moses struck the rock twice with his rod?
Why did the water come out of the rock after Moses struck the rock twice with his rod? The water came out of the rock, because God is good. God showed His goodness and mercy to the people.
Although Moses didn’t sanctify God by his rebellious deed, the rock bringing forth water sanctified God.
Moses was appointed by God to represent Him to the people and God loved His people. Therefore Moses’ unbelief and rebellious act of disobedience to God had no consequences for the congregation. God provided for the needs of His congregation.
This proves that signs and wonders are no proof that someone is obedient to God and does His will. (Read also: How do you recognize false prophets?).
But Moses’ unbelief, disobedience, and rebellious behavior did have consequences for his life and Aaron’s life.
Why was Moses punished by God for striking the rock twice?
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)
God spoke to Moses and Aaron and confronted Moses with the fact that by his deed Moses showed that he didn’t believe God and through his deed didn’t sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Because Moses didn’t show by his deed that he believed God and didn’t sanctify God before the congregation, but put God to shame, Moses and Aaron were not allowed to bring the congregation of God into the land, which the Lord had given them.
Why was Moses not allowed to enter the promised land?
Why was Moses not allowed to enter the promised land? Moses (and also Aaron) was not allowed to enter the promised land due to his unbelief and disobedience to God.
All those years, Moses and Aaron had been faithful to God. However, because of this one deed of unbelief and disobedience to God, their leadership and the responsibility of God’s congregation was taken from them. Moses and Aaron were not allowed to enter the promised land and bring the congregation into the promised land.
Moses was only allowed to see the promised land, but that was all.
God punished Moses for his unbelief and disobedience. And God didn’t reconsider His words and His decision.
God didn’t put water in the wine, but God stayed faithful to His words.
God didn’t say, Ah well Moses, I have spoken these words to you, but because it is you, I forgive you and you can still enter the promised land. (Read also: Have not faith with respect of persons).
If God would have said this to Moses, then the words of God wouldn’t be credible anymore. The people wouldn’t fear God, but they would strike a bargain every time.
But God doesn’t strike a bargain with anyone. Not even with Moses, who was His representative (Exodus 4:16).
When God speaks, His words should be obeyed and followed. This applies to all believers, who are born of God and belong to God. Especially those, who are in leadership and represent God and have a responsibility for the souls of the congregation.
Moses didn’t enter his rest, while Jesus did enter His rest
Moses, the mediator and redeemer of the Old Covenant became disobedient to God and went his own way. As a result, Moses was denied access to the promised land. Moses was not allowed to bring the congregation of God into the promised land and enter his rest.
Unlike the Mediator and Redeemer of the New Covenant Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who remained obedient to God and went God’s way. Because of that Jesus entered His rest. Jesus took place on the throne of mercy in the Kingdom of God and became the Way for everyone, who believes in Him and becomes born again in Him, and enters His rest (Acts 4).
Jesus went through all the hardships of life. He was tempted and attacked from all sides and experienced persecution. He saw the (spiritual) mess of the spiritual leaders and the scattering of the sheep of the house of Israel. But despite everything, Jesus remained faithful to His Father and didn’t murmur and complain. But Jesus obeyed His words until His death at the cross.
Jesus wasn’t led by His feelings
The words of God were the highest authority in His life. Jesus submitted everything to the words of God, whereby everything was submitted to Him; the Word.
Jesus wasn’t led by His flesh. He wasn’t sense-ruled and wasn’t led by the circumstances, the behavior of people, His feelings, and emotions. But Jesus was led by the Spirit and the words of God.
Jesus was the Firstborn of the new creation. His life shows, how children of God ought to walk. What obedience to God and a full consecration, faith, sanctification, and fear of the Lord contains.
His obedience to God led Jesus to the cross, which is not the most wanted and desired place to end up. And it is certainly not considered a blessing and a reward of obedience to God to the old man (old creation). But Jesus trusted God. He knew that God loved Him and went the way of suffering out of love for Him. Jesus knew where His obedience would lead Him to.
But Jesus also knew that the mockery, chastisement, the death on the cross, and the sufferings of death eventually led to victory.
What was the result of the strikes on the Rock?
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-6)
Jesus carried the sins and iniquities of fallen man and became the spiritual Rock. The spiritual Rock was stricken by God once, due to the rebellion, unbelief, and disobedience of (fallen) man to God, to bring forth living water.
Jesus only had to be stricken (chastised) and crucified once. One time was sufficient to redeem fallen man and reconcile fallen man back to God. Just like Moses only had to strike the rock once and then only speak to the rock for water.
You only have to believe and speak to the spiritual Rock Jesus Christ and give your life to Him. By faith and speaking to Jesus; the Rock, you will be redeemed and reconciled with God and you may drink the living water from the spiritual Rock.
Because of the strikes on the Rock, you may drink from the living water
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 (John 7:37-38)
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27)
And if you drank from the living water of the spiritual Rock, you don’t want anything else.
At least, if your heart goes out to Jesus and you love Him. If you love Jesus, you walk by faith in submission and obedience to Him. You shall do what He says. And because of that you shall honor and sanctify Jesus Christ and the Father among the people.
But if you love the works of the flesh and the world more than you love God, then there is a good chance that you become apostate and go your own way in life. A way of unbelief and disobedience to God’s Word. And through your life (by your words and deeds), deny Jesus and make Jesus a disgrace before the people.
And if someone has fallen away and renews himself or herself to repentance again, the person crucifies Jesus to himself or herself a second time and puts Jesus to an open shame (Hebrews 6:4-6).
“Be the salt of the earth’
