Speak To The Rock!

Speak To The Rock!

Have you ever considered why Moses could not enter the Promised Land? Hmm… There were two different scenarios where the children of Israel had water come out for them from a ‘ROCK’! One was recorded in Exodus 17….while the other was recorded in Numbers 20! Now follow carefully as we explore these two verses and see why Moses could not enter the promise land! Are you ready?

In Exodus 17, the children of Israel were thirsty and needed water badly. So they grumbled bitterly to Moses to provide them water! Hmm… Now see what God told Moses:

‘Behold…I WILL STAND before thee THERE UPON THE ROCK in Horeb…; and thou shall SMITE THE ROCK…and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink…’! (Exo 17:6)

Wow! God was STANDING on the Rock!!! And He told Moses to STRIKE the Rock He was STANDING upon! What picture does that bring to your mind? Hmm…. THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS!!!

‘…and that ROCK was CHRIST’! (1Cor 10:4)

God actually told Moses to strike the Rock with ‘his’ rod! The rod of Moses represents the rod of JUDGMENT! This rod was used to perform so many judgmental miracles against Pharaoh in the land of Egypt! Hmm… So, Moses struck this Rock with his rod and water gushed out to quench the people’s thirst! Hallelujah!

Now let’s go to the next scenario that the Rock was STRUCK for the ‘thirsty’ Children of Israel. This happened in the book of Numbers 20. When the children of Israel complained again for lack of water, God said to Moses:

‘Take THE rod… (Not ‘thy’ rod)… and SPEAK YE UNTO THE ROCK….before their eyes;….and it shall give forth HIS water…’! (Numbers 20:8)

Hmm… Now you are about to see a very crucial incident concerning GRACE in the life of Moses! What did Moses do? Hmm…

‘Hear now, YE REBELS….’ (vs 10)

What!!! Moses just called the children of Israel REBELS!!! That is AN INSULT to the first striking of the Rock in Exodus 17…which has ALREADY made the children of Israel RIGHTEOUS!!!

Listen carefully: if God has made you RIGHTEOUS…it is an INSULT for someone to call you a SINNER!!! Hmm…. With this condemnation anger, Moses took HIS OWN ROD and STRUCK the ROCK!!! Ah!!! Insult upon injury!!!

First, God never told Moses to take HIS own rod!!! The rod of Moses is the rod of Judgment! God told him to take the ROD OF AARON!!! (Numbers 20:9) The ROD of AARON is a Rod of GRACE! (Numbers 17:8) Hmm….

Second, God never told Moses to STRIKE the ROCK!!! Not at all! The ROCK had ALREADY been STRUCK ONCE!!! It MUST not be STRUCK twice!!! Striking the ROCK twice is another way of saying: salvation is not once!!!

Listen carefully: SALVATION is not TWICE!!! SALVATION is ONCE!!!

Hmm… Moses STRUCK the ROCK with his own rod twice!!! Oh…I hope you know the gravity of this offense! Many preachers today are saying the finished work of the cross is not enough to guarantee a believer’s eternal salvation! So, they still see believers as ‘rebels’ instead of ‘the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus’! (2Cor 5:21) Hmm…

Moses was told to ‘…Take the ROD of Aaron…and SPEAK TO THE ROCK…’!!! (Numbers 20:8) When believers are living sinful lives, or are experiencing ‘thirst’ in some areas of their lives,…Pastors are supposed to TAKE THE WORD OF GRACE and SPEAK TO THE ROCK!!! Call them who they are in Christ…and prayerfully enforce the reality in their lives! Hmm… Instead, many are taking the rod of judgment and STRIKING the ROCK!!! Hmm…

When the Corinthian church fell into sexual immorality, Paul said to them:

‘What! Know ye not that YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST which IS IN YOU…’! (1cor 6:19)

Wow! Paul did NOT say:

‘You Rebels were once the Temple of the Holy Ghost…but now that you have sinned…you have lost your salvation…and God has sold you back to the devil’!

Never!!! That would be STRIKING the rock the second time!!! Are you getting this? This was what disqualified Moses from entering the Promised Land! It was that serious!!! God said to Moses:

‘Because ye believe 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)

Wow! What does it mean ‘to not SANCTIFY GOD in the presence of His people’? Hmm… It means to deny God the sweet right of being GRACIOUS to His people even though they rebelled!!! SPEAK TO THE ROCK and water will come out!!!

Don’t STRIKE the Rock! Speak to the Rock! And the WATERS OF LIFE will flow into every dry and thirsty aspect of your life! (John 7:48-49)

Hallelujah!

Never forget: SPEAK TO THE ROCK and water will come out!!!

Don’t STRIKE the Rock! Speak to the Rock! And the WATERS OF LIFE will flow into every dry and thirsty aspect of your life! (John 7:37-38)

Amen.

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