Let us turn to God's Word and
turn into the portion of Holy Scripture we read in the 20th
chapter of the book of Numbers. I'm directing you here in Numbers
20 to the 11th verse for our text. 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. In Numbers chapter 20, and this
11th verse, Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smoked
the rock twice, and the water came out abundantly, and the
congregation drank, and their beasts also. The account, of course, is very
similar to the other portion we were reading back in Exodus
17, but there was a period of some 40 years or thereabouts
between these two events. And I want to make reference
to both of the portions, but taking in particular these words
that I've just read in verse 11 of Numbers 20 for our text,
I want to address the subject of Christ as the smitten rock. Christ the smitten rock and as
we consider the subject matter just deal with two points to
say something initially with regards to the significance of
the rock and then secondly to look more closely at the smiting
of the rock. First of all the significance
and of course what we really have in this is that that we
refer to as a type the Lord Jesus himself said to the Jews search
the scriptures in them you think that you have eternal life but
these are they that testify of me and of course Christ also
is that one who is the spirit of prophecy the Old Testament
scriptures speak of him they prophesy of his coming and of
that great work that he will accomplish but there's not only
prophecy in the Old Testament there's also type and figure
and certainly that's what we have when we look at the writings
of Moses the first five books of scripture the Pentateuch and
in Leviticus we have all those sacrifices that were ordained
to be such a significant part of the worship of God's ancient
people. They would offer those sacrifices
initially in the tabernacle but then after the days of King Solomon
they would have the temple, that remarkable building set up there
on Mount Zion where the daily sacrifices were made, and all
those sacrifices setting forth in type, that's great sacrifice,
the one sacrifice for sins forever that would be offered in the
fullness of the time. So, we have types, and here when
we consider the history of the children of Israel, We know from
the New Testament that this people, Israel, are really atypical people,
and all the events that are occurring in their lives are typical events.
We're in no doubt about this. I'm sure you're familiar with
the content of the 10th chapter there in the first book of Corinthians,
where Paul is recounting something of the history in the days of
Moses, makes mention especially of the the passage that is made
through the Red Sea there in those opening chapters of that
opening verses of that 10th chapter and he says now these things
were our examples these things were our examples 1st Corinthians
10 verse 6 and then again at verse 11 he says now all these
things happened unto them for ensamples and they're written
for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.
And the words there that we have examples in verse 6 and ensamples
in verse 11 it's really the same word and it's the Greek word
from which our English word type is derived. The word is tupos
and it comes over into English as type all these things were
our types. All these things happened unto
them for types. They were very much a typical
people in their history. And they're written, Paul says,
for our admonition. Upon whom the ends of the world
are come. All that we have in the Old Testament is for believers
in the New Testament. We're living in that day when
all of these types have had their fulfilment. Christ is the anti-type,
just as Christ is the very spirit of prophecy. The prophets speak
of him, and the types and figures also set him forth before us. And it's interesting Paul goes on in that chapter to say all our fathers were under
the cloud and all passed through the sea I say it's interesting
because principally he's addressing the church at Corinth and Corinth
is there in the southern part of Greece, Achaia and it's a
church and it's made up principally not of Jews but of Gentiles we
have the record in the Acts don't we of the ministry of the Apostle
and Paul very much the Apostle to the Gentiles and on his various
journeys and his ministry there are those who are converted and
churches are established and there was a church established
there in that significant port of Corinth in the south of Greece
and it's principally full of Gentile converts, Gentile Christians
and Paul says to them all our fathers were under the clouds
and all passed through the sea. They are really the spiritual
descendants of those that were brought out of the land of Egypt.
That's a significant thing there. Israel in the Old Testament is
a type, we know that. They're not all Israel, they're
a type of Israel, Paul says. Amidst that ethnic people there
was always the true spiritual Israel, but they were always
a very small remnant. As we read in Isaiah chapter
1, except the Lord left unto us a very small remnant. we should
have been a Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
There was always that small remnants of those who were the
true Israel of God, a spiritual people. They're not all Israel,
they might be ethnic Israel, they might be those who are the
physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. but they
are not God's spiritual people. He is not a Jew which is one
outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in the
flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly. Circumcision,
says Paul, is that of the heart, not in the letter, but in the
spirit whose praise is not of men but of God. And this man
who's declaring these things, why, it's Paul who was Saul of
Tarsus who was so proud of his Hebrew pedigree he was of the
tribe of Benjamin, he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, he was a Pharisee,
he was the son of a Pharisee and he lived the life of a Pharisee
and he imagined that he kept the law he could say that touching
the righteousness which is in the Lord he was blameless and
yet he didn't understand anything of the Lord of God until he became
a true spiritual Israelite when the Lord met with him and arrested
him and converted him Paul is the one who writes those very
words there in Romans 2 that the true Jew is an inward spiritual
man nothing to do with circumcision in the flesh. And when Paul is
dealing with this matter in the epistle to the Galatians, of
course, where there were those Judaizers who'd come into those
churches of Galatia and were demanding that Gentiles needed
to be circumcised, that they might be those who are Abraham's
seed, But he says, if ye be Christ then are ye Abraham's seed. Abraham's seed, that's the Christian. That's the Christian. And when
he comes to the end of that epistle and begins to conclude with his
parting greetings as it were, he says, as many as walk up according
to this rule, peace be unto them and upon the Israel of God."
And upon the Israel of God, God's Israel. God's Israel is a spiritual
people, the Church, in this day of grace. There's a nation called
Israel, and they are the ethnic descendants of Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob, but they are not the true Israel of God. God's true
Israel is the Church, those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. And all these things that are
written in the Old Testament Scriptures, all this history
is for the Christian. What other things were written
before time? Paul's writing now to the Romans.
Just as he's written to the Church at Corinth, he's writing to a
Gentile Church in Rome, the Imperial City. And he tells them, there
in chapter 15 of that epistle, whatever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning. Us Christians, that
we through patience, endurance really, endurance and comfort
of the scriptures might have hope. There's something for us
to learn as the Israel of God, to learn from the history of
our fathers as we find it written here in the Old Testament scriptures
and he said how we read the Old Testament we see how it relates
to us, these are our people these are the people of God in time
but we are those who are the true Israel of God well, Israel
is a typical people and here is something of their history
and what Moses does in the midst of them But look also how the
rock is a type. Israel is a type, and this rock
is a type. And we're told how Moses lifted
up his hand, and with his rod he smoked the rock twice, and
the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and
their beast also. We sang just now, didn't we,
the opening part of Metricle Psalm 61. And there the prayer
of the psalmist, in the opening verse, lead me to the rock that
is higher than I. Isn't that the prayer of God's
ear for how they want to be led to that rock? And that rock is
the Lord Jesus Christ. And that psalm is a messianic
psalm. as we didn't sing other than
the first five verses, but when we come toward the end of the
psalm at verse six, thou wilt prolong the king's life and his
years as many generations he shall abide before God forever. Who is this king? Who is this
king that's being spoken of by the psalmist there? And God will
prolong the king's life and his years as many generations. It's the Lord Jesus Christ, the
King of Kings. Has he not been raised again
from the dead? Is he not now living in the power
of an endless life? Or thou wilt prolong the King's
life and his years, as many generations. He is that One who is the Eternal
King. He is risen again from the dead
and He's not only risen again from the dead, He has ascended
on high, He has entered heaven itself and there He appears in
the presence of God for His people. And what does the Psalmist say
there? He shall abide before God forever. He is there in heaven
as the God-man in the very presence of God. And His very presence
is a continual plea for those that He came as a representative
of those that He came to live and die for. He ever lives to
make intercession. It is Christ who is there in
the psalm. The psalm is messianic and the
psalmist prays, lead me to the rock. And that rock is the Lord
Jesus Christ. Again, I'll be told there in
that 10th chapter of 1 Corinthians. they drunk of that spiritual
rock, it says. And that rock was Christ. It
is so plain from the New Testament scripture saying that this rock
that is being spoken of here in this 20th chapter of Numbers
and again there in Exodus 17, it all refers to the Lord Jesus
Christ. And we know that the rock is
Christ when Peter makes his confession, that wonderful passage in Matthew
16. And Peter says, Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God. And how does the Lord answer
him? Blessed art thou, Simon, by Jonah, flesh and blood, I
have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven,
and thou shalt be called Peter. And upon this rock I will build
my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Now I know the Roman Catholics say that there the rock is Peter. That's nonsense. That is a perversion
of the Word of God. Peter is not the foundation of
the Church, is it? What does it say again? It's
there in In 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 11, Paul says, The foundation
can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. The rock upon which the church
is built is not Peter. Peter was never in Rome in any
case. We have no record in Scripture
that he was ever in Rome. They say he was the first Pope.
Nonsense! Peter is not the foundation of
the church. The Roman church, of course,
is a false church. The great mystery of iniquity.
The work of Satan. That rock is what Peter confessed. Thou art the Christ. The Son
of the Living God. Upon this rock I will build my
church. And the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. Why? that rock if it's Christ
that is God because Christ is God he is God manifest in the
flesh it's interesting isn't it we're told here what name is
given to the place where this incident occurs verse 13 this
is the water of Meribah because the children of Israel strove
with the Lord and he was sanctified in them. And many by, well according
to the margin it means strife. It could be translated a number
of different ways. It might be strife, it could
be rendered provocation. In fact, that's how it is rendered. when the incident is referred
to in the 95th Psalm. The psalmist sometimes makes
reference, doesn't he, to the events in the lives of God's
ancient covenant people, the children of Israel. And look
at the words that we have there in the 95th Psalm. The Psalmist says, as the mouth
of God, Harden not your hearts as in the provocation. It's the
same word. It's the word Meribah. Harden
not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation
in the wilderness when your fathers tempted me, proved me and saw
my work. God is speaking in the Psalm. And who is this God who is speaking?
Well, verse 1, Come, let us sing unto the Lord our God, let us
make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. The one who
is speaking and saying, Harden not your hearts, as in the propagation,
or the place of strife, Meribah, the damned temptation in the
wilderness, the God who speaks in Psalm 95, is Jehovah the Lord. the rock of our salvation it
is the Lord Jesus Christ that we see here then clearly see
him in type and then you think back to Moses and when we come
to the end of his days, the end of his ministry he was not to
enter into the promised land was he? and it's because of this
incident We'll come to that presently. When we come to the end of the
book of Deuteronomy, we have the song of Moses. Not the only
song of course, we have his song also in Exodus 15. But there, as we come towards
the end of Deuteronomy chapter 32, is a lovely song of Moses. And what does Moses say? How
he speaks much of the rock. Psalm 32 and verse four, he is
the rock. He is the rock, his work is perfect. For all his ways are judgment.
The God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is him. And then the father of the children
of Israel. What did Israel do? He forsook
God, which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation. Or are we guilty of that, lightly
esteeming the rock of our salvation? We read it, we can read it and
we can be critical, we can point the finger at the children of
Israel, we see their folly, but we're no better than they, surely.
We have to acknowledge that. How far short we fall of the
glory of God. Forsaken God. forsaken God, when
we turn to our own ways, when we do our own pleasing, lightly
esteeming the rock of our salvation. A solemn thing, isn't it? To
depart from the ways of the Lord when we consider who this rock
is. Again there in verse 18 of that chapter, Of the rock that
begot thee thou art unmindful. Of the rock that begot thee thou
art unmindful. He says, "...and has forgotten
God that formed them." All that we are is by the grace of God. We are completely, utterly dependent
upon Him at all times, in all things. He is the rock, the rock
of salvation. And this is the rock that is
being spoken of in the words of the text. Moses lifted up his hands, with
his rod he smote the rock twice and the water came out abundantly
and the congregation drank and their beasts also another psalm
another psalm again refers to the same incident psalm 78 interestingly
what we read there Psalm 78 and verse 3, which we have heard
and known and our fathers have told us. So it's referring to
history of Israel and what part of their history is it referring
to, Psalm 78. Well, there's reference to Numbers
20 and also to the other passage back in Exodus 17. There in verse 15 of the psalm,
He clathed the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of
the great depths. Referring to these two incidents,
what God did for Israel, He clathed the rocks in the wilderness and
gave them drink as out of the great depths. How He satisfied
them. how the Lord God does satisfy
his people time and time and time again. He's a gracious God. Oh, he's a good God. We're not
worthy of the least of his favours and all the truth. Oh, think
of all the truth that he has shown us as we read his word,
as he opens our eyes, we behold wondrous things. And it's interesting, isn't it,
there, because rocks is in the plural. He claimed the rocks
in the wilderness. And we have this incident, a
similar incident spoken of on these two separate occasions.
And as I said, there's 40 years between these two events. But
I want us to turn in the second place to the actual smiting of
the rocks. And what is the significance
of that? In that 78th Psalm, it says,
doesn't it, that God clave the rocks. God clave the rocks. The margin
says God split the rocks. You see, Moses is doing the deed. Moses, and Moses represents law,
he smites the rock. But God is in it, according to
the language there in the 78th Psalm. Well, let us for a while
think of the significance of Moses smiting the rocks. Israel were the ones who deserved
to be smitten. They were the ones who were so
rebellious, so quick to comply, Verse 2, there was no water for
the congregation and they gathered themselves together against Moses
and against Aaron. And the people chose with Moses
and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren
died before the Lord, why have you brought us up? Why have you
brought the congregation of the Lord into the wilderness? That
we and our cattle should die there. Wherefore have you made
us to come up out of Egypt to bring us in onto this evil place. What language they're using.
It is no place of seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates.
Neither is any water to drink. Bitter complaints, blaming Moses,
blaming Aaron, really they're blaming God. Oh, it's the place where the
people did chide. The language is the same. They'd
done it before. And they're doing exactly the
same all over again. Do they never learn their lessons?
Back in that 17th chapter of Exodus, the people did chide
with Moses and said, give us water that we may drink. And
Moses said unto them, why chide you with myrrh? Wherefore do
you tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there
for water, and the people murmured against Moses and said, Wherefore
is this that thou hast brought us out of Egypt to kill us and
our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cries unto the Lord,
What shall I do unto these people? They are almost ready, he says,
to stone them. Oh, what bitter opposition! to
the man of God. And yet, God doesn't smite them.
God doesn't smite the people for their sin. In fact, God causes
the waters to flow out of the rock for their refreshment. Wonderful
type, when we think about the significance of what's happening
here. The rock is smitten instead of
the people being smitten. And again, there's an interesting
thing, isn't there, in that 17th chapter of Exodus, at verse 6,
God says, Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock
in Horeb. God is standing on the rock!
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. What is Moses doing? In a sense
he's not so much smiting the rock, he's smiting God. He's
smiting God, the one who is standing there upon the rock. And where
is it? It's in Horeb. Now that was the place, of course,
initially, where Moses was caring for his father-in-law's sheep,
back in Exodus 3, when he saw that remarkable sight, the bush
that was burning, and yet was not consumed. And God gave him that call. And
he was to go back into Egypt, he was to bring the children
of Israel out of Egypt, and he was to take them to that very
mountain, Horeb. That range of mountains that
went by the name of Horeb. And the most significant of those
mountains was Mount Sinai. And he was to bring the people
to that place, Horeb. And what would God do there at
Horeb? He would enter into covenant with the children of Israel. And what is that covenant? Well,
it's the old covenant, isn't it? It's the giving of the law. God's descending on the mountains,
speaking the 10 words when they arrive there, Exodus chapter
20. God enters into covenant with
the people. But it's a covenant of works. God's revealing himself to them. Paul says, doesn't he, in Romans,
concerning that law, the law is good. And the commandment
is holy and just and good. It's a revelation of God in all
His holiness and righteousness and justice. But there's nothing of grace
and mercy there in the law. What is the ministration of the
Lord? It's that ministration of condemnation,
it's that ministration of death. But how remarkable is the type
that we have here when we see that at this mount in Horeb there
is the smiting of the rock and that rock is such a type of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Is he not Christ in that low
place of his people? All that ministry of the law,
it's a ministry of condemnation, it's a ministry of death. Whatever things the law says,
it says to them who are under the law that every mouth may
be stopped and all the world become guilty. There's no salvation
there. The law was given by Moses. But
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ and in that very low place
we see Christ being smitten, afflicted, suffering that dreadful
punishment. You see Christ comes as that
one who is to stand in the very low place of his people. When
the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son
made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were
under the law that they might receive the adoption of sons. That's a remarkable passage Galatians
4 and verses 4 and 5. When I think of that passage
I I seem to see more and more ink every time I look at it.
It's the fullness of the time. We've remarked on that previously,
those two definite articles, when the fullness of the time. There's never been a time like
this that's being spoken of by the Apostle there in Galatians
chapter 4. Never been a time like that.
That is the very center of all time. Now that is a fact. because we measure time, don't
we, around the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. For centuries,
men have spoken of BC and AD, before Christ and Anno Domini,
the year of our Lord. In Christ, you see, there all
time revolves around that period. I know in this secular day in which
we're living, they don't talk now. Many people like now to
talk not about BC and AD, but they talk about BCE and CE. The secular society,
you see. And I'm sure the children have
to put up with it at school, all the wokeism. BCE, before
the Common Era. And then we are now living in
what they like to call the Common Era. Well, they can call it what
they will. But time is still revolving about
that one person who appeared just over 2,000 years ago, the
Lord Jesus Christ. He stands at the very center
in the fullness of the time. In the fullness of the time,
that time. Christ appears and he's made of a woman all the
wonder of it, he's a real man he's a real man, he was born
of a woman, we're all born of a woman we all have mothers who carried us in their wombs
he was born of a woman, yes he was conceived miraculously in
the womb of a virgin But his human nature, you know, is derived
from that virgin. That only thing that was conceived
in her womb was joined to the eternal Son of God. He shall
be called the Son of God. It's God manifest in the flesh. But he's not only made of a woman,
he's made under the law. He comes to be in the law place
of his people. And here he is, you see, in the
rock. there at Horeb going back to
the account that we have in Exodus 17 and he's the one who's on the
rock and he's the one really who is smitten in time oh it's
Christ in the sinner's place bearing that dreadful curse.
As many as are of the works of the Lord are under the curse,
for it is written, Cursed is everyone who continues not in
all things written in the book of the law to do them. You've
got to continue in all things if you find in one thing. James
says if a man keeps the whole law and is at fault in one point
he is guilty of all. The law demands a full, a complete,
perfect obedience to every commandment. And the commandment doesn't just
have to do with the actions of men, the law is spiritual. We
can't even think a sinful thought, that will condemn us. All the rigor of the law of God
and Christ is made under that law and Christ honours and magnifies
that law. by a life of complete, perfect
obedience. Why is the Lord our righteousness?
But also He bears that dreadful punishment. He dies in the place
of the sinner. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law. Being made a curse for us, for
it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a truce. All that rock that was smitten,
that rock was Christ. It says it so clearly there in
1 Corinthians 10 and verse 4. That rock was Christ. And the water came out abundantly. Or think of the detail of the
Lord's sufferings, how one of the soldiers with a spear pierced
his side, And forthwith came thereout blood and water, we're
told. Well, they wanted to make sure
he was dead, so the soldier pierces his side. And not just blood,
water flows out. Oh, what waters of these that
flow from the Lord Jesus. Do you know Joseph Hartz in the
hymn 153 says, doesn't he, The soldier pierced his sight is
true, but we have pierced him through and through. Do we realize
it's not just the soldier we pierce him? We say that we love
him and trust in him, we pierce him. Time and time and time and
time and time again, every time we see him, we are piercing him. It's our sins, you see, that
nailed him to the cross. Oh, but what a provision is this
that's made for guilty sinners. And what is our sin? It's such
a barren thing. Such a dry and deadly thing is
sin. And yet God opens the rock and
the waters gush out. Oh, what refreshment for the
soul of the sinner he's here. It says there again in 1 Corinthians
10 at verse 4, they drank of that spiritual rock. They drank
of that spiritual rock and that rock was Christ. Well, is that
what we want? We want to partake of those living
waters that flow from the Lord Jesus Christ. when we come shortly
to observe that holy supper, do we come with that spiritual
appetite we want to eat his flesh and drink his blood? That's not
transubstantiation. That's a dangerous deceit. That's a blasphemous fable. The
whole doctrine of transubstantiation. It's an awful thing. And it's
continually paraded before us now. But spiritually, we want to feed
on the Lord Jesus. Do we have such an appetite as
that? We want Him. Union with Him. Communion. Communion
with Him. Because He is all our desire
and we want Him to be all our salvation. For what we see here,
the wonder of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ, He
is the One Smith. And God is in it. It was God who claimed the rocks,
we're told in Psalm 78. Moses, yes. Moses is there, but
God's in this. It's a wonderful type of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And as we come to a close tonight,
the significance of the event as we have it recorded here in
this 20th chapter and the consequence for Moses verse 12 the Lord spoke unto
Moses and Aaron 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 Moses
was not to enter the promised land and why was that? Well, back in Exodus 17, God
told him to smite the rock. And he smote the rock. But what
does God say to him this time? In verse 8, Take the rod and
gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and
speak ye unto the rock, speak ye unto the rock before their
eyes. It's not to smite the rock, it's
to speak to the rock. The rock has already been smitten. But Moses, you see, the meekest
man on the face of the earth, Moses. Bedouin is so provoked
by the children of Israel. What does he say? before the rock he speaks to
them verse 10 here now you rebels must we fetch you water out of
this rock the moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he
smote the rock twice and that's his father that's his father
you see christ was offered once christ was offered once to bear
the sins of many The rock had already been smitten. The rock
is not to be smitten again. That is the blasphemy of the
Romish mass. That is the blasphemy. They say
it's a bloodless sacrifice. That that wafer has become the
body, the blood, the soul, the divinity of Christ and the Roman
priest is offering it upon the altar. So, they imagine that it's repeated
time and time and time and time again. It's a blasphemy. Christ
made one sacrifice for sins forever, never to be repeated. We come
to observe at that supper, which we will, in the Lord's goodness,
presently be observing, we come to remember all that Christ endured. The contradiction of sinners,
but all that He bore at the wrath of God, how He was smitten. stricken,
afflicted, when he died, that great substitute. And so, Moses
was not going to take the people into the promised land. And yet, in a sense, it had to
be so. It's all part of God's great
purpose. What wonderful types we have in Holy Scripture. Who
took them in? Joshua took them in. and who
is Joshua? well you know the Hebrew name
Joshua is the same as the Greek name Jesus Moses couldn't take
them into the promised land the law came by Moses grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ so Moses has done his work But it is all directing us ultimately
to Him who was to come, our Joshua, or the Lord Jesus Christ. All
salvation is of the Lord. What is the meaning of that name?
They shall call His name Jesus, they shall call His name Joshua,
for He shall save His people from their sins. What a wonder of it! God grant
that we might, in His goodness and grace, be granted to enter
in some measure into the significance of these things to feed upon
this verse. How 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 beast also. Oh
God grant then that we might know what it is to find every
refreshment and all that fullness of salvation in those things
set before us here. in type, and to look to him who
is the great anti-type, even the Lord Jesus Christ. Well,
the Lord be pleased to bless his word. Amen.