If you wish to follow along,
turn to Numbers chapter 20. Numbers chapter 20. I do hope that as we continue, God willing,
to go through these chapters, Numbers, and God willing, if
we're still here that long, through Deuteronomy, If we live that
long, I will probably stop the series at Deuteronomy. That is
the first five books of the Bible. But I do hope that most of you
realize that I do not, or I'm not going to take the time. I
don't know whether I have the time or not. Only God knows that. But I'm not taking the time to
look at everything in every chapter. I don't have the time to really
do that. And specifically, I mean that
in this way, 45 minutes once every Sunday just would not cut
it. We wouldn't be through Genesis yet. But I do hope that what
everyone who's been listening to me has seen is that Christ
is, and this is not even the best way to put it, but Christ
is the sum and substance of all scripture. Not every verse speaks
about Christ. But every verse cries out, I
need Christ. Every fact that's presented in
this Bible declares the truth that we need Jesus Christ and
he is the subject of this book. From Genesis chapter one to Revelations
22 and whatever verse it is. So we see in Numbers chapter
20, Miriam has died at Kadesh. Edom, that is Israel's kin, Remember,
Edom are the descendants of Esau. They are Israel's kinfolk. Edom refuses Israel safe passage
through their land. Aaron dies on Mount Hor and Eleazar
is installed as high priest. Israel then mourns Aaron's death,
and we read that in verse 29. When all the congregations saw
that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all
the house of Israel." I have a little more to say about that
in a moment. But this is some of the history here we read in
this book. Think about it. Israel mourns
Aaron's death. Oh, how fickle and hypocritical
is my is your fallen flesh. Just days before, somewhere along
that, we're not really told how long, but just days before, the
people of Israel had ranted and raved against Moses and Aaron. Do you see it? Chapter 20, verse
one. Then came the children of Israel,
even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zion in the
first month. And the people abode in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was
buried there. And there was no water for the
congregation. And they gathered themselves
together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people chode with
Moses. and spake saying, this was not
a polite request. This was not a people in felt
need crying out for mercy. No. And the people choked with
Moses and spake saying, would God that we had died when our
brethren died before the Lord. Well, you didn't, but you will. Yeah, you didn't, but you will.
Why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness,
that we and our cattle should die there? Wherefore have you
made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us into this evil place?
It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates,
neither is there any water to drink. Our flesh can suffer one
problem, and it'll bellyache about everything else. It'll bellyache about everything
else. When you need water, who cares
about a pomegranate? When you're in the desert and
you're thirsting to death, and it can happen. You can die of
thirst. Who cares about a fig? The flesh does. Not because it
even really cares about a fig or a pomegranate or even water
for that matter. It's, here's the flesh, we don't
like God's way. We want our way. Because we would
do this better than God is doing it. That's what our flesh does. But oh, don't we brag about a
fellow or a gal when they die. Aren't we so sorry? We had my
dad's memorial service. There was not a person there
that was honest enough to come to me and say, I hated what your
dad believed. And some of them there hated
what my dad believed. But none of them had the honesty
to come and say, I don't believe the God your dad believed. Joe,
I could have respected that more than all of the he was such a
great guys. It's just like birthday parties.
I gotta throw this one in. You know the scripture speaks
of one birthday present? Do you know that? It speaks of
a birthday present. And no, it wasn't baby Jesus
at Christmas time. The birthday present was the
head of John the Baptist. You remember that? So one place
the Bible uses the word birthday is translated birthday in the
KJV. and it was the head of John the Baptist. So if that don't
give you a little bit of a distaste for birthdays, I don't know why
it would. Now I'm not, don't go away, say preacher, the preacher
preaching against birthday parties. That's the way the flesh does.
But that was the one birthday party mentioned in scripture.
How'd you like that one? I won't even charge you a dollar
for that one. But listen, even the flesh of
God's people Even the flesh of God called men and women can
rise up in an instant and rebel. Chapter 20, verse nine. And Moses took the rod from before
the Lord as he commanded him. Moses and Aaron gathered the
congregation together before the rock. And God had commanded
them to do this. And he said unto them, hear now
ye rebels, Must we fetch you water out of the rock? This is
from the most humble man on the face of the earth. And the book
says that of him. Says that of him. And Moses lifted
up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And God had said, you go speak
to the rock. Didn't he? You go speak to the
rock and Moses was so angry So angry that Mason he hit that
rock again I Will say God willing more about that later, but Christ
is smitten once and once only And any doctrine that would teach
or even indicate that what he did when he did that one time
rebellion against God. So we've already established
we're pretty bad folk. Joe you're right this book God
calls us maggots. If you don't like that it ain't
because you don't like me or my style of preaching is because
you hate God. Because if God ever opens your
eyes, you will know what's at least to some degree, you will
know what kind of maggot you are. And yet, and yet, in our
text, in this chapter, God is gracious and full of compassion. Is he not? Somebody said, well,
he killed Aaron. That was a blessing. Yes, it was a judgment. The Lord spake, verse 12, 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. And Aaron did not. God took him to Mount Hor and
God killed him right there on top of Mount Hor. But that was
a blessing too. Do you understand that? but that
doesn't negate the unbelief that was exercised. I guarantee you Aaron was looking
forward to entering into that land. Don't you think? Aaron was not thinking about
dying just before Moses, Moses, lifted his hand with the rod
in it and hit the rock the second time. Again, I could sit right there
and preach for months. And yet, God is gracious and
full of compassion, even with Israel's unbelief and Moses and
Aaron's unbelief. It says in verse seven, and this
is my actual text, seven and eight, and the Lord spake unto
Moses saying, take the rod and gather thou the assembly together,
thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before
their eyes, that is right in front of them. And it shall give
forth his water. I've just seen that just a week
or two ago Read this over and over again And it shall give
forth his water now when you talk about a rock. What do you
say you we usually say it? Right I mean best not go there
And thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, so
shalt thou give the congregation and their beasts drink, even
in light of their murmuring and complaining against God. Right? And it says in the last
part of verse 11, even though Moses now in his own anger struck
the rock the second time, the rock had already been stricken
once before, remember? It says this, and the water came
out abundantly. Aren't you glad that God does
not have to rely upon fallen man, even fallen preachers, for
the truth of God to be a blessing to God's people? Because if he
was, if you were dependent upon me, Joe, and Paul, you would
be damned. I like that. And the water came
out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and also their beast."
Which one are you? Which one are you? Are you one
of God's people? Are you one of the congregation?
Or are you just an ass? And as Scott Richardson said,
he called it this, an unclean ass. What the book calls us. And he said, you could take that
any way you want. Somebody says, I don't like your
style. I do, I like my style. That's pride, but that's me. Do you see the grace of God here?
Read the rest of this book. Rebellion, after rebellion, after
rebellion, and yet God Almighty is gracious to these people. But notice a couple of things.
One, water was given to God's people
when God decreed they get the water. Do you understand that? Water is given to God's people
when God decreed they get the water. Secondly, God will keep
you alive, and that includes me, but God will keep you alive
until the time he's purposed to kill you Remember God told these people,
everybody above 20 years old, what? Your carcasses will fall
in the wilderness. Why didn't God just go ahead
and let them thirst to death now? Because God will fulfill
his purpose. Even if it means giving you water
to drink and you despise every drop of it, and it keeps you
alive until the day you die. Boy, isn't this just a happy
message so far. My title is this. The rock gave
forth his water. Christ, and I say this upon the
authority of God's word, written by inspiration by our brother,
the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10, verses one through four,
Christ was there. Christ was that rock. He doesn't say, that rock typified
Christ. He said, and that rock, and they
even capitalized it, if you look at it, which is a proper thing
to do, and that rock was Christ. But Paul goes on to say, everybody,
all of Israel drank of that spiritual drink. Now remember, this water
had no miraculous effects. It was just water. but it was
water given by the rock. By the rock. So this lets me
know, and it lets all of us know, if you go on and read Paul's
words in 1 Corinthians 10, 6 through 12, we must beware of unbelieving
presumption against God. It says that that rock that followed
them, not that appeared the second time, No, it says, and that rock that
followed them was Christ. Didn't anybody catch this before
this? That rock Moses hit way back
yonder. That thing's still there. It's right back there. Huh? Think about that. And none of
them caught it. None of them said, they didn't
build a shrine around it. But yet, isn't that what we do
concerning Jesus Christ? That rock that should have been
worshipped, because it was Christ, was never worshipped. Somebody
said, I don't know about that. That rock was Christ. But let
me point out, that rock was Christ. Bad English is coming, but that
rock ain't Christ now. that rock don't exist anymore. I'm sure there's a theological
word to describe Christ became a rock, but he is not that rock
now. But I am here to declare that
rock, that Christ who was that rock is still the rock today. He's not that rock. but he is
the rock. Now someone, again I ask, but
preacher in all of this, chapter 20, 21, all the way through the
E, through Deuteronomy as well, who's really saved and who's
really lost? We really want to know that answer,
don't we? We want to know that answer,
wanna give you an answer. I understand this answer will
be, misconstrued by some. Some will say, oh, I got it right
there. He said it. I am going to say this. Who's really saved? Who's really lost? Rebel against
God and find out. There you go. Yeah. Rebel against God and find out. Go on. Yeah. And God says, when
we rebel against him, will we eat of the fruit of our ways? Exactly. Here's the truth of the matter.
Let us repent and believe the gospel constantly. Constantly. Do you hear what
I'm saying? People say things like, when
you talk about, are you saved? Do you know the Lord? If you
ever do. You know, maybe a one-on-one, as we say, witnessing to someone.
Speaking with someone. Maybe they bring up the subject.
Well, I repented. As Henry Mahan used to say, well,
if you're not repenting now, you never did. I don't care if
you repented 30 years ago, if you're not still repenting now,
30 years later, you never did 30 years ago. Not with a godly
repentance. Or you ask, well, how will you
say, well, I believed back yonder. You're not believing now? You're
not believing now? If you don't believe now, you
never did. The life of a child of God, the
life of a person converted by a gospel is one of constant repentance
and constant belief of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am
not just in a battle against my flesh. I have to repent because
of my flesh all the time. Because it will raise its ugly
head when I least expect it. And yet, I've been with it all
my life. My old nature is older than my
teeth. And most of us, old nature is
older than our hair. Not all of us, some of us were
born with hair. You understand, this old nature has been with
us since we were conceived in the womb. When that sperm fertilized
that egg, even in that state, our nature is corrupt and in
rebellion against God, and I've been repenting of that ever since
God Almighty converted me by his gospel. Yes, I wish I could
get rid of it, but God says you will not until I make you in
my son's likeness. You will deal with it now. You will deal with it now. And
yet here is Christ following, following the people. Remember,
Christ was that rock, as I said, but he is still our rock. But
let me give you four, five things, sorry, five things, try to be
brief. Christ is our only rock. Psalm 18. Now this, for this
group of people here, most everyone here might say, well, preacher,
that's so redundant. It's so, it's a give me, you
know? That's a default. But there have
been people here even here, that made professions of faith. And
this truth here set them off. That their Christ is our only
rock. There have been people, not just for
that reason, but people become very angry because they were
rebuked for talking about someone or something else being their
rock. Christ is the only rock. And if you start calling something
else your rock and you're rebuked for it and you rebel against
God in it, then you do not know God. I ain't saying you can't
think something else is your rock, but I'm saying when you're
rebuked for it and you turn away from the truth because of it,
you do not know God. We often lean upon many people
and many things and think of them as our rock, but they are
not. Psalm 18, verse 30 and 31. As for God, His way is perfect.
No matter what He does. Whether it was saving Zacchaeus
or whether it was destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, His way is
perfect. The word of the Lord is tried,
it's been put to the test. And it still stands. He is a
buckler to all those that trust him. And that's more than just
a belt, it's like a harness. Men used to carry a buckler for
their sword, for heavy weight. To all those that trusted him.
For who is God save the Lord, and who is that? That's Jesus
Christ. I'm not even going to, that is
an established fact in this book. For who is God save the Lord
and who is a rock, even a rock? Somebody said, well there are
other rocks, just not the right rock. There is no rock but Christ. And I will prove that in a wee
bit. Who is a rock save our God? Now
lest anyone right there say, well, it doesn't really say he's
the only rock. Well, a psalmist goes on to say so in Psalm 62.
Listen to what he says. Psalm chapter, or Psalms, the
62nd Psalm. Truly my soul waiteth upon God. From him cometh my salvation.
He only is my rock. So if I or you ever call anything
else or think, whether we say it or not, think of anything
or anyone else as our rock, we are worshiping that rather than
Jesus Christ. Well, I don't mean it that way,
preacher. I don't care what you think you mean. You have just
dishonored the word of God Almighty. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be greatly moved. And again in verse six, just
so we get it, at least from the word of God, he only is my rock. Secondly, Christ is the rock
with a cleft. Remember God told Moses, and
we'll go back and read it. You can read it in Exodus 33,
verses 21, 22, 23. He is the rock with a cleft. When I looked up that word, it
just amazed me. It means a fissure, a cleft,
not a cliff, not a big straight drop off, a cleft. That's a fissure. You know what a fissure, a big
hole, a spot gaping. But if you look at the base words
of the Hebrew, it's a fissure that's been hand carved. This ain't just some natural
occurrence as we see in many rocks. This thing's been hand
carved. We know it was specifically hand
carved for Moses because God said to Moses, there's a place
by me upon a rock. and there's a cleft in the rock,
a hand-hued place for you to go get in, and that I, by my
hand, I'm paraphrasing, I, by the very hand that carved out
that cleft in the rock, I will put my hand over you. You ain't
gonna fall out. And then when my glory passes
by, I'll move my hand just enough that you will not see my face,
but you will see my hinder parts. And yet we now know that we actually
by faith have seen the very face of God Almighty because we see
the face of God Almighty in the person of Jesus Christ our Lord. Ephesians 1 through 14 lets us
know every blessing we have is of God in Christ. Election, it's
in Christ. Predestination, it's by Christ
unto himself. Forgiveness of sins, it's by
Jesus Christ and through redemption, by redemption through his blood.
It's all about Jesus Christ. When you believe, in verse 14,
what do you believe? No, who do you believe? Jesus
Christ. Bless God he's the only rock.
And let me tell you something, if you ever find yourself safe
in that rock, it's because God Almighty has personally hand
carved out that hiding spot for you. As if he hadn't done it
for anybody else in this world. Though he's done it for an innumerable
company of every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation. You don't
go into Christ, you don't go into the cleft of the rock with
mommy and daddy. You don't take mommy and daddy
with you, mommy and daddy don't bring you in. Christ said there's
a straight and narrow way. Straight don't mean straight
this way, it means straight this way, it's tight. That fissure
is tight. And I love what Don Fortner said
years ago, he said, when you go in that straight and narrow
gate, you're gonna have to go in by yourself. You can't even
take, you can't take mommy and daddy with you, but you can't
even take self with you. And our Lord went on to say,
he that denieth, what? Himself. Christ is the rock with a cleft. And number three, our rock Christ
the Lord was smitten once, and once only. All else is unbelief
toward him. We've already looked at that.
Moses didn't get to even lead the people into the promised
land because he hit that rock the second time. Right? Right. Why? Why is this so? Because the Apostle
Paul makes it clear in Hebrews 10 specifically, and especially
verses nine through 14, that Jesus Christ, when he died on
that cross one time forever, he sanctified and perfected those
for whom he died when he died. And anything else is to attempt
to smite the rock twice. The anti-Christ religion of this
world is too smart to say, we believe Jesus Christ's gotta
be crucified over and over and over again. Well except for some
of the Roman Catholics, they believe they crucify him every
time they have the bread and the wine. Some of the Lutherans
get mighty close. Now what am I really talking
about? I'm saying when they say Jesus Christ died but it's of
no value unless you do this or that, They are saying the smiting
of Christ once is not enough. You need to smite your free will
from its rebellion and liven it toward believing on the Lord.
Now I know they don't say it that way, but don't they trust
it? Isn't free will to the majority of professed Christianity today?
Isn't free will the real answer to why they're saved? Christ
died for everybody. He did exactly the same thing,
shed as much blood for one as he did for the whole human race. But not the whole human race
will be saved. Then what Christ did did not
and does not make the difference. But the gospel message is what
Christ did, it made the difference. Fourthly, Christ as the rock
is not a joy to all. He is the only rock, but not
everybody loves him as the only rock. Romans chapter nine, you
knew I had to go there, didn't you? Verse 33, as it is written, behold,
I lay, who's speaking here? Yes, Paul is quoting another
prophet, or a prophet. And that prophet was writing
the words down, but it wasn't the prophet speaking, it was
the prophet writing the heart and mind of God. As it is written,
behold God lays in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. Now you wanna talk about who's
really saved and who's not? Are you offended in the truth
of the person and work of Jesus Christ? Does the truth about Jesus Christ
offend you? Is there that that wells up within
you that says, I will not have that man. Oh, another one's okay. But I will not have that man
reign over me. Christ as the rock is not a joy
to all. That's a lost man or a woman.
Here's a lost man or a woman. You're offended at the personal
work of Christ. Someone here told me not too
long ago that a person they are acquainted with and speak with
told them something along this line. It is a paraphrase, as
best I remember it. Something along this line. Well,
the only place that we disagree is concerning Jesus Christ. Isn't
that the point? That's the whole thing we're
talking about. And the majority, it's sad to
say, but the majority of professed Christianity today has made up
its own Jesus. But I'm telling you, that Jesus
is not another rock. Even an insignificant rock. That
other Jesus is nothing at best but sand. Sand. That brings me to my fifth and
last point. build only upon Christ the rock. Matthew chapter seven. Matthew chapter seven. Some amazing
words here by our Lord. Matthew seven verse 21. Not everyone
that saith unto me, Lord, Lord. See, it's not just saying I believe
God's sovereign. It's not why I believe that God
is sovereign. I'm asking you, do you believe
the sovereign God? Has the sovereign God ever confronted
you and bowed you down to his son? Not everyone that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Now
swallow that, ye good Calvinists. I believe I'm a good Calvinist.
I'm not ashamed of that. But Calvinism is not about not
doing. First of all, Calvinism is about
Christ has done all that he was ordained to do and secured everything
else. Paul, speaking of Christ's death
on the cross, says, how shall he, that is God the Father, not
with him, that is God the Son, freely give us all things? Based
upon what? The fact that he died for us.
And if he died for you, God will give you everything else you're
supposed to have. He will. The will to believe,
He'll give you that. The very faith to believe with,
He'll give you that. The repentance you will need,
He will give you that. And all of this will be upon
a constant, daily basis. He don't give it to you in the
start and it's up to you to kind of keep it going. The rock holds
me. I hold not the rock. God didn't
tell Moses, Moses go up there and love upon the rock. He said
go hide in the cleft. and I'll put my hand over you.
So who must Moses give all the glory to? God. Did he run to the cleft? Yes,
he did. Why? Because he knew there was no
other place to go. So enter the kingdom of heaven.
Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
preached in your name? Prophesied in the name. And I
have cast out devils. And in thy name done many wonderful
works. And then when I profess unto them, I never knew you.
That's scary. I never knew you. Depart from
me, ye that work iniquity. Because you would think there's
a part of my, there's that mind that I have by nature that says,
but if you're preaching his name, you cast out devils, you do many
wonderful works, you got to be in the group, right? Then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore,
you see it? 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 it will. It will. The rain descended,
and the floods came, and they will. And the winds blew, and
they will. And beat upon that house, and
it fell not. But why? Because of the greatness
of the house? No. But have a house you must. Build a house you must. Yes, sir. You must repent. Yes, sir. You must believe. That's building a house. Yes,
sir. You must serve God. You must submit. You must obey. That's building a house. But
the glory don't go to the house. The stability's not in the house. The other guy who is not wise
had a house. Look. And it fell not. Why? For it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these
sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish
man which built his house upon the sand. There are no other
rocks. They are but things ground up
into sand. I'm told that's where sand actually
comes from. It's just rock and what do they call it? Different
things in the ocean. It just gets ground up and it
washes up on the shore. It washes up on the shore. It's
just sand. It's not a rock. How many times
have you picked up a little grain of sand and said, look what a
rock I got? Go to the beach and do that.
Pick up a little pebble and run around and show people, look
at that rock I got. Get your old handful. Oh, you got a handful
of rocks. No, you got a handful of sand.
You got a handful of sand. And it said in the rain upon
the other house, the house built upon the sand, 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.
Why? Because of the sandy foundation. And it came to pass when Jesus
had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his
doctrine. And you really teach that today, they'll be... Won't
they? What are you talking about, preacher?
I got a house. I go to church. I made my profession. I've been baptized. All those
things are good. They're houses. But if it's not
built upon the rock, what's gonna happen? Great! It won't just
fall. Great! will be the fall of it,
because they will hear, depart from me. Henry Mahan one time
preached the message. Something along those lines,
some of the most, some of the scariest, it wasn't the scariest,
but some of the scariest words ever written in the Bible. And
that's when Christ said, depart from me, I never knew you, depart
from me, ye that work iniquity. Again, I point out, you must
have a house and you will build a house. God don't just pop a
one up for you. Now, do you hear what I'm saying?
I hope you really do. Anybody out there? I hope you
really do. God will not repent for you. God will not believe
for you. and I'm not going to even say,
I'm not even going to have to qualify that. I'm not going to try to qualify
that. You're going to repent, you're going to believe, and
you're going to constantly do that. But even all that is of no value
whatsoever if you don't have the right foundation. The rock. Is it not true that Christ, although
he's not still that rock, spoken of in Numbers 20, He's not that
rock. He was a rock. Can't explain
that. He was a rock. But I tell ya,
he still is the only rock. Yes? Yes. Father, bless these words. Use them to now that thy name's
honor and glory. In Christ's name, amen.