Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. The children of Israel were thirsting
after an arduous journey through the wilderness. They cried out
to Moses with much murmurings and complaining, and the Lord
was pleased to arise and meet their exact need. Unbeknownst
to them, the Lord had already prepared a rock out of which
would flow streams of water. The Lord instructed Moses to
smite it with his rod, and in obedience to the Lord he did
just that, and the children of Israel drank from that rock.
Only after the Son of God was smitten by the law, becoming
sin for us, did those rivers of living water flow out of his
side, for the benefit of those people for whom he was afflicted.
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. That rock was Christ. On another
occasion, the Lord told Moses to speak unto the rock, yet he
disobeyed the Lord and smote the rock in anger. The Lord will
never leave nor forsake his people regardless of their disobedience
and even unfaithfulness, and he still calls the rock to send
forth water. The Lord would demonstrate to
us, through the disobedience of Moses, that there is no righteousness
in the law. But the scripture hath concluded
all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might
be given to them that believe. By the same token, the Jews and
all religious men could never receive the righteousness of
Christ. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. This is that stone which
the builders rejected, that rock on which his church is built.
On account of Moses' sin, the Lord did not allow him to lead
the children into the land of promise, in order to let us know
that death and destruction came by the law, which cannot in any
wise give a man entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Christ
is the living stone. This seems a contradiction of
terms. Whoever heard of a living stone? Stones are noted for their
resiliency, strength, and endurance, but never as animate objects.
But this one with whom we have to do is both alive and unmovable. He is without compare and is
the sole means of deliverance for those he calls his own. He
is the rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are judgment,
a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. There is
none holy as the Lord, for there is none beside thee, neither
is there any rock like our God. And he said, the Lord is my rock
and my fortress and my deliverer. The Lord liveth and blessed be
my rock and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
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. He brought me up also out of
a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a
rock and established my goings. Behold, a king shall reign in
righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall
be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest,
as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock
in a weary land. This living stone is at the same
time a great offense unto some, for he is a stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense, while he is the rock of salvation to
others. Unto you, therefore, which believe,
he is precious. He is the chief cornerstone,
neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved. He is the elect, the one appointed
by God. Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighted. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. The redeemed
and the redeemer are united together in the covenant purpose of God
and cannot in any wise be separated. Those who are the elect children
are chosen in and hidden in Christ, who is the elect son over his
own house. He is precious. It is only fitting
that the precious sons of Zion should be redeemed with that
which is precious. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot,
who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times for you. None who have
fled to him for refuge shall be confounded. All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. Have you cast yourself upon this
rock? If you would like a free transcript of this broadcast,
email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.