02-21-2021 - Jesus - The travelling Rock...

Exodus 17:1–7 ESV

1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Numbers 20:6–12 ESV

6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9 And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

“You know, Pastor Matt, I am really tired of being told to be careful about displeasing God… Christ’s blood covers all my sins, so I have nothing about which to worry...”

Exodus 17:

People Forget God’s Goodness

Focused on the Immediate (cp. Exodus 16:31-37 to Exodus 17:3)

Fail to Keep FAITH FOREMOST (Exodus 17:1)

Faithful Servant Focuses on God for Guidance (Exodus 17:4; cp. James 1:5)

Numbers 20:

Faithful Servants Turned Self-Willed Agents of Anger

Self-Exaltation (over God) (Numbers 20:10)

Faithfulness Abandoned in the heat of the moment (Numbers 20:12)

Holiness Hindered by Frustration (Numbers 20:12)

God was not Glorified so Moses and Aaron were punished (Numbers 20:12)

“…And that Rock was Christ...”

1 Corinthians 10:1–4 ESV

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

Struck (for our sins) and Water (Holy Spirit Given) Came out (Jesus in John 4:13-14 - Woman at the Well; and again John 7:37-39 at the feast of Tabernacles)

John 4:13–14 ESV

13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 7:37–39 ESV

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Wrongly Struck The Second Time (Numbers 20) - They were to SPEAK to the Rock (Christ) - He has been struck ONCE for ALL… Now all one must do is ASK/SPEAK and the Waters (Holy Spirit) are provided…

We are NOT to put Jesus to the TEST nor attempt to return Him to the cross!

Our lives are to be FILLED WITH FAITH, HOLY and HONORING...

We come to Christ in HUMILITY, Pleading His Goodness and Provision

Examples so we may PREPARE for the Table (first 10:12-13; second 14-22)

Call for Humility (10:12)

Call for Trust (10:13)