Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.”’”
Exodus 8:1 (ESV)
Water is a basic necessity of life. Without it no one would last long.
And it doesn’t just provide life through drinking, it also is needed for cleansing and waste removal; and even for recreation.
So it is understandable why the Israelites are…testy…when they are living in the wilderness with no water – for themselves or their livestock.
So they revert back to their seemingly only playbook – complain about God and bemoan how good Egypt was.
Sigh.
After countless displays of His faithfulness to them, He is once again at the end of their displeasure and lack of trust.
So He provides a means of, literally, getting water from a Rock; providing water from the very Water of Life, the pre-incarnate Christ! If we go to Him for drink and believe in Him, “out of [our] heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
We are guaranteed of all this because blood and water flowed from His side on the cross. We see that it is through God’s Words and promise joined to water in our Baptism that we are united with Him; with His suffering, in His victory over sin, death, and the Devil; in His resurrection.
“Strike the Rock” was the command, and the result was the saving of the Israelites with the Living Water.
God saves us through the same Living Water, Jesus, through faith and baptism. God saves us from being struck down in death because He was struck as the Rock; struck before Pilate; struck on the Cross.
We are saved by the Living Water, Jesus! Drink Him in fully and, strengthened in Him, flow in that Water to drench others with Him; His Word, His love; His forgiveness; His life.
The Rock was struck! Through faith in Him, you and I are saved!
Scripture
- Exodus 17:1-7
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
- John 7:37-38
- John 19:31-34
- Psalm 46
