Exodus 17:6, commentary and pictures

God himself stood upon the rock in Horeb, enshrouded in the cloud, and commanded Moses to smite it with his rod in the sight of the elders of Israel. When Moses obeyed, pure cooling water came out in a living stream that abundantly supplied the camp. The smitten rock typified Christ, set apart to be wounded for transgressions and smitten in death. From his death flow living streams of salvation, the water of life that satisfies the thirsting soul and becomes in the receiver a well springing up into everlasting life. God had led Israel by express command to waterless Rephidim to test their faith and prove whether he was among them, and everyone who takes up the cross still comes to such a Rephidim where, if they look to him in trusting faith instead of murmuring, he opens the flinty rock in the hour of need.

Setting and Miracle at Horeb

God himself stood before Moses there upon the rock in Horeb, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud as leader and General of the armies of heaven. He commanded Moses to take the rod with which he had smitten the river and smite the rock in the sight of the elders of Israel. When Moses obeyed and struck, water came out for the people to drink. It came as a living stream that abundantly supplied the camp with pure, cooling, life-giving water.

Christ stood beside Moses and caused the water to flow. As the spiritual Rock and Coming One guiding Israel, greater than Moses, he accompanied them through the wanderings, providing both temporal and spiritual blessings. That provision was evidence that God was leading and protecting them. The water then continued to flow and followed Israel, gushing from rock beside their encampments wherever they needed it. It flowed until shortly before they returned to the rock, when God stopped it at Kadesh to test whether they would trust him or murmur again.

The place was called Massah and Meribah because they quarreled and tested the Lord. Moses is presented as striking in anger and taking the glory to himself instead of honoring God before the people, thereby failing to magnify God's name and incurring displeasure. The rod thus became an instrument of deliverance, for instead of bringing judgment on the people for murmuring, God mercifully met their need.

God's Testing Purpose at Rephidim

By express command the Lord led Israel to pitch at waterless Rephidim, knowing beforehand that there was no water there, to test their faith, faithfulness, loyalty and trust and to prove whether he could trust them and whether the Lord was among them. Their emergency was his chosen opportunity to manifest himself as helper, not accident or abandonment or failure of love. He would reveal abundant supply independent of surroundings and matchless love by miracle of grace, turning the flinty granite rock into cooling, life-giving, refreshing streams. In this he showed he can supply need in difficult surroundings and has power to bring a river from rock in the desert.

Instead of waiting patiently, reviving faith, recounting great goodness and wonderful works of deliverance, feeding with angels' food and promise to bring them to the promised land, and kneeling to ask God for water with childlike trust, Israel showed criminal unbelief. They rebelled, distrusted, murmured and complained against Moses, dishonored God, vented wrath and bitterness, and demanded water and questioned whether the Lord was among them. The place was therefore called Massah and Meribah because they quarreled and tested the Lord.

The miraculous bringing of water from the flinty rock demonstrated the power of the great Ruler of the universe to sustain his people in the wilderness. It was one of his repeated signs of merciful care alongside deliverance from Pharaoh and provision of food, teaching trust in his power. It was meant to remind Moses that God could also supply meat for the host, a wonder he was reproved for forgetting when he doubted.

The Rephidim experience is a trying process God permits to reveal true steadfast principles and gold of character and faith in his instrumentalities in contrast with selfish ambitious sentiments. It tries the hearts of all connected with his work in the church and institutions, and exposes how easily souls are deceived and misled by temptation, how little faith professed believers have in God and how much confidence in themselves, and those unfit for leading positions without thorough conversion of heart, mind and strength. That trial proves a blessing by leading to self-examination, conviction by the Holy Spirit, and thorough conversion. It establishes faith on better principles, prompts striving for higher moral perception and better preparation for work, gives walking in clearer light with lasting lessons never forgotten for sincere earnest God-fearing souls, and sets wrongly biased minds right.

Christ the Smitten Rock

The rock smitten at Horeb was a type of Christ, the living Rock set apart to be smitten. Struck by Moses' rod, He was wounded for transgressions and smitten in death. As the only-begotten Son of the Father He is that Rock from which pure water flowed for the people. As that pure water flowed from the rock for Israel to drink, so His death causes living streams of salvation and the water of life to flow to the world. They flow to all who thirst and to sin-sick souls.

That water is His words, the water of life, carrying life-giving power and the fountain of life. It satisfies the thirst of the soul for that which perishes not and brings everlasting life. Received within, it becomes a well of water springing up into everlasting life. It was a spiritual blessing given even amid murmuring and rebellion. Those who receive His love impart it to others through good works, right example, and Christian counsel.

He is both that Rock and that water, the living water Himself inviting thirsty souls to come to Him and drink of the fountain of life. What began as invitation to one thirsty Samaritan woman He widened into an invitation to any who thirst. Though Satan intended by that smiting to destroy Him, His death brought life to the world. From His death flows life-giving water to the world.

Feast of Tabernacles Memorial

The yearly rejoicing water-pouring ceremony at the Feast of Tabernacles commemorated and represented the God-given provision of water from the rock in the wilderness. At God's command Moses struck the rock at Horeb and water flowed from it, even from granite rock, to quench Israel's thirst and refresh the Hebrews. The water poured out in the temple represented that fountain, recalling God's provision for the people and the fountain of salvation from which people draw with joy. While the water was poured the worshipers' songs celebrated God as their strength and salvation.

At the first dawn of day the priest dipped a flagon of water from the flowing waters of the Kedron, lifted it on high before the people, ascended the broad steps of the temple into the court of the priests, and poured the water out before the altar. That action represented the striking of the rock and the bringing out of water in the wilderness.

In that ceremony the smitten rock and the flowing water point to Christ, for the rock was a figure of Christ and the living Rock. The water signifies the life-giving power of his words, the water of life that satisfies the soul's thirst and brings everlasting life. The smiting of the rock points to his death, by which he set himself apart to be smitten so that living streams would flow to the world and to all who are athirst. In the last year of his ministry Christ witnessed the water-pouring ceremony that commemorated that smiting and declared himself to be its fulfillment, offering himself as the source of spiritual life and widening his earlier invitation to one thirsty Samaritan into an invitation to any who thirst. Those who receive his love share it with others through good works, right example, and Christian counsel.

Trust and Obedience in Trial

Everyone who takes up the cross comes to a Rephidim in experience, meeting disappointment, privation, want, grievous trials and difficult rough places in the narrow way. Christ himself leads there because he sees it is for their good and for his name's glory, knows all about their trials, is as willing to help in present need as in times past, and no tribulation there can separate them from him. In mercy he does not always place his people in the easiest places, lest in self-sufficiency they forget the Lord is helper in time of necessity. Disappointment and trial are permitted to break self-sufficiency, reveal helplessness, and teach the needy to call upon the Lord for aid as a hungry and thirsty child calls upon its father, with burdens borne that will only be fully known when face to face with God.

If they look to him in trusting faith, he in his own time in the hour of need opens the flinty rock and causes cooling, life-giving and refreshing streams to flow forth for them to drink. He longs to manifest himself in emergency and reveal abundant supplies at his disposal independent of surroundings, turning trial and crisis into opportunity and blessing for the people and glory for his name. Remembering his past dealings and his love and power shown in times past ever strengthens and upholds faith, overcoming discouragement and unbelief and proving him an ever-present Saviour and ever-present help in time of trouble. That remembrance gives reason to lift voices in praise and thanksgiving for past mercies and to go forward with full assurance and confidence, led forward in rough ways to go up and possess the promised land.

Instead of imitating Israel by rebelling, distrusting, murmuring, magnifying difficulties, and venting wrath and bitterness upon his instrumentalities and dishonoring God, which lengthens the test, they should wait patiently, kneel and ask with childlike trust, and recognize helplessness. They should revive faith by recounting his great goodness and wonderful works of deliverance, feeding with angels' food, promise to bring them to the promised land, and his help in time of trouble. Looking to him in trusting faith instead of magnifying difficulties brings deliverance, turning bitterness like Marah into sweetness. Patient faith strengthened by remembering God's past goodness would have shortened Israel's test, and stands as warning not to respond to hardship with unbelief.

The provision of water from the rock was a great act of deliverance to be remembered and recounted to children as evidence of God's power and care. That same power to bring a river from rock in the desert and provide water in a dry place applies to the discovery of water in Paradise Valley.