The Smitten Rock that Brought Forth Water • Deshen Daily

Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel (Exodus 17:6, KJV)

When the children of Israel left Egypt and headed for the promised land through the desert, they encountered a problem that is not unusual in the desert. They needed water, but there was none! The LORD instructed Moses to smite a rock that was before them in Mt Horeb, and when he did, water gushed out like rivers in the desert for the people to drink. What a wonderful Father we have! There are mysteries behind this story for us.

The rock had to be smitten or struck for water to come out to meet the needs of the people. That was the LORD giving us a picture of the salvation that was coming through Christ. He tells us plainly in the New Testament that :

“And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4, KJV)

Symbolically, the Rock that poured water to meet the needs of the people was Christ. He was smitten, struck, and bruised so that water can be given from heaven to quench our thirst— our dying need for life. He was smitten so our thirst can be quenched. He paid the price for our wellbeing. When He died and resurrected(smitten), the Holy Spirit( the Water) from heaven was given to us to quench our thirst for life and restore our relationship with the Father!

MEDITATE

Why did God have to smite the Rock for us to have Water to drink?

APPLY THE WORD

You drank of the Water from that Rock the day you received Christ. You received the Holy Spirit from God for salvation. You have been brought into communion and fellowship with the Father. Your thirst has been quenched! Rejoice in the work of your Savior.