Striking the Rock

The experience of the desert is forever memorialized by placing manna:

in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept. The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. (Ex. 16:34-5).

The "Testimony" will later be applied to the tablets containing the Ten Commandments, and these tablets will later be placed in the ark, along with the jar of manna. [1]

Both signify God's provision:  The Ten Commandments provided moral sustenance, authored by God, to teach these former slaves how to be children of the one true God.  The manna provided physical sustenance, sent from God, to nourish and sustain these former slaves in their journey. 

Both are for nourishment and both are from God's hands.  Nothing in Eden came from Adam's efforts and nothing in the desert came from the people's efforts. It was God's plan from the very beginning that we are to rely solely on Him; what we have, who we are and where we go is from His hand.  We are stewards of His provision.  We are not its authors. 

So, God is providing a visual reminder of His provision with the manna in a jar.  The manna, because it was from God, never decayed.  It stayed in the jar, as pristine as the day it was gathered.  

God's law, embodied in the Ten Commandments, will never "decay" or lose its potency to guide a society.  It is as true as the day it was given to Moses.

So, now, despite the long list of God's saving, preserving and sustaining His people, we find them in the desert, grumbling...again.

But before we get all self-righteous, and say, "Oh, come on!  How many times does God have to miraculously help you before you get it?"

Hmmm.  Could God be asking us that same question?

So, let's take a closer look: 

The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Ex. 17:1-7)

Once again, we see a familiar scene.  The people, terrified that this thirst they are feeling is going to be the death of them, start grumbling.  Again.  About the same thing. 

If you remember, in the Desert of Shur, they became thirsty and asked, "What are we to drink?" and grumbled against Moses. When Moses cried out to the Lord, He commanded Moses to throw a piece of wood into the water, and it became drinkable. The Lord tested His people by having them face a situation that required utter reliance on Him.  God through Moses told them that if they listened to God's voice, and did what was right is His eyes (by following His commands and decrees), they would remain free from diseases that He "brought on the Egyptians." (Ex. 15:24-26).

Then, not only did God provide them water, He brought them then to an oasis. (Ex. 15:27)

Now, they are in a new desert--the Desert of Sin--and here we are again.  Thirsty.  Grumbling. Accusing Moses that their exodus from Egypt will result in them dying out here.  

Same God.

Same power.

Same appointed leader.

Nothing has changed on the Lord's side of the equation.

Same seemingly perilous situation. 

Same need. 

Same reaction:  grumbling and accusations hurled at Moses. 

Sadly, nothing has changed on the people's side of the equation. 

Moses also seems to not be getting God's message.  He sounds afraid of how the people are responding, because he feels they will stone him. 

Wait!  Let's re-shoot the scene.  Let's fill it with people walking in faith, having learned God is sufficient for all they face!  

Action!

We are in another part of the desert, huh?

Yup.  It's about as bleak as the other one.

Huh, not to sound cheeky, but is there any other kind of desert?

Good point.  No water here either, huh?

Nope.  No water.  But, hey!  Remember when God provided the water the last time?  Moses hurled that wood into that bitter water and boom! We drank our fill!

It was so amazing.  But compared to what God did to Egypt--those ten plagues, saying adios to them Egyptians, and watching Pharaoh get his comeuppance, that was nothing.  Bitter to sweet water? That's just a blip in Yahweh's day. 

I know, I know!  This water thing--bitter or none to be found--it's just pocket change for God.  If He can bring that mighty empire to its knees, why would He send us out here to die?  Let's go ask Moses our next step.  Prayer?  Search party?  Moses hasn't done us wrong, because he is God's appointed leader.  Why would our mighty God use a man of questionable character and conduct?

Hey Moses!  What would you--I mean, God--like us to do?

Wow.  What a difference.  Gratitude is born out of experiencing God's provision and trusting His process, however slow or incomprehensible it may be, and we never cease to remember what He has done.   

Moses is instructed by God to go and strike a rock.  The same staff that he used to "strike" the Nile and turn it to blood, he will now use to strike a rock and bring forth water. 

Both impossible situations.

One: A vital river is turned to blood and instead of giving life, it causes decay and destruction.

Two: A rock, with no water anywhere around it, will bring forth water, enough for the people to drink. 

Interestingly, Moses gave the place two names, one meaning "testing," (Massah) and one meaning "quarreling" (Meribah).   Why?

The verse says, "because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, 'Is the Lord among us or not?'” (Ex. 17:7)

They quarrel about God's lack of provision and His absence from their woe and need.  As a result of this, they then question His very presence by asking if He's even around. They are doubting Him at the same time they are goading Him. 

Wow. 

The Word has a very stern warning of where the hardening of our heart can lead:  

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Heb. 12:14-15)

Boom.  Quarreling is the antithesis of living in peace with each other, and does not reflect the nature of God's character and those who call upon His name.  Quarreling leads to blindness, for we are so focused on ourselves and what we don't have, that we lose sight of His majesty and grace and what we do have. A pure heart sees God and His movement in our lives.  A quarreling heart only sees delay, absence, carelessness and disregard--all attributes contrary to the beauty of our God, but ones we start to believe God possesses.  

Then, with such a heart, we don't see God working.  (He is.)

Then, we don't see His answers to our prayers. (We are becoming too myopic to have the broader faith-driven than sight-driven perspective.)  

Our heart is slowly but surely growing bitter and we will cause others to stumble.  We give out tainted advice and reflect badly the One whose name we bear. 

Our bitterness, like the water the Israelites encountered, makes us spiritually unhealthy and we are poisonous to be around.

The antidote?

The cross.  It tells us that God is at work,  He loves us, He wants the best for us, that He is Lord of the hard times and His love is sacrificial.  

The cross takes out the bitterness out of our lives.  Yes, the desert is till bleak and hot, but we are not forgotten.

God provided His Son. Sin struck Jesus and what came out?  Love: undeserved, abundant and always present, ever ready to slake our spiritual thirst and bring us through even the hottest of deserts.

But we must strive to remember His ultimate provision--His beautiful Son--every day with gratitude and knowing that He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.    

[1]  The NIV Study Bible. 1985. p. 111