(Continued).
THE rock in Horeb was smitten almost at the commencement of Israel’s forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and when their last year in the desert had arrived, once more they were led by the hand of God into the desert of Lin. (Num. 20) Not very long before Israel came there, the house of Aaron of the tribe of Levi had been markedly honored by God as chosen for the priesthood. Rebellious and murmuring, the princes of Israel had questioned the authority of Aaron, and God had bidden each tribe lay up before him, in the tabernacle of the congregation, before the testimony, the rod of its chief prince, so that He Himself might spew to them, in His own great way, whom He had chosen for the priesthood. And Aaron’s rod was proved on the morrow by Jehovah to be that of His choice. It was significantly
THE ROD OF GRACE.
“Behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.” (Num. 17:88And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. (Numbers 17:8)). The dry rod cut off from its stock was rendered by God beautiful with a new life. He marked it for Himself as sliming life and fruitfulness in varied stages. It was an emblem of resurrection-life and fruit bearing therefrom. The priest of Jehovah’s choice lifted up no rod of bare authority, such as those of the princes of the other tribes, but a rod of authority in the power of grace.
This most exquisitely addresses our hearts to the character of the priesthood of Him who is the high priest of our profession. Jesus is priest in resurrection. He was not of the tribe of Levi, nor of the office of priest when on earth. (See Heb. 7:12-1412For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. (Hebrews 7:12‑14)). But having been cut off, having died, God has raised Him up from among the dead, and divine beauty and fruitfulness characterize His priestly work. What He does as priest for His people is perfect, view it in whatever way or stage we will, whether in bud, blossom, or fruit.
Now, when Israel had come towards the end of their journeyings, once more they were in the wilderness of Zin, where stood the smitten rock in Horeb. Most of the older men, who had partaken of the streams which had issued from it in the first year of their wanderings, were no more. Once more as the mountains of Horeb surrounded them, and the dry and thirsty land was their dwelling place, the cry arose from Israel that they thirsted. Again God heard their cry, and a second time He addressed His servant, Moses, to the rock, already once smitten. The Lord said to Moses, “Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock.” (Num. 20:88Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. (Numbers 20:8)). The rod that Moses was to take, was the Rod of grace—that of which the Lord had said unto Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shall quite take away their murmurings from Me, that they die not.” (Chapter 17:10).
Let us picture to ourselves the scene as the Lord would have it be. Moses standing before the smitten rock, having in his hand the beautiful Rod of grace, fruitful and significant, with its buds, blossoms, and fruit Not as on the first occasion, when Moses was bidden smite the rock with the Rod of judgment, with only a selected few of the elders of Israel with him, but now the assembled host, Men, women, and children, surrounding the rock, all being called by Jehovah to witness the great sight, as Moses spoke to it, of the waters issuing from the clefts made year before.
And as we call up before our eyes this scene, we can but think of our mighty Saviour, once smitten by the hand of judgment on the cross, but never to be smitten again, and gathered around Him, at the bidding of God, all the assembly of His redeemed people now in this wilderness world, We cannot number them. They are, in fact, scattered upon the face of the wide earth, but of whatever country, clime, or name, they are one assembly, each and all having Christ, once smitten for them, as their center. Who thirsts? Is it the little child? Is it the aged man? Who longs to drink of the same Spirit, to drink more deeply and to know more fully who Christ is? Come one—come all—look you to the Rock. Jesus has once suffered; He suffers no more. He died for you once. He lives for you forever.
And see the rod—the rod of priesthood! Once Jesus died, but now He liveth, ever to make intercession for us. This His work is fruitful—based upon His sufficient sacrifice. This His work is continuous— unlike His sacrificial work, once and forever finished.
“Speak ye unto the Rock.” Yes, the Lord would have
THE ROCK SPOKEN TO
“before their eyes,” and in response to the word of grace, and of Him who holds, as it were, the Rod of grace in His once-pierced hands, the living waters flow to satisfy all thirst.
Who amongst the pilgrim host thirsts? Brother, you need no second sacrifice. The Mighty One has been once smitten on your account. His wounds once made still remain, and will forever remain. But the effects of His sacrifice are eternal. From Him now, by reason of His priestly work and words, your soul shall find each of all its longings answered by the power of His Spirit. Speak ye to the Rock. Speak ye to the once-crucified but now glorified Jesus. Yes, rather, He speaks for us. His rod of priesthood is lifted up for us. His work shall never fail. Drink, then, of the living stream, and drink continually.
Let us now turn for a moment to
MOSES’ AND AARON’S FAILURE.
Most grave, most solemn, was their failure on that day. Instead of “the rod” (v. 8), Moses lifted up “his hand with his rod” (v. 11). Instead of speaking to the rock, he smote it—yea, smote it twice. Thus the Rod of grace was set aside by Moses for the rod of judgment, and, instead of words of grace, he, being the mouthpiece of God, spoke chiding words to the people. So God was misrepresented by His servants, and they therefore, were not permitted to lead His people into rest.
Dear fellow pilgrim, it is grace that we need for our journey; the words of intercession, and the rod of priesthood, and our Lord Jesus never fails, and will not cease to shew us more and more grace, and He will bring us safely home.
H. F. W.