The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 37: The Smitten Rock
From the smitten rock in Horeb first flowed the living stream
that refreshed Israel in the desert. During all their wanderings,
wherever the need existed, they were supplied with water
by a miracle of God's mercy. The water did not, however,
continue to flow from Horeb. Wherever in their journeyings they
wanted water, there from the clefts of the rock it gushed out
beside their encampment.
It was Christ, by the power of His word, that caused the
refreshing stream to flow for Israel. "They drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." 1
Corinthians 10:4. He was the source of all temporal as well as
spiritual blessings. Christ, the true Rock, was with them in all
their wanderings. "They thirsted not when He led them through
the deserts: He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for
them; He clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out."
"They ran in the dry places like a river." Isaiah 48:21; Psalm
105:41.
The smitten rock was a figure of Christ, and through this
symbol the most precious spiritual truths are taught. As the
life-giving waters flowed from the smitten rock, so from Christ,
"smitten of God," "wounded for our transgressions," "bruised for
our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:4, 5), the stream of salvation flows for
a lost race. As the rock had been once smitten, so Christ was
to be "once offered to bear the sins of many." Hebrews 9:28.
Our Saviour was not to be sacrificed a second time; and it is
only necessary for those who seek the blessings of His grace to
ask in the name of Jesus, pouring forth the heart's desire in
penitential prayer. Such prayer will bring before the Lord of
hosts the wounds of Jesus, and then will flow forth afresh the
life-giving blood, symbolized by the flowing of the living water
for Israel. [p. 412]
The flowing of the water from the rock in the desert was
celebrated by the Israelites, after their establishment in Canaan,
with demonstrations of great rejoicing. In the time of Christ this
celebration had become a most impressive ceremony. It took place
on the occasion of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the people
from all the land were assembled at Jerusalem. On each of the
seven days of the feast the priests went out with music and the
choir of Levites to draw water in a golden vessel from the spring
of Siloam. They were followed by multitudes of the worshipers,
as many as could get near the stream drinking of it, while the
jubilant strains arose, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the
wells of salvation." Isaiah 12:3. Then the water drawn by the
priests was borne to the temple amid the sounding of trumpets
and the solemn chant, "Our feet shall stand within thy gates,
O Jerusalem." Psalm 122:2. The water was poured out upon
the altar of burnt offering, while songs of praise rang out, the
multitudes joining in triumphant chorus with musical instruments
and deep-toned trumpets.
The Saviour made use of this symbolic service to direct the
minds of the people to the blessings that He had come to bring
them. "In the last day, that great day of the feast," His voice was
heard in tones that rang through the temple courts, "If any man
thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on
Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water." "This," said John, "spake He of the Spirit,
which they that believe on Him should receive." John 7:37-39.
The refreshing water, welling up in a parched and barren land,
causing the desert place to blossom, and flowing out to give life
to the perishing, is an emblem of the divine grace which Christ
alone can bestow, and which is as the living water, purifying,
refreshing, and invigorating the soul. He in whom Christ is abiding
has within him a never-failing fountain of grace and strength.
Jesus cheers the life and brightens the path of all who truly seek
Him. His love, received into the heart, will spring up in good
works unto eternal life. And not only does it bless the soul in
which it springs, but the living stream will flow out in words
and deeds of righteousness, to refresh the thirsting around him.
The same figure Christ had employed in His conversation
with the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well: "Whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the [p. 413] water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life." John 4:14. Christ combines the two
types. He is the rock, He is the living water.
The same beautiful and expressive figures are carried throughout
the Bible. Centuries before the advent of Christ, Moses
pointed to Him as the rock of Israel's salvation (Deuteronomy
32:15); the psalmist sang of Him as "my Redeemer," "the rock
of my strength," "the rock that is higher than I," "a rock of
habitation," "rock of my heart," "rock of my refuge." In David's
song His grace is pictured also as the cool, "still waters," amid
green pastures, beside which the heavenly Shepherd leads His
flock. Again, "Thou shalt make them," he says, "drink of the
river of Thy pleasures. For with Thee is the fountain of life."
Psalms 19:14; 62:7; 61:2; 71:3. (margin); 73:26 (margin); 94:22;
23:2; 36:8, 9. And the wise man declares, "The wellspring of
wisdom [is] as a flowing brook." Proverbs 18:4. To Jeremiah,
Christ is "the fountain of living waters;" to Zechariah, "a fountain
opened . . . for sin and for uncleanness." Jeremiah 2:13;
Zechariah 13:1.
Isaiah describes Him as the "rock of ages," and "the shadow
of a great rock in a weary land." Isaiah 26:4. (margin); 32:2.
And he records the precious promise, bringing vividly to mind
the living stream that flowed for Israel: "When the poor and
needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth
for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not
forsake them." "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and
floods upon the dry ground;" "in the wilderness shall waters
break out, and streams in the desert." The invitation is given,
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." Isaiah 41:17;
44:3; 35:6; 55:1. And in the closing pages of the Sacred Word
this invitation is echoed. The river of the water of life, "clear as
crystal," proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb; and the
gracious call is ringing down through the ages, "Whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17.
Just before the Hebrew host reached Kadesh, the living stream
ceased that for so many years had gushed out beside their
encampment. It was the Lord's purpose again to test His people.
He would prove whether they would trust His providence or
imitate the unbelief of their fathers.
They were now in sight of the hills of Canaan. A few days' [p. 414] march would bring them to the borders of the Promised Land.
They were but a little distance from Edom, which belonged to
the descendants of Esau, and through which lay the appointed
route to Canaan. The direction had been given to Moses, "Turn
you northward. And command thou the people, saying, Ye are
to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau,
which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you. . . . Ye shall
buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also
buy water of them for money, that ye may drink." Deuteronomy
2:3-6. These directions should have been sufficient to explain
why their supply of water had been cut off; they were about to
pass through a well-watered, fertile country, in a direct course
to the land of Canaan. God had promised them an unmolested
passage through Edom, and an opportunity to purchase food, and
also water sufficient to supply the host. The cessation of the
miraculous flow of water should therefore have been a cause of
rejoicing, a token that the wilderness wandering was ended. Had
they not been blinded by their unbelief, they would have understood
this. But that which should have been an evidence of the
fulfillment of God's promise was made the occasion of doubt and
murmuring. The people seemed to have given up all hope that
God would bring them into possession of Canaan, and they
clamored for the blessings of the wilderness.
Before God permitted them to enter Canaan, they must show
that they believed His promise. The water ceased before they
had reached Edom. Here was an opportunity for them, for a
little time, to walk by faith instead of sight. But the first trial
developed the same turbulent, unthankful spirit that had been
manifested by their fathers. No sooner was the cry for water
heard in the encampment than they forgot the hand that had
for so many years supplied their wants, and instead of turning
to God for help, they murmured against Him, in their desperation
exclaiming, "Would God that we had died when our brethren
died before the Lord!" (Numbers 20:1-13); that is, they
wished they had been of the number who were destroyed in the
rebellion of Korah.
Their cries were directed against Moses and Aaron: "Why
have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness,
that we and our cattle should die there? And wherefore
have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto [p. 417] this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of
pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink."
The leaders went to the door of the tabernacle and fell upon
their faces. Again "the glory of the Lord appeared," and Moses
was directed, "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."
The two brothers went on before the multitude, Moses with
the rod of God in his hand. They were now aged men. Long
had they borne with the rebellion and obstinacy of Israel; but
now, at last, even the patience of Moses gave way. "Hear now,
ye rebels," he cried; "must we fetch you water out of this rock?"
and instead of speaking to the rock, as God had commanded him,
he smote it twice with the rod.
The water gushed forth in abundance to satisfy the host. But
a great wrong had been done. Moses had spoken from irritated
feeling; his words were an expression of human passion rather
than of holy indignation because God had been dishonored.
"Hear now, ye rebels," he said. This accusation was true, but
even truth is not to be spoken in passion or impatience. When
God had bidden Moses to charge upon Israel their rebellion, the
words had been painful to him, and hard for them to bear,
yet God had sustained him in delivering the message. But when
he took it upon himself to accuse them, he grieved the Spirit of
God and wrought only harm to the people. His lack of patience
and self-control was evident. Thus the people were given
occasion to question whether his past course had been under the
direction of God, and to excuse their own sins. Moses, as well as
they, had offended God. His course, they said, had from the first
been open to criticism and censure. They had now found the
pretext which they desired for rejecting all the reproofs that God
had sent them through His servant.
Moses manifested distrust of God. "Shall we bring water?"
he questioned, as if the Lord would not do what He promised.
"Ye believed Me not," the Lord declared to the two brothers,
"to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel." At the
time when the water failed, their own faith in the fulfillment of
God's promise had been shaken by the murmuring and rebellion
of the people. The first generation had been condemned to perish [p. 418] in the wilderness because of their unbelief, yet the same spirit
appeared in their children. Would these also fail of receiving
the promise? Wearied and disheartened, Moses and Aaron had
made no effort to stem the current of popular feeling. Had they
themselves manifested unwavering faith in God, they might
have set the matter before the people in such a light as would
have enabled them to bear this test. By prompt, decisive exercise
of the authority vested in them as magistrates, they might have
quelled the murmuring. It was their duty to put forth every
effort in their power to bring about a better state of things before
asking God to do the work for them. Had the murmuring at
Kadesh been promptly checked, what a train of evil might have
been prevented!
By his rash act Moses took away the force of the lesson that
God purposed to teach. The rock, being a symbol of Christ,
had been once smitten, as Christ was to be once offered. The
second time it was needful only to speak to the rock, as we have
only to ask for blessings in the name of Jesus. By the second
smiting of the rock the significance of this beautiful figure of
Christ was destroyed.
More than this, Moses and Aaron had assumed power that
belongs only to God. The necessity for divine interposition
made the occasion one of great solemnity, and the leaders of
Israel should have improved it to impress the people with
reverence for God and to strengthen their faith in His power and
goodness. When they angrily cried, "Must we fetch you water
out of this rock?" they put themselves in God's place, as though
the power lay with themselves, men possessing human frailties
and passions. Wearied with the continual murmuring and
rebellion of the people, Moses had lost sight of his Almighty Helper,
and without the divine strength he had been left to mar his
record by an exhibition of human weakness. The man who
might have stood pure, firm, and unselfish to the close of his
work had been overcome at last. God had been dishonored
before the congregation of Israel, when He should have been
magnified and exalted.
God did not on this occasion pronounce judgments upon
those whose wicked course had so provoked Moses and Aaron.
All the reproof fell upon the leaders. Those who stood as God's
representatives had not honored Him. Moses and Aaron had felt
themselves aggrieved, losing sight of the fact that the murmuring
of the people was not against them but against God. It was by [p. 419] looking to themselves, appealing to their own sympathies, that
they unconsciously fell into sin, and failed to set before the people
their great guilt before God.
Bitter and deeply humiliating was the judgment immediately
pronounced. "The Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because
ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of
Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land
which I have given them." With rebellious Israel they must die
before the crossing of the Jordan. Had Moses and Aaron been
cherishing self-esteem or indulging a passionate spirit in the face of
divine warning and reproof, their guilt would have been far greater.
But they were not chargeable with willful or deliberate sin; they
had been overcome by a sudden temptation, and their contrition
was immediate and heartfelt. The Lord accepted their repentance,
though because of the harm their sin might do among the people,
He could not remit its punishment.
Moses did not conceal his sentence, but told the people that
since he had failed to ascribe glory to God, he could not lead
them into the Promised Land. He bade them mark the severe
punishment visited upon him, and then consider how God must
regard their murmurings in charging upon a mere man the
judgments which they had by their sins brought upon themselves.
He told them how he had pleaded with God for a remission of
the sentence, and had been refused. "The Lord was wroth with
me for your sakes," he said, "and would not hear me." Deuteronomy
3:26.
On every occasion of difficulty or trial the Israelites had been
ready to charge Moses with having led them from Egypt, as
though God had had no agency in the matter. Throughout their
journeyings, as they had complained of the difficulties in the
way, and murmured against their leaders, Moses had told them,
"Your murmurings are against God. It is not I, but God, who
has wrought in your deliverance." But his hasty words before the
rock, "shall we bring water?" were a virtual admission of their
charge, and would thus confirm them in their unbelief and
justify their murmurings. The Lord would remove this
impression forever from their minds, by forbidding Moses to
enter the Promised Land. Here was unmistakable evidence that
their leader was not Moses, but the mighty Angel of whom the
Lord had said, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep
thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have
prepared. Beware of Him, and obey His voice: . . . for My name
is in Him." Exodus 23:20, 21. [p. 420]
"The Lord was wroth with me for your sakes," said Moses.
The eyes of all Israel were upon Moses, and his sin cast a reflection
upon God, who had chosen him as the leader of His people.
The transgression was known to the whole congregation; and
had it been passed by lightly, the impression would have been
given that unbelief and impatience under great provocation might
be excused in those in responsible positions. But when it was
declared that because of that one sin Moses and Aaron were not
to enter Canaan, the people knew that God is no respecter of
persons, and that He will surely punish the transgressor.
The history of Israel was to be placed on record for the
instruction and warning of coming generations. Men of all future
time must see the God of heaven as an impartial ruler, in no
case justifying sin. But few realize the exceeding sinfulness of
sin. Men flatter themselves that God is too good to punish the
transgressor. But in the light of Bible history it is evident that
God's goodness and His love engage Him to deal with sin as an
evil fatal to the peace and happiness of the universe.
Not even the integrity and faithfulness of Moses could avert
the retribution of his fault. God had forgiven the people greater
transgressions, but He could not deal with sin in the leaders as
in those who were led. He had honored Moses above every other
man upon the earth. He had revealed to him His glory, and
through him He had communicated His statutes to Israel. The
fact that Moses had enjoyed so great light and knowledge made
his sin more grievous. Past faithfulness will not atone for one
wrong act. The greater the light and privileges granted to man,
the greater is his responsibility, the more aggravated his failure,
and the heavier his punishment.
Moses was not guilty of a great crime, as men would view
the matter; his sin was one of common occurrence. The psalmist
says that "he spake unadvisedly with his lips." Psalm 106:33. To
human judgment this may seem a light thing; but if God dealt
so severely with this sin in His most faithful and honored
servant, He will not excuse it in others. The spirit of self-exaltation,
the disposition to censure our brethren, is displeasing to God.
Those who indulge in these evils cast doubt upon the work of
God, and give the skeptical an excuse for their unbelief. The
more important one's position, and the greater his influence,
the greater is the necessity that he should cultivate patience and
humility. [p. 421]
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If the children of God, especially those who stand in
positions of responsibility, can be led to take to themselves the
glory that is due to God, Satan exults. He has gained a victory.
It was thus that he fell. Thus he is most successful in tempting
others to ruin. It is to place us on our guard against his devices
that God has given in His word so many lessons teaching the
danger of self-exaltation. There is not an impulse of our nature,
not a faculty of the mind or an inclination of the heart, but needs
to be, moment by moment, under the control of the Spirit of
God. There is not a blessing which God bestows upon man, nor
a trial which He permits to befall him, but Satan both can and
will seize upon it to tempt, to harass and destroy the soul, if we
give him the least advantage. Therefore however great one's
spiritual light, however much he may enjoy of the divine favor
and blessing, he should ever walk humbly before the Lord,
pleading in faith that God will direct every thought and control
every impulse.
All who profess godliness are under the most sacred obligation
to guard the spirit, and to exercise self-control under the greatest
provocation. The burdens placed upon Moses were very great;
few men will ever be so severely tried as he was; yet this was
not allowed to excuse his sin. God has made ample provision
for His people; and if they rely upon His strength, they will never
become the sport of circumstances. The strongest temptation
cannot excuse sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon
the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the power of
earth or hell to compel anyone to do evil. Satan attacks us at
our weak points, but we need not be overcome. However severe
or unexpected the assault, God has provided help for us, and in
His strength we may conquer.
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"The Journey Around Edom"
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