Exodus Types: 4. Water from the Rock, A Type of Christ’s Gift of the Holy Spirit

(Exodus 17) Even as Israel was in desperate need of water to quench thirst; so do men need the water of life to satisfy their thirsty souls. "And there was no water for the people to drink" (Exodus 17:1). And water was a necessity. And thirsty souls can go to God and receive satisfaction through faith in Christ resulting in the New Birth. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is the only work that can satisfy men’s hearts. Instead of blaming God for their predicament, the Israelites should have looked to God for water, as men should today. "Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?" (Exodus 17:3). Theirs would indeed have been a terrible situation if Moses had not gone to God on their behalf and secured water for them. Many times these days we find men putting the blame for their troubles upon their Creator, instead of going to Him for the solution to their problems. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). With such a gracious invitation as this, there is no need for men to die of thirst. Water was supplied from the smitten rock. The death of Christ makes possible a living well of water through the indwelling Spirit. "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). The smitten rock brought forth water for the people. Thus the smitten Christ on the cross opened up a well of water through the presence of the Holy Spirit in the regenerated heart of man. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14). The rock from which their water came followed the Israelites in the wilderness; and so Christ goes with believers to satisfy their needs. "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (I Corinthians 10:4). Even so, Christ goes with those who trust Him as Saviour. He never forsakes them but is with them to help them. "For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper" (Hebrews 13:5, 6). Water from the rock was more than a well, it was a river; and the believer who is filled with the Spirit becomes a river of water. "He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers" (Psalm 78:15, 16). A river of water came forth from that rock in the wilderness to supply the needs of everyone. And Jesus gave us a promise that abundantly matches that in the spiritual realm. "Jesus stood and cried, saying, 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. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive" (John 7:37- 39). More than a well, the Spirit-filled Christian becomes an overflowing fountain, which becomes a river of living water. Some Christians do not have enough of the water of life to supply their own need, while others have enough for their own need, but not enough for others. The Spirit-filled Christian has enough for himself and for others. [Old Testament Types - FHW]