The Waters at Meribah: The Broken Model

Let's start by getting the story. Go to Exodus17: 1-7

Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but [there was] no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, "Give us water, that we may drink." So Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?" And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why [is] it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!" And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" (NKJV)

That's only half the story. Now, let's go take a look at the rest of it. Go toNumbers20:1-13

Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! "Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness,that we and our animals should die here? "And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It [is] not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor [is] there any water to drink." So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels!Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."This [was] the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and He was hallowed among them. (NKJV)

So, to recap, the first time, God told Moses to whack the rock with a rod and water fora couple million people and a bunch of cattle came spewing out of the rock. The second time, God told Moses to talk to the rock, but Moses was ticked off, so he whacked the rock again. Water came out, but God was not impressed.

We have some clues in other parts of the Bible to help us sort this model out. The first question is: who or what is the rock supposed to represent?

Go to 1Corinthians 10:1-5.

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for [their bodies] were scattered in the wilderness. (NKJV)

Next question:Where do we get life-giving water?

Go to John4:5-10

Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." (NLT)

So, the rock was Jesus. The first time He came, He was struck to provide us with the life-giving water. Now, all we have to do is ask.

Unfortunately,Moses broke the model when he smacked the rock the second time. For that, God forbid him to enter the Promised Land.

TheAkedah Yitzhak

First, let's check out the story and a commentary on it.

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."Then He said, "Take now your son, your only [son] Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid [it] on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said,"Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb fora burnt offering." So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only [son], from Me."Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind [him was] a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said [to] this day, "In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided." Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only [son]-- "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which [is] on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.(Genesis22:1-19) (NKJV)

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son], of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"concluding that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from the dead,from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews11:17-19) (NKJV)

Genesis22:2 is the first time the word "love"is used. It's used in reference to a father who has to sacrifice his only son. The Law of First Mention says that the first time a term is used, the context gives you a clue about the real importance of the word. Genesis22:5 is the first time the word "worship"is used. The Hebrew means to "bow down."

Abraham knew he was acting out prophecy. When Isaac asked about the offering, Abraham says that the "Lord will provide Himself a lamb for an offering." Some commentators take that to mean that God will Himself be the lamb, and that is what happened a few thousand years later. He named the place "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." Some translations say "provided."