Dear Family,
Today is Monday, May 15, 2023. It is Day 37; Day 2 of Week 6 in our Count to Pentecost.
When ancient Israel grew agitated and began to complain about not having water, God directed Moses and the elders of Israel to go on ahead to the area around Horeb. A smaller group could move faster; and apparently, God wanted the elders of Israel to witness what He was about to do through Moses.
Exodus 17:5-7 (5) And the LORD said unto Moses; Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. (6) 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. (7) And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying; Is the LORD among us, or not?
What God told Moses to do was of great prophetic significance. Moses struck the rock in the sight of the elders of Israel, and life-giving water flowed from it into the desert floor. The river of water continued to flow until it reached the on-coming Israelites and their herds and flocks.
Of course, we know that ROCK was CHRIST. It was to be centuries later that the true ROCK was to be smitten while other Israelites were positioned to be witnesses. The Savior’s work provided the water of life freely to those He is calling today and to all the world as they desire to come to God at His future invitation.
1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
These physical events foreshadowed what God was going to do through the life of His Messiah back 2000 years. It also foreshadows what God is doing in our lives today through the power of the Holy Spirit.
May God bless us with the insight to see just how much we need the fulfillment of Pentecost and the pouring out of His Spirit of power.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
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