"And take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river & go. Behold I will stand before you on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people shall drink." Exodus 17:5,6
This is the first account of Moses' striking the rock. He called that place Massah & Meribah...meaning tempted & contention.
Now, the 2nd account of Moses striking the rock for water 💧 is recorded in Numbers 20.
Much transpired between the 2 accounts.
The 2nd copy of The Ten Commandments was created.
The children of Israel were instructed in the ordinances of the Lord.
The Tabernacle was created & the Armies of The Lord were set in order.
The Camp of the Lord and its movement followed The Cloud...
for this tribe- become a nation-
was being offered the very life, voice & presence of Almighty, Creator God.
Most extravagant & glorious of all gifts... the LORD HIMSELF was meeting with them in the pillar of cloud and at Moses request...
He revealed His glory.
All because of His Covenant with Abraham, Jacob, Joseph & Moses....and now Israel.
For the people...the new Passover Covenant (begun in Egypt & terrifying)
was vividly illustrated in the beautiful Tabernacle... with gold, blue, purple & crimson embroidery, fragrant oil, sacrifice & incense.
Their very encampment-a vision & foretelling of The Cross.
At the same time as this new allignment came into being...a refinement was taking place.
There were several manifestations of rebellion and complaint against Moses & The Lord from within various factions of the camp. They were walking out sanctification & consecration as they moved across the wilderness toward their promised land.
The "mixed multitude" brought a judgment called Keturah (burning), Korahs clan brought about the earth opening like a devouring mouth, Miriam & Aaron's complaint brought Leprosy & seperation, The Whole Camp crying out for meat brought Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves of Craving) , then THE TEN SPIES bad report brought 40 years of wandering!
Each bitter incident saw Moses, the shepherd, getting more and more weary & impatient with his people.
Yet, for the most part, he intervened valiantly & passionately for their preservation & redemption. So why was Moses punishment so harsh?
Simply because The Shepherds Rod is Sacred, Holy & Life Giving.
I'm sure any shepherd or pastor can relate to the challenge Moses faced. Complaining spreads like a sickness. It erodes unity & wears down the joy of leadership.
Both the congregation & the shepherd have a responsibility to SPEAK GRACE TO THE ROCK....and to draw out pure LIVING WATER.
That is the way of the New Covenant. The Way of Grace. The way of Yeshua.
We see this in the 2nd command to bring water, supernaturally, to the people. This water, of course represents both The Word of God & the flow of Holy Spirit.
Holy Rock, Holy Water, Holy Rod. Holy Royal Word.
"Take the rod; you & 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."
Numbers 20:8
The first water released from the rock represented Christ... struck, once and for all, upon The Cross ✝️ and the subsequent release of Holy Spirit in Acts 2.
The second water released from the rock was to coincide with our personal, individual confessions of faith.
"For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:8-10
Again, in Isaiah 12: 3 it says, " Therefore with joy you shall draw water from the wells of salvation-out of the wells of Yeshua."
Complaining, reviling, rebuking, chastising is not the way to draw...
Living Water...
out of a congregation nor out of a shepherd. It's a two way relationship of blessing.
Moses chose to strike the rock 2X... in his anger...and further to curse the people.
In short, he had a public meltdown like many pastors in the pulpits of modern day media. We dare not model our ministry after secular media!
The water still poured out to quench their thirst... but at what cost?!
Though Moses was to SPEAK to The Rock, instead, here's what happened...in the aftermath.
"Then the Lord spoke to Moses & 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"
Numbers 20:13
The waters which were to be holy & life giving were now called Meribah...Contention.
Moses was to speak to The Rock in faith & in reverance...
as a prophet...
to hallow The Lord God...
in the sight of the people...
Instead he spoke this...
"Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water out of the rock?"
In his frustration he cursed the people and struck the rock 2X.
When I began to press into my prophetic call in the late 90's...the LORD emphatically warned me-
DO NOT STRIKE THE ROCK IN ANGER...
MY WORD SPOKEN THROUGH YOU MUST BE ACCOMPANIED WITH LIFE.
MY WORDS GIVE LIFE. Pure, Crystal clear Life.
"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the anger of man does not accomplish the purposes of God..."
"the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
James 1 :19
I have kept this warning close in my heart. I have pondered it and learned from it. I have succeeded in carrying it out and I have failed as well. Just like Moses, I have paid a great price for my failures. Failures to be sensitive to the gentleness & kindnes of Holy Spirit.
Indeed, also on the receiving end of such ministry abuse....
As a parishioner, needing the oversight of a pastor, a shepherd for myself...
I have personally suffered much abuse from angry shepherds who strike the rock. In fact, over the years of attending dozens of churches I have experienced only 1 Pastor who spoke pure life rather than striking the rock. Not great odds. But that's about to change.
Shepherds are to speak LIFE to their sheep. Jesus is the Word of Life. His words bring only life.
"I will give them one heart, & I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh..."
Ezekiel 11:19
Ezekiel 36:26
Only the true words of THE GOOD SHEPHERD can bring forth Living Waters from the rock!
If your call is within any of the 5 fold ministries of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor or Teacher....
you wield the shepherds rod. The same rod with which Moses struck the rock. You have a choice to make &
an assignment to grow in discernment...
every time you open your mouth.
By the way, the same word which means shepherd, also means friend. FRIEND. Meaning, as a shepherd you are to develop a friendship with The Lord & those whom you shepherd.
In Psalm 23... which describes the Good Shepherd...it says,
"Your rod & your staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 23:4b
I researched the original word for COMFORT....
NACHAM. 5162 Strongs.
It means literally...
"To sigh, to breath strongly, to ease, to be moved to compassion, to comfort oneself or to be comforted."
Sounds like Jesus in the Gospel accounts when He was "moved with compassion"...for those who pressed near to Him.
Sounds like taking time to sit down with a friend for coffee & a listening heart.
Passing under the shepherds rod brings relief. It brings a sigh of relief. We are free to stop holding our breath in apprehension and breath in deeply of the atmosphere of heaven.
Passing under the shepherds rod means repentance. Nacham also carries the meaning of repentance & to change one's mind. It carries both a meaning of changing the shepherds mind & changing the mind of the sheep. Mercy flows under the shepherds rod.
Whatever capacity you are called to....please remember...
whomever you are shepherding...(even if just a friend or a child)
Speak to The Rock in grace and in compassion...and speak LIFE. DO not strike the rock with your rod.
Your rod is to bring a sigh of relief, a breath of heaven....a life giving comfort.
"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.
Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of GRACE, GRACE to it!"
Zechariah 4:6,7
Beloved, your assignment is holy & sacred...
& man's anger
& irreverence...
is so very, very costly.
Pastors, shepherds....
Come out of Babel and consecrate your heart to always speak grace.
Grace alone.
Your voice must become His voice... alone. Always speak life to your sheep. Your assignment is to bring life, words of life.
Grace, grace, grace!
The shepherds rod parts the sea 🌊 & closes it on the enemy. The shepherds rod brings water out of the rock. The shepherds rod brings life & comfort & a sigh of relief to all who are willing to pass under His rod.
The shepherds rod brings a sweet change of heart for both shepherd & his lambs. The shepherds rod brings deep friendship & fellowship. In Psalm 23 His Rod of comfort is followed by feasting at His Table. Joy must follow correction...that is His way.
The shepherds rod opens the eyes of the heart... to behold the 7 eyes upon The Rock & The beautiful engraving which speaks a blessing of Rest (Zechariah 3).
"Come and sit under the shade of my vine and my fig tree beloved."
Come, beloved, I will share my joy and my peace with you. All I have, is yours, as well....for Jesus our saviour has freely given us Living Water 💧 from The Rock. There is no limit to His goodness and mercy.
Holy Rod, Holy Rock, Holy Water & Holy Words.
Postscript: please see also, my blog called "The Rock".
