Exodus 17
McGeeCHAPTER 17THEME: Water flows from the smitten rock; contention with AmalekThe children of Israel have left the land of Egypt and are on a wilderness march. They are on their way to Mount Sinai. Along the way Israel has had seven experiences that are pictures of the Christian life. Remember, “…all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1Co_10:11). All Christians will do well to read and heed these lessons. These lessons are given to us in picture form and their meaning is clear.
Exodus 17:1
WATER FLOWS FROM THE SMITTEN ROCKAs they journey through the desert, the children of Israel thirst and once again they murmur. The children of Israel were everlastingly complaining. They have a need and start to complain. God graciously meets their need. Then something else comes up and they begin to cry out, complain, and find fault. Many churches are in this same spiritual condition yet they think they are in excellent condition.
Exodus 17:4
About this time Moses was probably ready to turn his job over to somebody else. Notice God’s provision for Israel.
Exodus 17:5
This is the rod given to Moses when he went back to Egypt. It was to be a badge and seal of the authority and power of Moses.
Exodus 17:6
This is the first mention of the “rock” and the “water” that came out of the rock. What does the rock represent? We are not left to guesswork or our own speculation or our own wisdom. The Holy Spirit of God explains it in 1Co_10:1-4 which tells us, “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” The bread that Israel ate was manna, which was a picture of Christ, the Bread of Life. Christ is also the Water of Life, and the rock is a picture of Him. It contrasts the unbelief of the people (you see, they doubted God here) with the solid rock. Israel was leaning on cobwebs and broken reeds. The small cloud of doubt was hiding the face of God from them. The rock is a beautiful portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ. Psa_61:2 says, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” That is Christ. Again the psalmist says, “And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer” (Psa_78:35). Then Peter tells us, “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed” (1Pe_2:6-8). Finally, the apostle Paul gives us this advice in 1Co_3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The Lord Jesus, as one hymn says, is “a Rock in a weary land.” Although this is a marvelous picture of Him as the foundationthe One upon whom we rest and the One upon whom the church is builta rock is the last place we go for a drink of water. I do not mean to be facetious, but you could not even get hard water from a rock. That would be like getting blood from a turnip or orange juice from a doorknob. You can admire a rock’s sterling qualities and durability. There are great lessons to be learned from it. You can test it and analyze it, but you cannot drink it.
Jesus is a Rock, but His beautiful life and durability will not save you. His teachings will not redeem your soul. His life and teachings are like polished marble which are engraved and, though you apply them to your life with Carborundum or optician’s rouge, they still won’t save you. The application of the principles taught by the Lord Jesus may polish you a little, but He is still the Rock against which you can dash your foot. You can fall on the Rock, Christ Jesus, for salvation, but no human effort is able to get water from this Rock. Only when the rock was smitten did it bring forth life-giving waters. Jesus was crucified, and nothing short of believing that He died in your place and bore your sins on that Cross will save you. The smitten rock is a picture of the death of Jesus Christ. In Numbers we are told a second time that the children of Israel complained that they had no water. The first time Israel murmured about being thirsty God told Moses to strike the rock and water gushed forth. In Numbers, however, God gives Moses different instructions. God tells Moses: “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: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink” (Num_20:8). Moses was to speak to the rock because the rock had already been smitten. Christ was crucified nineteen hundred years ago, and when He said on the Cross, “It is finished …” (Joh_19:30), it was indeed finished.
Christ does not have to be crucified again. God is satisfied with what Jesus did for you. The question is, “Are you satisfied with the work Christ did for you on the Cross?” He died to save you. All that God is asking is that you believe in His Son. From the Rock, Christ Jesus, come spiritual blessings today. The waters of blessing gush forth to relieve parched lips. Eph_1:3 informs us that, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” The Rock was smitten once and from it flows an abundance of water. The fountain is brim full. The stream is bank full. The world is not able to contain it. But in spite of that, there are many men’s souls that are shriveled up and tongues that are parched. Millions of people are dying for want of spiritual drink. The channel is blocked, log-jammed by doubts, corroded by sin, and insulated by indifference. The channel is also dammed by those who profess to know Jesus Christ but who in reality do not know Him. Friends, I am disturbed and distressed as I look about. The world is thirsty. I ask you personally and particularly, Have you been to that smitten Rock for a drink of living water? God says if you drink of that water you will never thirst again.
Exodus 17:8
CONTENTION WITH AMALEKDuring their wilderness march the Israelites ran into the Amalekites, who represent the flesh in Scripture. This experience is yet another lesson we would do well to learn. Amalek was a descendant of Esau, and the Amalekites had become enemies of Israel. They never ceased to be Israel’s enemies. For the first time the children of Israel engage in warfare.
Exodus 17:9
Esau was a picture of the flesh. As Israel could not overcome Amalek by their own efforts, neither can you nor I overcome the flesh by our own efforts. The flesh wars against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. Paul explains it in Gal_5:17, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” This is the picture we have in the wilderness as Israel and Amalek war against each other.
Exodus 17:11
Careful observation reveals that the battle was actually fought on top of the mountain. It was fought by prayer. This battle was not won by Israel’s fighting ability because they were not experienced soldiers nor adept at warfare yet. This battle was fought and won by Moses. The moment Moses was no longer able to hold his hands up, the children of Israel began to lose the fight. If it had not been for Moses, Israel would have lost the battle.
The important thing to remember is that the Holy Spirit is the only One who can give us victory over the flesh. Victory comes as the believer walks in the Spirit. When you and I act independently of the Spirit, Amalek, or the flesh, wins an easy victory. When Moses’ hands were held up, the Israelites won. You and I never will be able to overcome the flesh. It is only the Spirit of God who can do that.
Exodus 17:13
It is time to stop and consider this man Joshua. He is the one who is going to succeed Moses. We can see that he is already being prepared for this position. He is an ordinary man but God is preparing him for the task that is ahead of him. God instructs Moses to rehearse in the ears of Joshua that Amalek is to be destroyed. Now God is going to get rid of the flesh. Thank God for that. When the Lord takes the church to heaven, He will change it. 1Co_15:52 confirms this: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” If the Lord took the church to heaven as it is now, without changing it, heaven would be just like this old earth because we would wreck the place with our old natures. I have been dragging my old nature around like a corpse for years. I would like to get rid of it, and I have tried to get rid of it, but it keeps asserting itself again and again. Thank God that He has promised to get rid of Vernon McGee’s old nature one day. Those who belong to Christ will some day be changed and made fit for heaven.
Exodus 17:15
There are three important things to remember. First, God is going to get rid of Amalek. In other words, God is going to get rid of the old nature. Secondly, the Lord will never compromise with the old nature. He will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. The third important item is that this constant conflict will go on as long as we live in this life. The flesh and the spirit will always war against each other. Only the Holy Spirit of God can give us victory. We need to recognize this fact.