Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel.

“And take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

“Behold, I will stand before you there – the rock at 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.  Ex. 17. 5-6

 

“Pass before the people” – this was not to be done in secret, but as a witness to them, a demonstration.  Quenching their thirst was essential and God’s grace.  But they had a thirst they did not know they had:  to know God, His nature, and His power; and the certainty of God accomplishing His purposes.

God’s promise and purpose was not just to deliver Israel from bondage, not just to bring them out from Egypt, not just to free them from slavery and relieve them from oppression (as if this would not be enough).  God’s promise and purpose was to bring them in to His promise and provision, to the land promised and given to Abraham.

This was not merely a real estate bequeath.  It was so much more; it was relationship with God Himself.  While the pre-exodus record shows a familiarity and awareness of God, the result of growth from 70 sojourners to an entire nation, 420 years of slavery, deliverance, and the giving of the law, was the creation of a People whose existence and identity where inherently and inextricably intertwined with God Himself.  Even the name – Israel – means to wrestle with God.  Full body contact.  A contest to see who is stronger, whose will will prevail.

And so here is one of a very great many interactions where God not only shows Himself strong (water from The Rock) and merciful (quenching the thirst of a grumbling, ungrateful, unfaithful people), but personally present and involved.  And God wants the people to see this.  So He says to Moses to pass through and be public in doing what God commands Moses to do.

Moses is not to do this alone, but to take elders with him.  It was not enough that Moses’ action be public, it was also to be inclusive of junior leaders.  Millions of people could not gather around and see what was about to happen.  But 70 (if that was the number) could.

Moses had a hard time including other leaders.  He had to repeatedly be reminded to do so.  The next time is the next chapter, 18.  It happens again in Numbers 11.  We don’t see a lot of mentoring or leadership development by Moses of Aaron or Joshua, just passing references.

But elders were important.  There are some 42 references to elders in the Pentateuch.  And God specifically includes them in His plan to quench the thirst of the people.

The elders were present to affirm and report what God had done.  They were also being equipped.

God said He would stand before Moses.  God himself was The Rock.  I Cor. 10.4 says The Rock was Christ.  “On” does not seem to be part of the original text in Exodus.  God is not standing on Himself.  God Himself is standing before Moses.

And God says:  “Strike Me.”

What?  How does Moses not hesitate?  Strike God?  For the sake of water?  And so they – we – struck Jesus, and water and blood poured from His side.  Our deepest thirst was forever quenched.  Not just a thirst for forgiveness, but for God Himself.

The passage concludes with Moses naming the place “quarreling” and “testing” because the people tested God saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?  God answers decisively.  Yes.  Not only AM I here, I AM your source.  Strike Me.

God is among us.  God’s abiding, faithful presence is the greatest reality of all.  Thirst for water, though essential for life, is trivial.  Our real thirst, though we may not know it, is for God.  And in spite of our grumbling, testing and quarrelling, God shows up in the most powerful and personal way, and says “Here I AM.”  Strike me.  Waters of living water shall flow from Me.  You shall never thirst again.

Needs, longings, desires, hopes, even pain or life threatening thirsts drive us.  God knows this.  Don’t worry about what you will eat, drink or wear, says Jesus.  Your Heavenly Father knows you need these things.  These are elementary.  Jesus will supply these, but even greater, our spiritually parched condition of which we may not even be aware will also be quenched, drenched.

Look past the need of the moment.  See the Hand that holds the cup.  He comes to quench.  More importantly, He comes.

The needs of the moment that drive us and occupy our every thought fade away into insignificance as we look into His eyes.  He longs for so much more than to just quench our thirst.  He came that we would not merely have life, as if that were not enough, but to have it to the full.  Abundant.  He wants and longs for intimate relationship.  Not just our trust but our fellowship.

He promises and will accomplish eternal, kingdom purposes through us.  A divine partnership where He equips, anoints and sends, and we obey and bear much fruit that He intends.

We come thirsty and grumbling, testing God as to whether He is even present.  He responds full of grace not just to the immediate need but then way beyond to relationship and purpose.

We came just thinking we were thirsty.  God sends us out full of Him.