August 15

And that Rock was Christ.—1 Corinthians 10:4.

THE passage which heads this exercise refers to a very interesting event in the history of the Israelites. When they had arrived at Rephidim there was no water for them to drink. Notwithstanding the goodness of the Lord which had been so graciously exhibited on many past occasions, the people began to blame Moses and to murmur against the Lord. Moses cried unto the Lord and God graciously heard his supplication, and commanded him to take the rod wherewith he smote the river, and to smite the rock, and water should gush forth to supply all the wants of the people: and this Moses did, and behold, a plenteous stream of the liquid of life was given, and God was glorified in the midst of the people. Such was the literal event, which was obviously intended to typify that provision of the waters of salvation, through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, "for that rock was Christ." It is clear that the condition of the people was one of extreme need: in a desert without water they must have speedily perished, and no human arm could avail them any thing under these circumstances. Such also is the spiritual state of our sinful world. Sin had turned the fair scenery of Eden into a dreary desert, a sterile wilderness. Those streams which once gave their crystal waters, had become, as it were, lost in subterraneous and inaccessible channels. Man was involved in all the wretchedness arising from spiritual thirst, and there was no created arm to rescue him from his perilous estate, or to supply him with the living stream. But God, who so graciously compassionated the thousands of Israel, and whose mercy alone spared that murmuring people, did, in the infiniteness of his grace, devise a glorious and ample remedy, that men might have an abundance of the water of life.