“I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus 17:6
The Story
Not long after leaving Egypt, the Israelites began to run out of food and complained to Moses, so God told Moses that He would rain down bread from heaven—Just enough for each day. The Israelites called the bread Mana, meaning, “What is it?”
While in the desert, the Israelites needed water, and they complained again to Moses. God told Moses to hit the rock, and water would come forth. So Moses did what God instructed, and sure enough, water came from the rock. [1]
Near the end of the Israelite’s journey through the desert, there was a similar circumstance, but God told Moses to speak to the rock this time instead of hitting it. Having grown frustrated with the people’s complaining, Moses hit the rock again instead of speaking to it as God instructed. Water still came from the rock, but God was not pleased with Moses’ disobedience. [2]
The Significance
According to Jewish tradition, the rock that gave water also followed the Israelites through the desert, which means that the first rock is the same as the second. Why is this important? Because Jesus is that rock, and the water is salvation [3]. When Moses was asked to hit the rock, it likely symbolized Jesus’ crucifixion [4]. When Jesus died on the cross, he declared that it was finished—No additional sacrifices would be required [5].
[1] Exodus 16:1-17 [1] Exodus 17:6; [2] Numbers 20:8-12; [3] 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, John 4:14, John 6:30-35; [4] Isaiah 53:4-5; [5] John 19:30, Hebrews 10:14