5th September 2025

5th September 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 17v1-7 focus v5-7)


Message (Alan Burke)


The Exodus is characteristic of salvation of God’s people throughout the ages. You might have got that already but it is a wonderful picture of the salvation we received. God acts on our behalf, redeeming us not from our slavery in Egypt but to sin. It is not something that we could have done our brought about, it is not something we have merited and then we are to live in response to what he has done. This was the pattern for Abraham, for Jacob, those in the wilderness, for us today. What the Lord has done for us should lead us to live in response to what the Lord has done for us by his free grace, according to his love. We respond by obeying his word, yes we are consecrated, made holy, redeemed, sanctified but we respond to what the Lord has done we live according to his revealed word to us. In these verses we have a foreshadowing of what Christ has done. You may be scratching your head but let’s work through it. 


Remember the Lord had been providentially leading his people, he was right there before them in the pillar of cloud, leading them on their way. We learn how they got to Rephidim which literally means resisting place and they quickly discover that there is no water. The Lord had been leading them, he led them there and yet there is no water and they turn on Moses yet ultimately their beef was with the LORD God’s himself. It is a good thing that I’m not the LORD because I’d have wiped these abstinent obstinate people of the face of the earth, probably having a rant at them pointing out how childish they are but the LORD does something else. 


As the Lord responded to Moses he tells him to take the staff that he had used to turn the water of the nile into blood and to hit the rock ahead of him just like he had hit the Nile with his staff bringing judgement upon Egypt. There the Lord would stand before the Rock at Horeb, a more literal translation would be “I will stand before there there on the rock”. In effect the Lord is taking the place, judicially he is coming before them, they have put him on Trial and he will take the place of the accused taking the punishment of the rod with the elders there gathered to be witnesses to it. Just as judgement fell upon Egypt God figuratively as he stood before them, taking the place of the accused and how he took the judgement that the people deserved as the rock was struck and water poured out for the people to drink. The Lord had shown himself to be trustworthy, he proved that he was the God of providence, the one who was able to provide for his people and that he was their protector. 


It was not the Lord who was guilty but the people but he stood in the place of the people as the accused and bore the judgment of the people. To understand the fullness of what God has done we need to turn to the New Testament as we close. 1 Corinthians 10 where Paul tells us; For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ (1 Cor 10:1–4). 


The Rock that was struck in the wilderness was Christ. We do not know how the Lord stood on the Rock there in the wilderness, it may have been the pre-incarnate Christ standing on the rock. Either way the LORD was showing his people his gracious provision and foretelling how Christ would come, how he would stand in our place, he would be accused for us, he would take the punishment that we deserve. In the wilderness the congregation of God’s people ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ and who has died for our salvation. Christ is our Rock. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q66 What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God’s glory, and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.
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