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Scripture Reading: Num. 20:2-13, 24; 27:12-14; 1 Cor. 10:4, 6
In chapter twenty of Numbers there are two lines: the line of life and the line of the types. In this message I would like to give a word concerning the types.
According to the typology in this portion of the Word, water signifies the Spirit of life, or the life in the Spirit. Since the divine life and the divine Spirit are one, the water here signifies both life and the Spirit. The problem in Numbers 20 was due to the lack of the Spirit of life. This indicates that whenever God's people are short of the Spirit of life, they will have trouble. Most of the problems in the church life are caused by the shortage of the Spirit of life. If we have such a shortage, we will either blame others or contend with God.
In Numbers 20 we are shown the way to receive the Spirit of life. In verse 8 God said to Moses, "Take the rod, and gather the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes that it may yield its water." God's word to Moses indicates that we need to apply the death of Christ to our present situation. To "take the rod" is to apply the death of Christ to ourselves. In Exodus 17 the rod was used to smite, to strike, the rock. There, the rod was in the hand of Moses, who represented the law. Christ was smitten by the law; He was cleft in order that the Spirit of life might flow out of Him. Since the rock had already been smitten in Exodus 17, there was no need for it to be smitten again in Numbers 20. Christ, typified by the rock, should be crucified only once. In striking the rock a second time, Moses made a serious mistake. This act was against God's economy. In God's economy Christ should not be crucified more than once.
In 1 Corinthians 10:4 Paul, speaking of the children of Israel, says, "They drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ." This reveals that Christ has been crucified to become the rock which follows His people. We may say that He is the "following rock." This means that He is the life-giving Spirit, who is always with us to supply us with the water of life. Christ was crucified under the rod of the law, and now He is the following rock, the life-giving Spirit.
In order to meet our need for the Spirit of life, we should not ask Christ to be crucified again for us. We should simply take up the rod; that is, we should apply Christ's death to our situation. When we do this, we will experience the crucified Christ, the Christ who is emphatically presented by Paul in 1 Corinthians. For instance, in this epistle Paul says, "I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). Paul's word indicates that he took the rod, the death of Christ, and applied it to the Corinthians so that through Christ's death they could receive the Spirit.
Now that the Spirit has been given, there is no need for Christ to be crucified again that the living water may flow forth. To have the living water, we simply need to take the rod and apply it to our situation today. We also need to speak to the rock. Speaking to the rock is a matter of believing. Furthermore, speaking to the rock indicates that we have prayed, not in the way of begging but in the way of believing that the Spirit has already been given.
Through the crucifixion of Christ living water has flowed out of Christ. This is clearly revealed in John 19:34. "One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water." Today we need only to speak to the rock, and the water will flow again from the rock. We may say, "Praise the Lord that the Spirit is here!" This is to speak to the rock that the water may flow into us to be our supply. This is the way to apply the death of Christ to our situation that we may have the Spirit of life.
In our hymnal there is an excellent hymn with deep spiritual significance on the relationship between the cross and the Spirit (Hymns, #279). Stanza four of this hymn says that we must go through the Jordan before we can be anointed from above, that we must be baptized in death before we can experience the Dove. Here Jordan signifies death, and the Dove signifies the Spirit. If we pass through the river of death, we will receive the living Dove.
The problems in the church life are solved when we have an abundance of the Spirit of life. The problems between us and others and between us and God are due to our shortage of the Spirit of life. The reason we are short of the Spirit of life is that we are lacking in applying the death of Christ to our present situation. If most of the saints in a local church do not apply the death of Christ, that church will have many problems. But if we apply the death of Christ to ourselves, this application will bring in the living water to supply our need and solve our problems. Then, with our need supplied and our problems solved, we will live a victorious life in the church.
At this point I would like to say a further word concerning God's holiness and fairness in taking care of the necessities of His people. When God's people were contending for their necessities, God was not offended but was fair in taking care of these necessities. But when the people were lusting according to the flesh, God was angry with them. We may compare Him to a nourishing mother who sympathizes with the needs of her child. When her child cries out for milk, she will be sympathetic toward the child, cherish him, and supply milk to make him happy. This does not mean, however, that she loves her child blindly and does not discipline him when he is naughty. Concerning certain things the mother will cherish her child, but concerning other things she will discipline him.
A mother's care for her child is an illustration of what God is in His nature. It is God's nature to be fair. When His people were contending for food, He was not angry with them but supplied them with manna. When they were contending for water, He was likewise not angry with them but supplied them with water. However, when they were contending according to their lust, He punished them.
God is not only fair but also rich and bountiful. In his anger with the children of Israel, Moses surely did not remember that God is bountiful and that He can supply His people's need under any circumstances. Whether or not there is rain or water, He can satisfy the desperate need of His people for water.
God is fair, rich, bountiful, loving, kind, and gracious. In order to serve Him, we must know Him in all these aspects. Because He is fair, bountiful, and gracious, He has no problems with His people when they contend for food and water. Since He is not angry with His people when they contend for their necessities, those who serve Him should likewise not be angry with them in such a situation.
Serving God involves caring for God's people. Therefore, it is not sufficient for us simply to be right with God; we must also be right in our attitude toward God's people. Our attitude toward God's people should be according to God's nature. In Numbers 20 Moses should have had such an attitude toward the children of Israel. He should have realized that the people were in need of water. He should have also considered that since water is a necessity, God in His fairness would not be angry with His people but would instead supply them with water. They were not contending for their lust — they were contending for their need. In this matter Moses should have had regard for God's nature and should not have cared for his own feeling. Because Moses cared for his feeling and not for God's nature, he was offended and became angry. God, however, did not have a problem with His people on this occasion. In contrast to Moses, who was angry, God was fair, bountiful, and loving.
In this message I am especially concerned about the young saints, who have a long spiritual journey ahead of them. In order to complete this journey in a proper way, we need to know God in His nature, especially in relation to His people. Whether or not our service to the Lord is lasting will depend on our attitude toward His people. Our attitude toward the people of God must be according to God's holy nature. In order to be right in our attitude, we must know God's nature. We need to realize that in His nature God is fair, bountiful, rich in supply, loving, gracious, and merciful. Whenever we see something in God's people which, to our view, is not right, we need to consider the situation according to God's nature. If we do this, we will be right in relation to God's people. Otherwise, we will be wrong and fail to sanctify Him.
To sanctify God means to respect and have regard for His holy nature. God is altogether different from everyone. He is different not only from the false gods but also from every human being. Since God is different from everyone, we must not make Him common. We must not lower Him to our level. He is special and particular, and we must sanctify Him, considering Him according to what He is in His nature. Furthermore, our attitude toward God's people should not be according to our feeling and preferences but according to God's nature. Whenever we are about to deal with His people, we must be mindful of God's nature. Then we will be preserved from the serious mistake of failing to sanctify Him in what He is.
God has His economy, and His economy includes all His actions. The actions of God's economy are mainly related to Christ and to His Body, the church. Therefore, if we would act according to God's economy, we must have much consideration concerning Christ and the church.
Sometimes the situation in the church is not pleasant because among the saints there is much contending. What is the reason for this contending? The reason may be that the people of God are short of the living water, short of the Spirit of life. The way to deal with this shortage is to speak to Christ, for He is the rock that continually follows the church.
Having accomplished everything related to God's economy, Christ is now in the heavens and in us, waiting to be the supply to meet our need. To receive this supply, there is no need for us to beg or even to pray. We should simply speak a direct word to Christ as the smitten rock. We may say that this kind of speaking is actually the issuing of an order. Do you believe that you can order Christ to supply you with living water? We should all believe this, realizing that Christ is happy to hear this kind of command. As an illustration, consider once again the relationship between a mother and her small child. The child may say, "Mommy, I need water. Give me a glass of water." The mother is happy to meet the need of her children. In like manner, the Lord is happy to supply us with living water to meet our need.
In Exodus 17 Christ in crucifixion is typified by the smitten rock, and in Numbers 17 Christ in resurrection is typified by the budding rod. First, as the rock, Christ was struck by the rod in the hand of the law. Then, in resurrection, He became the budding rod, blossoming and bearing fruit. As the budding rod, He is present with us to be our supply. The main thing that now issues from Him for our supply is living water — the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit. Today we do not need to beg Him for living water or wait for Him to supply us with water. We just need to come to Him and say, "Lord, I need Your Spirit. Lord, give me the Spirit of life." We all need to know the Lord in this aspect, knowing Him according to God's economy.
The Pentecostal people do not know this aspect of the Lord Jesus. They think that to receive the Spirit we must wait on the Lord, perhaps with fasting. But according to the revelation in the Bible, such waiting is not necessary. Christ has accomplished everything for us, and, as the One who is both in the heavens and in us, He is ready to supply us. There is no need to wait on Him — He is waiting on you. He is waiting for you to speak to Him, saying, "Lord, give me Your Spirit." As soon as you speak to Him in this way, you will receive the Spirit of life.
The rock in Numbers 20 signifies the crucified and resurrected Christ. Such a Christ is the ready Christ. He is ready to give you whatever you need. You need manna, and He is the manna. You need living water, and He is the living water. Tell Him to give you what you need. He is waiting for you to do this.
Whenever we speak to Christ as the rock, telling Him to give us living water, we must have the rod in our hand. This means that as we speak to the rock, we must apply the death of Christ to ourselves and realize that we are crucified persons. Christ was crucified, and we should be identified with Him in His death. If we do not apply the death of Christ to ourselves, the supply of living water will not come. Let us take the rod and keep it in our hand and say, "Lord Jesus, I apply Your death to myself, and I ask You to give me Your Spirit."
Applying the death of Christ to ourselves as we ask Him for the Spirit of life is altogether according to God's economy. However, not many Christians, including those among us, know God's nature and economy to this extent. For this reason, most believers do not know what is revealed in chapter twenty of Numbers. May our eyes be opened to see what this chapter indicates concerning God's nature and economy! May we see that our attitude toward God's people must be according to His nature, and may we also see that, in God's economy, the way to receive the living Spirit as the supply of life is to apply the death of Christ to ourselves and then simply ask for the Spirit of life.
