"And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the
wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment
of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the
people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said,
'Give us water that we may drink.' And Moses said unto them, 'Why
chide ye with me? Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?'" (Chap. xvii. 1,
2.) Did we not know something of the humiliating evil of our own
hearts, we should be quite at a loss to account for Israel's marvelous
insensibility to all the Lord's goodness, faithfulness, and mighty
acts. They had just seen bread descending from heaven to feed six
hundred thousand people in the wilderness; and now they are "ready to
stone" Moses for bringing them out into the wilderness to kill them
with thirst. Nothing can exceed the desperate unbelief and wickedness
of the human heart save the superabounding grace of God. In that grace
alone can any one find relief under the growing sense of his evil
nature which circumstances tend to make manifest. Had Israel been
transported directly from Egypt to Canaan, they would not have made
such sad exhibitions of what the human heart is, and, as a
consequence, they would not have proved such admirable ensamples or
types for us; but their forty years' wandering in the desert furnishes
us with a volume of warning, admonition, and instruction, fruitful
beyond conception. From it we learn, amongst many other things, the
unvarying tendency of the heart to distrust God. Any thing, in short,
for it but God. It would rather lean upon a cobweb of human resources
than upon the arm of an omnipotent, all-wise, and infinitely gracious
God; and the smallest cloud is more than sufficient to hide from its
view the light of His blessed countenance. Well, therefore, may it be
termed "an evil heart of unbelief," which will ever show itself ready
to "depart from the living God."
It is interesting to note the two great questions raised by unbelief
in this and the preceding chapter. They are precisely similar to those
which spring up within and around us every day, namely, "What shall we
eat? and What shall we drink? We do not find the people raising the
third question in the category--"Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" But
here are the questions of the wilderness--"_What?_" "_Where?_"
"_How?_" Faith has a brief but comprehensive answer to all the three,
namely, GOD! Precious, perfect answer! O that the writer and the
reader were more thoroughly acquainted with its force and fullness! We
assuredly need to remember, when placed in a position of trial, that
"there hath no temptation taken us but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye
are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, [or,
an "issue"--εκβασιν,] that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Cor. x. 13.)
Whenever we get into trial, we may feel confident that with the trial
there is an issue, and all we need is a broken will and a single eye
to see it.
"And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, 'What shall I do unto this
people? they be almost ready to stone me.' And the Lord said unto
Moses, 'Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of
Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine
hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in
Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out
of it, that the people may drink.' And Moses did so in the sight of
the elders of Israel." (Ver. 4-6.) Thus all is met by the most perfect
grace. Every murmur brings out a fresh display. Here we have the
refreshing stream gushing from the smitten rock--beauteous type of
the Spirit given as the fruit of Christ's accomplished sacrifice. In
chapter xvi, we have a type of Christ coming down from heaven to give
life to the world. In chapter xvii, we have a type of the Holy Ghost,
"shed forth" in virtue of Christ's finished work. "They drank of that
spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." (1 Cor.
x. 4.) But who could drink till the Rock was smitten? Israel might
have gazed on that rock and died of thirst while gazing; but until
smitten by the rod of God, it could yield no refreshment. This is
plain enough. The Lord Jesus Christ was the centre and foundation of
all God's counsels of love and mercy. Through Him all blessing was to
flow to man. The streams of grace were designed to gush forth from
"the Lamb of God;" but then it was needful that the Lamb should be
slain--that the work of the cross should be an accomplished fact--ere
any of these things could be actualized. It was when the Rock of Ages
was cleft by the hand of Jehovah that the flood-gates of eternal love
were thrown wide open, and perishing sinners invited, by the testimony
of the Holy Ghost, to "drink abundantly," drink deeply, drink freely.
"The gift of the Holy Ghost" is the result of the Son's accomplished
work upon the cross. "The promise of the Father" could not be
fulfilled until Christ had taken His seat at the right hand of the
Majesty in the heavens, having wrought out perfect righteousness,
answered all the claims of holiness, magnified the law and made it
honorable, borne the unmitigated wrath of God against sin, exhausted
the power of death, and deprived the grave of its victory. He, having
done all this, "ascended up on high, led captivity captive, and gave
gifts unto men. Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also
descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended
is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might
fill all things." (Eph. iv. 8-10.)
This is the true foundation of the Church's peace, blessedness, and
glory forever. Until the rock was smitten, the stream was pent up, and
man could do nothing. What human hand could bring forth water from a
flinty rock? And so we may ask, What human righteousness could afford
a warrant for opening the flood-gates of divine love? This is the true
way in which to test man's competency. He could not, by his doings,
his sayings, or his feelings, furnish a ground for the mission of the
Holy Ghost. Let him be or do what he may, he could not do this. But
thank God, it is done; Christ has finished the work; the true Rock has
been smitten, and the refreshing stream has issued forth, so that
thirsty souls may drink. "The water that I shall give him," says
Christ, "shall be in him a well of water, springing up into
everlasting life." (John iv. 14.) Again: "In the last day, that great
day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 'If any man thirst,
let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the
Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water.' (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on
Him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that
Jesus was not yet glorified.)" (John vii. 37-39; compare, also, Acts
xix. 2.)
Thus, as in the manna we have a type of Christ, so in the stream
gushing from the rock we have a type of the Holy Ghost. "If thou
knewest the gift of God [_i.e._, Christ], ... thou wouldest have asked
of Him, and He would have given thee living water [_i.e._, the
Spirit]."
Such, then, is the teaching conveyed to the spiritual mind by the
smitten rock; but the name of the place in which this significant type
was presented is a standing memorial of man's unbelief.--"He called
the name of the place Massah [_i.e._, Temptation], and Meribah
[_i.e._, Chiding], because of the chiding of the children of Israel,
and because they tempted the Lord, saying, 'Is the Lord among us, or
not?'" (Ver. 7.) After such repeated assurances and evidences of
Jehovah's presence, to raise such an inquiry proves the deep-seated
unbelief of the human heart. It was, in point of fact, tempting Him.
Thus did the Jews, in the day of Christ's presence amongst them, seek
of Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him. Faith never acts thus; it
believes in and enjoys the divine presence, not by a sign, but by the
knowledge of Himself. It knows He is there to be enjoyed, and it
enjoys Him. Lord, grant us a more artless spirit of confidence!
The next point suggested by our chapter is one of special interest to
us. "Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses
said unto Joshua, 'Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek:
to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in
mine hand.'" (Ver. 8, 9.) The gift of the Holy Ghost leads to
conflict. The light rebukes and conflicts with the darkness. Where all
is dark there is no struggle; but the very feeblest struggle bespeaks
the presence of light. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other,
so that ye should not do the things that ye would." (Gal. v. 17.) Thus
it is in the chapter before us; we have the rock smitten and the water
flowing forth, and immediately we read, "Then came Amalek and fought
with Israel."
This is the first time that Israel are seen in conflict with an
external foe. Up to this point, the Lord had fought for them, as we
read in chapter xiv, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold
your peace." But now the word is, "Choose us out _men_." True, God
must now fight _in_ Israel, as, before, He had fought _for_ them. This
marks the difference, as to the type; and as to the antitype, we know
that there is an immense difference between Christ's battles _for_ us,
and the Holy Ghost's battles _in_ us. The former, blessed be God, are
all over, the victory gained, and a glorious and an everlasting peace
secured: the latter, on the contrary, are still going on.
Pharaoh and Amalek represent two different powers or influences.
Pharaoh represents the hindrance to Israel's deliverance from Egypt:
Amalek represents the hindrance to their walk with God through the
wilderness. Pharaoh used the things of Egypt to keep Israel from
serving the Lord; he therefore prefigures Satan, who uses "this
present evil world" against the people of God: Amalek, on the other
hand, stands before us as the type of the flesh. He was the grandson
of Esau, who preferred a mess of pottage to the birthright. (See Gen.
xxxvi. 12.) He was the first who opposed Israel after their baptism
"in the cloud and in the sea." These facts serve to fix his character
with great distinctness; and, in addition to these, we know that Saul
was set aside from the kingdom of Israel in consequence of his failing
to destroy Amalek. (1 Sam. xv.) And further, we find that Haman is the
last of the Amalekites of whom we find any notice in Scripture. He was
hanged on a gallows in consequence of his wicked attempt against the
seed of Israel. (See Esther.) No Amalekite could obtain entrance into
the congregation of the Lord. And finally, in the chapter now before
us, the Lord declares perpetual war with Amalek.
All these circumstances may be regarded as furnishing conclusive
evidence of the fact that Amalek is a type of the flesh. The
connection between his conflict with Israel and the water flowing out
of the rock is most marked and instructive, and in full keeping with
the believer's conflict with his evil nature, which conflict is, as we
know, consequent upon his having the new nature, and the Holy Ghost
dwelling therein. Israel's conflict began when they stood in the full
power of redemption, and had tasted "that spiritual meat, and drunk of
that spiritual Rock." Until they met Amalek, they had nothing to do.
They did not cope with Pharaoh; they did not break the power of Egypt,
nor snap asunder the chains of its thraldom; they did not divide the
sea, nor submerge Pharaoh's hosts beneath its waves; they did not
bring down bread from heaven, nor draw forth water out of the flinty
rock;--they neither had done, nor could they do, any of these things;
but now they are called to fight with Amalek. All the previous
conflict had been between Jehovah and the enemy. They had but to
"stand still" and gaze upon the mighty triumphs of Jehovah's
outstretched arm, and enjoy the fruits of victory. The Lord had fought
_for_ them; but now He fights _in_ or _by_ them.
Thus is it also with the Church of God. The victories on which her
eternal peace and blessedness are founded were gained, single-handed,
by Christ _for_ her. He was alone on the cross, alone in the tomb. The
Church had to stand aside, for how could she be there?--how could she
vanquish Satan, endure the wrath of God, or rob death of its sting?
Impossible. These things lay far beyond the reach of sinners, but not
beyond the reach of Him who came to save them, and who alone was able
to bear upon His shoulder the ponderous weight of all their sins, and
roll the burden away forever, by His infinite sacrifice, so that God
the Holy Ghost, proceeding from God the Father, in virtue of the
perfect atonement of God the Son, can take up His abode in the Church
collectively, and in each member thereof individually.
Now it is when the Holy Ghost thus takes up His abode in us,
consequent upon Christ's death and resurrection, that our conflict
begins. Christ has fought _for_ us; the Holy Ghost fights _in_ us. The
very fact of our enjoying this first rich spoil of victory, puts us
into direct conflict with the foe; but the comfort is that we are
victors ere we enter upon the field of conflict at all. The believer
approaches to the battle singing, "Thanks be to God which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. xv. 57.) We do
not, therefore, fight uncertainly, or as those that beat the air,
while we seek to keep under the body and bring it into subjection. (1
Cor. ix. 26, 27.) "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved
us." (Rom. viii. 37.) The grace in which we stand renders the flesh
utterly void of power to lord it over us. (See Rom. vi, passim.) If
the law is "the strength of sin," grace is the weakness thereof. The
former gives sin power over us; the latter gives us power over sin.
"And Moses said unto Joshua, 'Choose us out men, and go out, fight
with Amalek: to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the
rod of God in mine hand.' So Joshua did as Moses had said unto him,
and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top
of the hill. And it came to pass; when Moses held up his hand, that
Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But
Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him,
and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on
the one side and the other on the other side; and his hands were
steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek
and his people with the edge of the sword." (Verses 9-13.)
We have here two distinct things, namely, conflict and intercession.
Christ is on high _for_ us, while the Holy Ghost carries on the mighty
struggle _in_ us. The two things go together. It is as we enter by
faith into the prevalency of Christ's intercession on our behalf that
we make head against our evil nature.
Some there are who seek to overlook the fact of the Christian's
conflict with the flesh. They look upon regeneration as a total change
or renewal of the old nature. Upon this principle it would necessarily
follow that the believer has nothing to struggle with. If my nature is
renewed, what have I to contend with? Nothing. There is nothing
within, inasmuch as my old nature is made new; and nothing without can
affect me, inasmuch as there is no response from within. The world has
no charms for one whose flesh is entirely changed, and Satan has
nothing by or on which to act. To all who maintain such a theory, it
may be said that they seem to forget the place which Amalek occupies
in the history of the people of God. Had Israel conceived the idea
that when Pharaoh's hosts were gone their conflict was at an end, they
would have been sadly put about when Amalek came upon them. The fact
is, _theirs_ only then began. Thus it is with the believer, for "all
these things happened unto Israel for ensamples, and they are written
for our admonition." (1 Cor. x. 11.) But there could be no "type," no
"ensample," no "admonition," in "these things" for one whose old
nature is made new. Indeed, such an one can have but little need of
any of those gracious provisions which God has made in His kingdom for
those who are the subjects thereof.
We are distinctly taught in the Word that the believer carries about
with him that which answers to Amalek, that is, "the flesh"--"the old
man"--"the carnal mind." (Rom. vi. 6; viii. 7; Gal. v. 17.) Now, if
the Christian, upon perceiving the stirrings of his evil nature,
begins to doubt his being a Christian, he will not only render himself
exceedingly unhappy, but also deprive himself of his vantage-ground
against the enemy. The flesh exists in the believer and will be there
to the end of the chapter. The Holy Ghost fully recognizes it as
existing, as we may easily see, from various parts of the New
Testament. In Romans vi. we read, "Let not sin therefore _reign_ in
your mortal bodies." Such a precept would be entirely uncalled for if
the flesh were not existing in the believer. It would be out of
character to tell us not to let sin reign, if it were not actually
dwelling in us. There is a great difference between dwelling and
reigning. It dwells in a believer, but it reigns in an unbeliever.
However, though it dwells in us, we have, thank God, a principle of
power over it. "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not
under the law, but under grace." The grace which, by the blood of the
cross, has put away sin, insures us the victory, and gives us present
power over its indwelling principle.
We have died to sin, and hence it has no claim over us. "He that has
died is justified from sin." "Knowing this, that our old man has been
crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin." (Rom. vi. 6.) "And Joshua
discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." All was
victory; and Jehovah's banner floated over the triumphant host,
bearing the sweet and heart-sustaining inscription, "Jehovah-nissi"
(the Lord my banner). The assurance of victory should be as complete
as the sense of forgiveness, seeing both alike are founded upon the
great fact that Jesus died and rose again. It is in the power of this
that the believer enjoys a purged conscience and subdues indwelling
sin. The death of Christ having answered all the claims of God in
reference to our sins, His resurrection becomes the spring of power in
all the details of conflict afterwards. He died _for_ us, and now He
lives _in_ us. The former gives us peace, the latter gives us power.
It is edifying to remark the contrast between Moses on the hill and
Christ on the throne. The hands of our great Intercessor can never
hang down. His intercession never fluctuates. "He _ever_ liveth to
make intercession for us." (Heb. vii.) His intercession is
never-ceasing and all-prevailing. Having taken His place on high, in
the power of divine righteousness, He acts for us according to what He
is, and according to the infinite perfectness of what He has done. His
hands can never hang down, nor can He need any one to hold them up.
His perfect advocacy is founded upon His perfect sacrifice. He
presents us before God, clothed in His own perfections, so that though
we may ever have to keep our faces in the dust, in the sense of what
we are, yet the Spirit can only testify to us of what He is before God
for us, and of what we are in Him. "We are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit." (Rom. viii.) We are in _the body_, as to the fact of our
condition; but we are not in _the flesh_, as to the principle of our
standing. Moreover, the flesh is in us, though we are dead to it; but
we are not in the flesh, because we are alive with Christ.
We may further remark, on this chapter, that Moses had the rod of God
with him on the hill--the rod with which he had smitten the rock. This
rod was the expression or symbol of the power of God, which is seen
alike in atonement and intercession. When the work of atonement was
accomplished, Christ took His seat in heaven, and sent down the Holy
Ghost to take up His abode in the Church; so that there is an
inseparable connection between the work of Christ and the work of the
Spirit. There is the application of the power of God in each.