Why Christians Need to Receive Living Water from the Crucified Christ by "Taking the Rod" and "Speaking to the Rock"

 

Why Christians Need to Receive Living Water from the Crucified Christ by "Taking the Rod" and "Speaking to the Rock"

1 Corinthians 10:4 And all drank of the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual rock which followed them; and that rock was Christ.

Exodus 17:6 I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink. Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:8 Take the rod, and gather the congregation together, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and you shall bring forth water for them out of the rock, for the congregation and their livestock, to drink.

Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

 

Item	Receive Living Water from the Crucified Christ
Reason	• Difficulties among God's people arise from lack of living water (Spirit) • When lacking the Spirit of life, God's people encounter problems • With abundance of the Holy Spirit, difficulties are resolved
Method	1.      Taking the rod:  • Being united with Christ in His death  • Applying Christ's death to ourselves and our circumstances 2. Speaking to the rock:  • Speaking directly to Christ, the smitten rock  • Asking for the Spirit of life based on the fact that the Spirit has been given
Explanation	• Christ through crucifixion became the spiritual rock following His people • This rock is the resurrected Christ, the life-giving Spirit • Christ needed to be crucified only once; the rock doesn't need to be struck again • When we apply Christ's death and ask in faith, we will receive the living Spirit
Examples	Type in Exodus 17: • "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink." (Exodus 17:6) Lesson in Numbers 20: • "Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water." (Numbers 20:8)
Application	• Know and experience Christ's death in daily life • Ask Christ for the Spirit of life in faith • Let the Spirit of life become the full supply
Key Scriptures	Christ as the Spiritual Rock: • "And all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ." (1 Cor. 10:4) Christ as Life-giving Spirit: • "The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." (1 Cor. 15:45) Living Water: • "On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" (John 7:37-38) • "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." (John 19:34) Principle of One Offering: • "Who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself." (Heb. 7:27) • "But now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Heb. 9:26)

Conclusion:

Through faith and application of Christ's completed work on the cross, believers can continually receive the living water of the Spirit by taking the rod (identifying with Christ's death) and speaking to the rock (asking in faith), without needing Christ to be crucified again.

 

*Please refer to the July 2024 Anaheim, California, USA training Experiencing, Enjoying and Manifesting Christ (II) Week 16 Our Spiritual Food, Our Spiritual Rock, and the Contents of the Lord’s Feast