This letter has been delayed since my wife and I spent a refreshing long 4th of July weekend away enjoying the west coast of Florida.
I would like to share with you what Abba was showing me in a discussion I had with my wife on Shabbat, July 5th, for the Torah portion Chukat.
These opening verses were the basis for our discussion:
Bamidbar (Numbers) 20: 2 Now there was no water for the congregation and they assembled against Mosheh and against Aharon. 3 And the people contended with Mosheh and spoke, saying, “If only we had died when our brothers died before YHWH!" “Why have you brought up the assembly of YHWH into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 “And why have you brought us up out of Mitsrayim, to bring us to this evil place? – not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” 6 Then Mosheh and Aharon went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the esteem of YHWH appeared to them. 7 And YHWH spoke to Mosheh, saying, 8 “Take the rod and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aharon. And you shall speak to the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water. And you shall bring water for them out of the rock and give drink to the congregation and their livestock.” 9 And Mosheh took the rod from before YHWH as He commanded him. 10 And Mosheh and Aharon assembled the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Mosheh lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. And much water came out, and the congregation and their livestock drank. 12 But YHWH spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, “Because you did not believe Me, to set Me apart in the eyes of the children of Yisra’el, therefore you do not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (emphases added)
1 Corinthians 10: 1 For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were immersed into Mosheh in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed, and the Rock was Messiah. (emphases added)
All of us know that bringing forth water from a rock is a miracle. Shouldn't every miracle be seen as a deeply spiritual act? But, Shaul in his letter to the Corinthians even calls the Rock spiritual and refers to the Rock as Messiah. So what is Shaul attempting to communicate here?
The Rock
Moshe said to the people in Bamidbar 20:10, ".....Hear now, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” It is as if Moshe did not believe that YHWH could provide a miracle for such a rebellious people. Shaul implies that by Moshe striking the Rock, he was actually striking Messiah Himself! Because of this incident Moshe and Aharon were not allowed to enter the Promised Land, Eretz Yisrael. Here, we see that Aharon is his brother's keeper and was responsible to correct Moshe and show him the right way. Bamidbar 20:24 shows the consequence, “Aharon is to be gathered to his people, for he is not to enter the land which I have given to the children of Yisra’el, because you rebelled against My mouth at the water of Meribah."
The Water of Meribah
The water of Meribah first appears in Shemot (Exodus) 17:7 where Moshe at that time was instructed to strike the rock. Incidentally, Messiah, when He first came was struck, but when He comes again, He shall not stuck. Is this not playing out to be a prophetic scenario of our future redemption?
Meribah was a place of contention and strife and thus the name which implies a place of quarreling, provocation, or strife. But, Yisrael found themselves again in this place. The second time proves to be a place filled with contention that Moshe couldn't even endure. Yet, we are called to endure the hardships of the wilderness. As it says in Hebrews 3: 14 For we have become partakers of Messiah if we hold fast the beginning of our trust firm to the end, 15 while it is said, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” 16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Was it not all who came out of Mitsrayim, led by Mosheh? 17 And with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter into His rest, but to those who did not obey?
Kiss the Son
Shall we allow circumstances to dictate our behavior? Do we understand the greatness of our calling in Messiah Y'shua? How shall we treat the Son? The Psalmist also alludes to this treatment in Tehillim (Psalm) 2: 11 "Kiss the Son, lest He be enraged, And you perish in the way, For soon His wrath is to be kindled. Blessed are all those taking refuge in Him."
A Warning for Us In These Last Days
Messiah Y'shua is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We all may know someone personally who left Messiah in their pursuit of Torah "Truth". If we choose any other method to deal with sin or seek any other shepherd to lead us in the great redemption and in-gathering of all of Yisrael's exiles, are we striking the Son? Are we striking the Rock? Shall we only see Eretz Yisrael from a distance and not enter as Moshe? May it not be so Abba, may it not be so. Let us Kiss the Son!
Shavua Tov,
--
Tzefanyah Pappas
Chazak Chazak v’nitchazek
Let us be strong, let us be strong and let us strengthen (encourage) one another!
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