That Rock Was Christ

I play a fair amount of Scrabble. It’s a game played against one or more opponents, where you receive tiles at “random” and then make words to score points. To score high in Scrabble it helps to have a good vocabulary but also a strategic knowledge of the game. Sometimes though, it seems like what’s most important in winning Scrabble is “randomly” drawing the best tiles.

This can be very frustrating, particularly in games against a quality and competitive foe. I hit a losing streak, the streak coincides with the terrible letters I have been drawing, and I get angry.

It’s as if I believe I’m being treated unfairly. But who am I angry at in reality? The game? My opponent? “Random” forces of chance that aren’t favoring me?

Proverbs 16:33  says The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. 
In other words, there are no “random” forces. My grumbling is ultimately at God and it reveals that I believe HE is treating me unfairly.

Isn’t this true of all of our grumbling? Our complaint is really with God who has, at a minimum, allowed our circumstances and we believe we deserve better.

In Exodus 15-17, just days after God has miraculously delivered them from their enemies by parting the Red Sea, the Israelites take to grumbling. It’s even more disgusting when you realize that their grumbling leads to rebellion. That’s the direction our complaining always goes. It’s no small thing. I tend to read this account very self-righteously until I realize that I do it too. I take lightly God’s deliverance in my own life, forgetting the glory of it, forgetting to give thanks for what I do have and groaning about what I don’t have.

God would be completely just to wipe such whiners out right on the spot. In fact, his justice demands such ungrateful rebellion be punished. This makes the account of Exodus 17 even more spectacular.
 
The grumbling of the Israelites is an accusation against God. It feels like courtroom drama. God is on one side. Israel on the other. Moses is the judge figure with his staff. 17:5 reminds us that this is the staff used to bring judgment on Egypt. Tim Chester draws this out in his book on Exodus – “We know that Israel are guilty and deserve to be condemned. We know that God is innocent and deserves to be vindicated.” In verse 6, God tells Moses to “Strike the rock”, which is where God is standing.  Chester again -  “Moses brings down the rod of judgment on …. God. God takes the judgment that his people deserve – and as a result , blessing flows to the people, as the water comes out from the rock to quench the people’s thirst.”

Christians, we have a fuller picture of what was happening. “That rock was Christ.”

1 Corinthians 10:4 “.... For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” The account at Massah in Exodus 15-17 was a foreshadowing of the cross. At the cross, another courtroom drama. Guilty humanity on one side. The sinless Son of God on the other. Jesus Christ. Described in many passages throughout Scripture as The Rock. And God the Father said “Strike the rock” as his judgment fell on Christ.
 
Again, God’s judgment was poured out on the Rock so that his blessings flow to his people. So may we keep our trust in the one who spared not his own son (Romans 8:32), and give thanks.