I'm taking from this story, lessons for us
for the now word right now, because we are about
to have Jesus come back for us!
Amen.
You can see all the signs!
It's very clear now.
I mean, even people in the world are saying:
“Is it all coming to an end?”
So, during this epic of times that we are living in,
God wants us to know that we are exactly where
the children of Israel is— in the 40th year, just before
they entered the promised land.
Always remember this: God did not bring you out
to remain out in the wilderness.
The wilderness is an interim period.
God brought you out to bring you in.
God brought you out of darkness to bring you
into His marvelous light.
God brought you out of bondage to bring you
into His glorious liberty.
God brought you out of sickness into His glorious
health and wholeness.
God brought you out to bring you in.
Amen.
So, God wanted to bring them— God brought them out of Egypt
but God wanted to bring them into the land flowing
with milk and honey.
But because of their unbelief, you all know the story
at Kadesh Barnea.
And what happened was that they could have
actually entered the land in a much shorter time.
Amen.
Within the year, actually.
But instead of that, because of their unbelief,
they wandered for 40 years.
Because of their rebellion, they wandered for 40 years
in the wilderness.
So, they are now in the wilderness
and this is what they said.
It commends, actually, with the death of Miriam.
And now, they said: ““Why have you brought up”
“the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness?”
“And why have you made us come up out of Egypt,”
“to bring us to this evil place?”
“It is not a place of grain or figs or vines”
“or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.””
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,”
““Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron,””
“Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron.”
Notice that there is a specific instruction that
God gave to Moses.
The people complained that there was no food,
no grain, no figs, no vine and no water.
But instead of God rebuking the people,
and instead of God judging the people—
I want you to see, I want to show you something
because we are talking about God's heart,
and God’s mind.
And in here, God tells Moses: “Take the rod;”
“you and your brother Aaron.”
And it was very obvious to them what rod
God was talking about.
God was talking about the rod of Aaron.
Now, Aaron and Moses are brothers.
Okay?
Now, they both have rods.
All the leadership, all the patriarchs and all that,
all the leaders of the clans and the tribes,
they all have a rod.
Amen.
In fact, every head of the family will have a rod and they will
put notches on the rod for landmark events in their lives.
And it is passed on to their sons and their sons
will carry the same rod.
But Aaron is a high priest.
So his rod— remember his rod?
In Numbers 17, there was, again,
a murmuring among the people of Israel saying:
“Why should Aaron be the leader?”
“Why should he be the high priest over us?”
So, God said: “Okay, all you leaders”
“of the twelve tribes, each of you bring your rod.”
So they brought all the twelve rods together,
including Aaron's rod.
Moses put all the rods in the tabernacle.
And after a night, they all came to collect
their rods and only one rod budded and blossomed.
Amen.
Aaron’s rod budded and blossomed.
It brought forth almonds.
You know, in Israel, one of the things
you learn when you study the fruits in Israel—
which is a very interesting and fruitful study—
is you’ll find that the almond is the first fruit
to show itself after winter.
Amen.
It is the first ripe fruit to say that winter
is coming to an end.
Amen.
And it is the Hebrew word for “watch”.
It is the first fruit!
It's a picture of Jesus Christ, our High Priest,
who rose from the dead!
How can a rod that is cut off from its source—
It’s a dead rod in the natural, right?
How can it bud and blossom?
Because of the power of resurrection.
Amen.
So Jesus rose from the dead with resurrection life!
Amen.
Only the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
can bring us through and out of the wilderness!
Amen.
Now Moses’ rod—do you remember Moses’ rod?
The rod that he threw on the ground
which became a serpent?
And when he picked it up, it became a rod again?
That rod is the one that God used earlier.
In Exodus 17:5-6— this is the first year of
the wilderness experience— “And the Lord said to Moses,”
““Go on before the people, and take with you”
“some of the elders of Israel.”
“Also take in your hand your rod with which”
"you struck the river"" Now, why did God say:
“Take in your hand your rod with which"
“you struck the river,” Why mention the river?
So that we all know it is a rod of judgment.
Because with that rod of judgment,
Moses turned the river into blood
which speaks of judgment and death.
So the rod is a rod of judgment.
It is a rod of authority.
It is a rod of the law.
Amen.
It is a rod that brings penalties.
Amen.
And in this case, it was used on Egypt.
To execute judgment on Egypt.
Amen.
So take the rod, “your rod by which”
“you struck the river,” and God says:
““I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb;”
“and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it,”
“that the people may drink.””
Now, let's establish once and for all
the rock is a picture of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 10:4, it tells us:
“For they drank of that “spiritual Rock”
“and that Rock was Christ.”
So that is very clear.
Amen.
So the Rock was Christ.
In the beginning, God told Moses to smite
and hit the rock.
Amen.
That’s a picture of Jesus on the cross.
Amen.
He was smitten by the rod of God's judgment.
Amen.
Because He was carrying our sins.
Friend, He has no sin.
He did no sin but He was carrying our sins.
And the rod of the judgment of God fell on Him.
Once He is smitten, rivers of life can
come to you now.
Amen.
You and I.
Because He died for our sins.
So sin is no longer a barrier in your life,
to all the goodness, all the refreshment,
and all the blessings of God in your life.
Amen.
The salvation of God comes fully and
totally unhindered to you and your families.
Amen.
Why?
Because Jesus took your judgment.
It is like God's heart is opened up judicially
and righteously.
He is glorified.
Not just satisfied!
What Jesus did at the cross is much more.
God is glorified.
Hallelujah.
Praise God.
So once is enough!
The Bible says that once Jesus had done it—
the words: “one sacrifice"
"for sins forever”.
Amen.
And “He once died, having purged our sins”
“once and for all”.
All these words mean— the Greek word “ephapax”
once and for all.
You cannot repeat the death of Jesus.
This happened in the first year of their
wandering experience.
In Numbers 20 just now, we read that it is the 40th year,
the last year, just before they entered the land.
Back to this story again, we see here that God is about
to do something that is not common.
And notice what God said: “gather the
congregation together.”
“Speak to the rock before their eyes.”
Not smite.
“Speak to the rock before their eyes.”
“And it will yield its water.”
In the Hebrew, it says: “He will yield His water.”
Speak to the rock!
Now, by the way, just to let you know this.
During the commencement of the wilderness journey,
the smiting of the rock, God told Moses to smite the rock
because it's a picture of Jesus Christ,
smitten once and never to be smitten again.
And the word “rock” there in the beginning, previously,
is the word “tsur”.
“Tsur” refers to a large boulder.
A large boulder.
Over here, at the end of their journey, alright,
the word “rock” is different from the previous one.
It is the word “sela”.
“Sela” refers to a cliff.
A cliff.
Why is it no longer a boulder?
Because Jesus is risen from the dead.
He's at the Father's right hand, far above all principality
and power, might and dominion.
And He's there for you.
He's not there for His own benefit.
He is there for your benefit.
For the benefit of your families.
Amen.
He is there for you and I, He is there for us, representing God.
Amen.
Representing you and I before God.
Hallelujah.
He's there for us.
He is for us.
“If God has given us salvation which is the greatest”
“of all blessings.”
“How will He not with Him (our High Priest),”
“give us freely all things.”
Amen.
So God says: “Take the rod of Aaron and I want”
“you to do this, Moses.”
“Stand before the “sela”, the high cliff and”
“hold the rod of the high priest.”
Right?
In fact, it wasn't Moses who would be holding it.
It would have been Aaron.
Both of them.
God said: “Both of you, stand.”
Amen.
Both of you.
You and your brother, Aaron.
And Aaron would be holding it and God wants to demonstrate
what grace is like.
You don't have to beat the rock again.
Just speak to the rock and it will give you its water.
You don’t have to ask Jesus to come down
and die for you every time you commit a sin.
You don't have to ask Jesus to come down and die
for your sickness or whatever disease you may be having
in your body right now.
Jesus took that disease in His own body 2000 years ago.
And what is required from you right now, is to just to
speak to Him and tell Him: “Lord, You are my healer.”
“Lord, You are my redemption.”
“Lord, You are my wisdom.”
If you need wisdom.
“Lord, You are my redemption.”
“Lord, You are my hiding place, my protection.”
“You are my provider, my Yahweh Yireh,”
“my Jehovah Jireh.”
“You are the one that provides for me.”
Just speak to Him!
Whatever you need, speak to Him!
You only have to speak.
You don't have to hit Him again.
You don't have to have Jesus come down and die
on the cross again.
Friend, what is it with you today?
What are you faced with?
Do you know that you're a child of God
and God loves you?
Amen.
That whatever needs you may have,
it is not as if God doesn't care
or God is oblivious to it.
God wants to demonstrate to you the rod and the Rock.
God wants to show you how Christ is enough.
But so often, we forget.
And our words demonstrate that we forget.
Amen.
We'll say: “Where is God in all this?
“How come God didn’t come through for me?”
You know?
And all the while, God is presenting
to you the High Priest.
He is presenting to you, when He says:
“Take the rod, take the high priest rod,”
“the high priest staff.”
Our hearts should leap for joy.
He is saying to you: “The provision is coming.”
Because you have a High Priest.
It's not like you don't have a High Priest.
You have a High Priest.
And because you have a High Priest,
good things are coming your way.
Amen.
You might be in trouble, but that trouble is temporal.
Amen, friend.
You have a High Priest.
Therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace
to obtain mercy and find grace
to help in time of need.