Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-09-14
THE SMITTEN ROCK.
LESSON XII, THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, SEPT. 10.

lCondensed from Lesson Helpef Quarterly, by
permission of Il. S. Hoffman, Philadelphia,
publisher.l
1. The first verse of our lesson finds the
people once more at Kadesh, just where we
left them in our last lesson xiii, 2G.
Thirty-eight years have passed since the
spies searched out the land, the forty years
from Egypt have now about expired (com-
pare Xxx, 2S, and xxxiii, 3S), Inc they are
again at the borders of the promised land.
OF the history of those thirty-eight years we
know almost nothing; 1t was time lost be-
cause of disobedience, and they have made
no progress. Here is brought before us q
weighty principle which we would do well to
consider. When Abram left Bethel and went
down to Egypt because Of the famine he was
out Of communion with God, and found only
trouble until he got back to Bethel. Gen.
xii, 10; xiii, 81 When he listened to Sarai
concerning Hagar, which was a suggestion
of the flesh, we find a blank in his life
of thirteen years. Gen. xvi, 10; xvii, ~ If
you would reconcile the apparent discrepancy
between the $50 years of l Kings vi, 1, and
the 513 years of Acts xiii, 1921, plus David's
40 and 8 Of Solomon, total 673, o have
only to add up the lost time of the captivities
of Judges lii, 8, IA; iv, Q, 8; vi, 1; xiii, /,
which gives you 93 lost years when the ma
ton was out of fellowship with God because
Of sin; this subtracted from 673 gives $50 and
proves both records correct. When we can
look at things from Gods standpoint we
shall find all the apparent contradiction in
Scripture vanish as mist before the sun. In
the law Of the Nazarite Num. vi, ~ when
ever he was defled by any uncleanness, the
days of his deflement were lost; SO every
day or hour in which we are not practically
separated to God is just time lost, for ell Is as
lost that is not done in fellowship with God.
9. "No water, = = they gathered
against Moses At Marah the bitter waters
had been made sweet, and at Rephidim
abundance of water had been brought from
the smitten rock for them lex XIV, xviii, but
they were so forgetful and unbelievtng.
3-5. "Would God that we had died"
Those who seem SO anxious for death are not
always the most ready when it comes; and
those who are really ready for that great
change are generally content to leave the
time and way to Him who orders all things
for the best to those who love Him "To die
is GAIN for all those who al truly say ''for
me to live is Christ To depart and be with
Christ is far better than such suffering as
Paul endured, and yet Paul was willing to
endure, knowing that 1.-THE sufferings Of this
present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us. "
6. "They fell upon their faces; and the
glory of the Lord appeared unto them. y"
Thus did Moses and Aaron, and this is our
wisdom in every difficulty. We rest on Thee,
o Lord our God. let not man prevail against
us! was the cry of Asa. o our God, we have
no might, neither know we what to do, but
our eyes are upon Thee was the prayer of
Jehoshaphat iii Chron. xiv, II; Xxx, ~, andi in
each case there was q great victory. More
humbling of self in the dust before God, and
whole hearted reliance upon Him, with a
readiness to do whatever He says or be still
and see Him work, will cause US more often
to see His glory.
Z, {. Take the rod, speak unto the rock. -
The orders were simple, and al that was re-
quired of Moses was simple and implicit
obedience to these orders and the results
would surely follow, just as the Lord said.
The rock had been smitten at Rephidim and
water in abundance had flown forth; that
water went with them, and if there vas any
deficiency in the supply it was because of
their sin, to prove them and lead them back
to Him, for He would AVE US draw our sup
plies from Him daily. Christ our rock has
been once snstten, once for all, and the sup
ply Of living water is abundant. Our sins
were laid on Him on Calvary; He made pro
p~itiation for the sins Of the whole world: He
now liveth to make intercession for all who
accept the forgiveness thus obtained. There
is no more laying sins on Him. nc more bruis-
ing of Him.: but If we transgress and the
stream Of grace runs low to US, we have only
to speak to Him in honest confession and
there shall be cleansing and restoration.
8. Moses took the rod from before the
Lord" After the rebellion Of Korah, Da-
than and Abiram, [ e rod of Aaron which
budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed
blossoms, and yielded almonds, all in one
night, was laid up before the Lord to be kept
for a token against the rebels and their MUIR
murings xvii, $40; this rod Moses was
to take in his hand as a witness against them
when he went forth to speak to the rock.
10. "Must we fetch you water out of this
rockf' Although they had been on their
faces before God, they still prove themselves
but weak and sinful mortals; the flesh, the
old man, is not reckoned dead, and the Holy
Spirit is grieved. AL the Moses and Aarcns
that ever lived could not fetch a drop Of
water of any rock, but God hath said;
'Speak, and it shall give forth his water"
The SUI gives its light and heat, and the
clouds give their rain, but all the philoso-
piers and scientists of the age cannot fetch
either light or heat from the sun or a drop of
idll tAC ~ ~ haS SAHtA " Ao
His Son, and in Him all blessings temporal
and spiritual for time n eternity. We have
only to open to Him that He may CONF in
and feast us with His ~fullness.
IL. "He smote the rock twice" a gracious
God would not let even this rebellious people
suffer because Of the sin Of His servant
Moees, and SO 1.-THE water came out abun-
dainty" One has said that "Grace
triumphed spite Of Moses failure" and is it
not just so every dayl Who is there that
serves God without SIM And yet He per-
mits such sinful messengers as we are to be
channels of blessing to others.
II. eye believed me not, to sanctify me-
The eyes of Israel were by the words of Moses
and Aaron directed to them, and not to the
Lord, as if Moses and Aaron were supplying
their need. 1t is written, Il am the Lord;
that is Ny name, and Ny glory viii l not
give to another lisa xiii, s., and again, "Hc
that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord
q Cor. i, 81. Whenever as teachers oil
preachers we allow the eyes of the people &c
rest on US or our talents or our wisdom we
are then failing to sanctify the Lord before
them and disQualifying ourselves TO be thell