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portion contains the “Song of Moses.” Often people talk about the song
of Moses as mentioned in Revelation 15, where it speaks of “those who have the victory over the beast…sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb…” But
most people don’t realize that the song of Moses spoken about in
Revelation 15 is the song of Moses we read in Deuteronomy 32. As we observed last week, this song was to be a witness against Israel as a reminder to them, to bring them back to God. If you read through this chapter it can seem rather depressing up until near the end, when we finally find God declaring His plan of redemption for His people, even when they stray. But what we might miss, is all throughout this chapter, we read of “the Rock.” Psalm 78, a Psalm of Asaph gives us more insight into this “rock.” Asaph says he is writing this Psalm as a reminder to coming generations of all that God had done for Israel. He then proceeds to tell of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt and their wanderings in the wilderness. This where he mentions “the rock.” Verses 15 and 16 tell us, “He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.” In this Psalm, it tells us God brought water out of the “deep places,” as “running waters” (living waters) from the rock, causing water to “descend” like “streams.” (Words inside quotation marks are translated straight from Hebrew) |
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In 1 Corinthians, Paul explains to us that this actually was no ordinary rock that followed Israel through the desert, he explains that Israel “…drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Messiah.” What do we understand here? That it was the Messiah who followed Israel through the desert. It was the Messiah who provided “running (living) waters” for His people when they thirsted. I think this may help us better understand the words of Yeshua when He spoke with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. He said, “Whoever drinks of this [earthly] water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst…the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Yeshua is “the Rock” from which living waters flow. When we drink from the water He provides, it becomes in us a “fountain of water” which leads to everlasting life. As He proclaimed in John 7, right around this time of the year, during the festival of Sukkot, at the water libation ceremony in the Temple “‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me…Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’…this He spoke concerning the Spirit…” This was Yeshua’s invitation to mankind, He desired for all men to come to Him, because He is, as King David wrote “the rock of [our] salvation.” Peter, disciple of Yeshua, understood this concept of becoming a “living stone” just as Yeshua is. He writes in 1 Peter 2, “[Come] to Him (Yeshua) as to a living stone… chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house…” When we hearken to Yeshua’s words in Matthew 7, “…whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” and when we recognize that He is the “chief cornerstone” that we build upon, it opens our eyes to the reality of us as “living stones”actually being built up into a “spiritual house” for God to dwell in. Too often, though, we find ourselves in the place of Israel, as we read on in chapter 32. Instead of building upon the rock of our salvation, we, as did Israel, “scornfully esteem the Rock of his salvation…Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful…” Instead of recognizing Yeshua, “the rock,” as our salvation, too often we forget and scorn Him. It may not even be purposeful. But how important is it to us, to build everything in our life on Him—the solid rock? As we continue to read in chapter 32, “…their rock is not like our Rock…” This is the response of Israel’s enemies when they come to the realization that their “rock” or “gods” are not like Israel’s Rock—Israel’s God. Yet, Israel will still leave their Rock and follow after “wood and stone.” But when God is involved in a story, there is always a promise of redemption. It is the same with this song as well; Even though Israel will leave their “Rock” and follow after non-gods of wood and stone, at the end of it, God makes a promise, saying “Rejoice, O…His people; For He (God) will avenge the blood of His servants…He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” It says something very similar in Ezekiel 36, but something is included, which we don’t read in Deuteronomy 32, though it is implied. God says, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.” Ezekiel tells us that the idols will be gone! All the wood and stone, silver and gold, and all the rest of everything that people have put their trust in, will be removed. Then it says, that God will give us new hearts and put renewed spirits within us. Through the atoning work of Yeshua for His people and His land, we can find freedom from the “stones and rocks” we hold onto that are not “gods.” Instead we can become more like our Master Yeshua, who was a “living stone” that brought forth “living water” for thirsty souls in the desert. We can become “living stones” bringing forth “springs of living water” for the parched and desperate people of the world. |
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As we transform to be more and more like Yeshua, we should be bringing refreshing “still waters” (Psalm 23) to the lives of those around us, through God’s word. As we read in this portion, “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today…—all the words of this law…because it is your life” God’s word is our life. How silly it would be of us, to turn to other “rocks and stones” when the only “Rock” that ever brought forth living water is Yeshua, the one inside us, who causes us as “living stones” to bubble up with “fountains of living water.” Today and going forward, do not strike the “Rock” as Moses did in the wilderness, instead, build your foundation—your life upon “Yeshua, the solid rock… for all other ground is sinking sand.” And as you build your life upon this solid foundational rock, don’t forget to be a voice crying out to the world… “Come! Let him who thirsts come…[and] whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22) Even so, come Lord Yeshua. Shabbat Shalom, Samuel |
