And did you notice the Scripture says “rivers” of living water rather than a “river” of living water? Can you imagine this incredible change and exchange from evil coming out of our hearts to receiving the Spirit and now what comes flowing out is; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:19-23)
Here’s an illustration from the Old Testament that clearly shows how the Spirit flows from the cross of Jesus Christ.
Exodus 17:1-3 ESV All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
Question 7: What were the people complaining about? Please list as many things as you can here:
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Exodus 17:4-6 ESV So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Question 8: What was the Lord’s solution to the quarreling, demanding and complaining of the Israelites? Please share here.
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The Israelites were quarreling and complaining in the wilderness. Here is their sinful condition clearly displayed:
The people quarreled with Moses
They demanded water
They tested the Lord
They questioned the Lord. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt?”
They charged the Lord with doing evil. “To kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
They were ready to stone Moses
But notice the amazing solution! The one solution for the thirst, demanding and quarreling of the Israelites (their sin) was to strike the rock, and water would come out of it for the people to drink.
Dear friend, Jesus is The Rock that was struck (1 Corinthians 10:4), and His very life was opened up on the cross and poured out for you and I. Jesus bled from His head, His hands, and His feet. From His side, water and blood flowed to cleanse, forgive, remove our sin, wash and quench our thirst. The cross is the fountain opened up, it is where we can drink and our thirst will finally be satisfied and our sins forgiven (Zechariah 13:1).
The cross is where all of our sins are met in one place, and they were all crushed in Jesus’ flesh. As He was poured out like water on the cross (Psalm 22:14) He satisfies the thirst of those who come to the cross, look to Jesus and believe in Him. “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4 ESV).
Question 9: Please share your thoughts about Jesus, The Rock that was struck, His very life poured out to death to quench the thirst of The Church with the Spirit.
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John 4:14 ESV but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
This is how lives are forever changed. This is how hard hearts that once had evil lodged in them are set free by the love Jesus poured out on the tree. And this is how we reach The Church with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The cross has the power to change hearts, forgives sins, free us from sins power, enabling us to receive the river of living water within us through the Spirit He has given us.
listen to the following podcasts where Mike and Erick discuss lesson 7: