Event
The Smitten Rock
Water from the struck rock
The shadow (Old Testament)
At Horeb, the LORD told Moses, "Strike the rock, and water will come out of it" (Exodus 17:6). Years later at Meribah, Moses struck the rock again when he had been told only to speak to it (Numbers 20:8-12) — and he forfeited entry into the Promised Land over it. The way Moses handled the rock mattered.
- Exodus 17:1-7— Strike the rock
- Numbers 20:7-12— Meribah — speak to the rock
The substance (Christ)
Paul makes the connection explicit: "they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4). Christ was struck once for our sin. From that moment on, we don't strike Him again — we speak to Him in prayer, and living water flows (John 7:37-39). Moses' mistake at Meribah was blurring the line between the two.
- John 7:37-39— Rivers of living water
Apostolic commentary
The New Testament writers — especially Hebrews — explain this type:
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-4— The Rock was Christ
Take it in
Christ was crucified once for all (Hebrews 9:28). You don't need a fresh crucifixion — you need to ask.