The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 64

Give man all of the world he asks for, and still his soul is deeply athirst. Ii1s increasing cry is, who will show us any good? (Ps. iv. 6). Learning does not satisfy this thirst ( ~~cclesiastes, Goethe's "Faust"). Pleasu1·es do not satisfy it (Byron's "Childe Harold"). Colonel Gardiner told Dr. Doddridge how, on one occasion when his companions were congratulating him on bis distinguished felicity, a dog happenin.,. to come into the room, he could not help groaning inwardly, and sayin~ to himself, "Oh, that I were that dog." Riches do not satisfy it. It is, however, when spiritual awakening comes, and the sinner is brought to realise his true condition as alienated from the life of God, that his thirst enters on the phase which makes satisfaction t•f it po~sible. It is now spiritual thirst-thirst for pardon, for holiness, for salvation. Note, in passing, how this deep-seated thirst of man testifies to his spiritual dignity. If man is merely a natural being-the highest of the animals-why does not nature satisfy him? Wb.y are all things thus full of labour-the eye not satisfied with iseeing, nor the ear filled with hearing (Eccles. i. 8)? The mere animal is easily satisfied, and returns into its rest. How different with man I His bodily com- forts may be every one attended to; his senses filled with grateful pleasures; his imagination fed with the most gorgeous images of beauty ; his intellect stored with the facts and laws of every department of finite science, but all does not slake the thirst of his spirit. His soul still cries, "Give, give; I want not this, nor this; give me living water, or which, if a man drink he will never thirst again." II. CHR[ST IS THE SATISFAGrION OF THIS THIRST.. He says-" If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" (John vii 37). He understands better than any one else the nature, causes, and intensity of our thirst, yet he promises to gratify it. And who that puts his word to the test is ever sent disappointed away? His salvation is found by every one that tries it, to have really this property of quenching spiritual thirst. He meets the special thirst of the sinful soul, by satisfying its desires for pardon and holiness. He meets the more fundamental thirst of our nature-the thirst for blessed life-by admitting us to fellowship with himself, the perfect embodi- ment of truth, purity, and goodness; by giving us a true end in our existence; by furnishing the soul, in the living God (1) with a spiritual object, congruous to its own nature; (2) with an adequate object, capable of filling and occupying all its powers; (3) with a living object, in communion with whom it specially attains to the blessedness of life eternal: finally, by imparting to us, in fullest measure, the influences of the Spirit, source of all light, joy, strength, and powers of holy obedience. !II. CHRIST SATISFIES THIS THIRST IN VIRTUE OF HIS HAVING BEEN SMITTEN. It WM only as a rock "smitten" that Jesus could yield waters of salvation to mankind. Atonement must be made for sins. The Christ must be smitten for the transgressions of the world. He came to &ave. He must appear as the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world (John L 29). Jesus was thus smitten in the garden and on Calvary. John notes how frC1m his WC1unded side there came forth the water and the blood (John xix. 34, 35). "Rock of Ages," etc. IV. THE WATERS OF CmusT'S SALVATION ABE FREE AND PLENTIFUL. 1. Free. "Ho, every one that thirsteth" etc. (Is. lv. 1), "Whosoever will" (Rev. :uii. 17). 2. Plentiful "Preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark xvi. 15).-J. O. Vers.1-7.-07,rist our Spring. "They drank of that spiritual rock," etc. (1 Cor. x. 4). Introduction may deal with the following important items, as all leadine; up to the theme of the homily-the journey from Sin to Rephidim (Num. x.xxiil. 12-14), the incidents connected with furnishing water out of the rock-the fact that the water may have followed Israel for at least a few stations-and ou that fact (not on the Rabbinical legend) found the New Testament application of the Apostle Paul-which justifies us in speaking here of Christ as The Eternal Spring of. Refmhmen.t to all belu:vers. Expound tbe connection of 1 Cor. x. 4; thus :-By passing under the cloud and through the sea "our fathers" were baptised unto ~?ses, committed to him as to_ a leader, they being his disciples. Thereupon two necess1t1es--bread and water-both in a spiritual sense fouud in Christ. Eveu in the desert the water came not so much from the rock, as from the Lord of the rock : i.e. Christ. L Tm: 11ouL NKKDB BEFREl!HHENT--i.e., not only food for strength, but Rpiritual CH, XVII. 1-i,) THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 67