The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 67

comeB. From a rock. The smiting, of course, was simply a symbolic action, just~ the smiting of the water was. It was not as if some blow had been struck, suddenly open in er up a hidden reservoir. What God did here by smiting he commanded, at a later date t~ be done by speaking. (Num. xx. 8.) The water came, and was to be understood as comi~g, from a most unlikely place. Did we know more of the details, raore as to the kind of rock that was smitten and the way in which the water gushed forth, we might be even more deeply impressed with the miracle. It may not be going too far to say that no amount of excavating or tunnelling would have got water from that rock. He who turned the water to blood made water to flow from an arid rock in some altogether mysterious way. Doubtless many of the Israelites were beginning to think that it was with a rocky God they had to deal; a hard, unsympathising Deity; that, in short, they had exchanged a human Pharaoh for a Divine one. And so God shows them that even the rock holds unexpected, abundant, and exactly appropriate blessings. The rock at Meri bah was a good symbol of Jehovah for the time. He had already presented to the people much that waH in aspect stem and unyielding; and he would have to do this still more in the future. And yet in the midst of all necessary hardness, he took care to refresh his people with gracious comforts and promises. He who demands that everything shall be done in righteousness, truth, and profound reverence for his will, is by n~ means one of those tyrants who seek to reap where they have not sown. Rather does he take his people into circumstances seemingly the most unfavourable, seeking there to teach them how, if they only sow a spirit of faith, obedience, and expectation, they shall reap a sufficient and steady supply for all their daily wants. VI. OBSERVE THE NAME THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE PLACE. Massah and Meribah. These words did not so much mark the power and providence of God as the unbelieving, self-regarding spirit of the people. This they constantly needed to be reminded of. It might well happen that some of the more sanguine would say, "We shall never be unbelievers again; we shall go with confidence into any place whatever, whither the Lord may lead us." And so these warning names are fi.xed for them to look back upon. The unbelief of the people was not to be lost in the glory of the Divine action, as if it were a thing of no consequence. We cannot dispense with any recollection of the past, however disagreeable it may be, which keeps before us our own deficiencies, and impresses upon us the need of constant hu.mility.-Y. Ver. 7.-They tempted God in the desert. lllustratio-n. Child cries; parent sends for doctor; pleasant medicine is prescribed. Later the child cries again; cry is appa- rently addressed to parent, but real aim is to see if the doctor will give more pleasant medicine. Chiding with the parent is a cover for experimenting upon the doctor. Here-previous murmuring against Moses had resulted (xvi. 2-5) in food from God. 'l'he peopl~ would see whether like conduct might not lead to a like result ; they chode with Moses, but, in reality, they were tempting-trying experiments upon-God. Notice:- !. THE CHIDING (ver. 2). An outward manifestation of displeasure against the visible leader. Why should Moses have brought them, thirsting, to this barren anc inhospit- able spot? The fact that their journeys were "according to the co=a.:.dment of Jehovah" (ver. 1) is altogether forgotten or ignored. Not a rare offence: the people, displeased, blame the minister, quite forgetting that he has a IlllLSter other than them- selves. Churches are called Eben-ezers and the like; they might often as trwy be called Meribahs. The question which must be put in such cases is one not easy to answer : " Why strive ye with me 1" The answer is involved in that other question which few grumblers care to face-" Why do ye tempt Jehovah?" Chiding ea~ only be passed on with the motive which inspires it to its true ob.)8Ct; he who tnes to answer it otherwise does but stand in God's light, doing that which Joash declined to -io for Baal (Judges vi. 31), and which, with yet more reason, God's servants had best abstain from in his cause. H. THE TEMPTATION. The inner motive for the outward manifestation was to see whether God was really among them, and would indicate his. presence by support)ng bis servant. He had given quails and bread, would he now shield Moses by supplyrng the demand for water? Observe-I. The favourable side of the offence. The people remembered that God had helped, whence they inferred that he might help ai;ain. 70 THE IlOOK OF EXODUS. [en. XVII. 1-7.