“Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank” (Num. 20:11).
God’s supernatural reality defines His transcendental operations. It is used to explain God’s action outside the purview and realms of nature. When the mechanism of divine force meets the natural force, it produces an effect known as the supernatural. In this direction, God who is the supernatural controls the forces of nature, and can by deliberate choice pass through them to establish His divine order, and confirm His power over them. The events of God and His extra-ordinary intervention in human affairs affirm His supernatural works which are beyond the comprehension of mortals. It is not subjected to natural interpretations, neither is it subject to natural law. This is what makes God who He is and places Him above all earthly elements.
Our text above confirms God’s supernatural activity among the children of Israel. It is important to note that 40 years earlier, the Lord had instructed Moses to take the same staff he had used to strike the Nile (Ex. 17:7) to strike the rock at Horeb to initiate a flow of water. Now, 40 years later, at the place of Israel’s worst act of rebellion, the scene was recurring.
Our God is not a product of mental imagination; He is a historical God, always active in the history of human activity. His historical nature confirms the authenticity of His works. Though His works are supernatural, He also upholds moral order and does not tolerate rebellion.
The people of Israel desired water amid their desert experience. Then the Lord, in response to their desire, compassionately instructed Moses to speak to the rock with the aid of his staff, through which God had performed wonders in Egypt and in the desert all these years.
Moses was merely to speak to the rock and it will pour out water for the people. Regrettably, Moses acted in disobedience to God by striking the rock twice with his staff. Moses’ action could depict lack of trust in God, as though he believed that a word alone would not suffice. The significance of speaking to the rock while the people watched for abundant yield of water was to kindle faith in their heart that by mere utterance of word, God can do something (that there is power in the spoken word). By this act of disobedience through Moses, God’s holiness was offended and profaned, for he had not shown proper deference to God’s presence.
However, despite the above negative action of Moses, God manifested His faithfulness to the people, a prove that man’s unfaithfulness shall by no means stop God’s faithfulness (Rom. 3:3).
What is important in this passage is that the God of Israel, and by extension the God of Nigeria, is the God of providence. His acts and provisions are not tied to natural law. He goes all out to defy natural rules to satisfy His people. Just as He defied the geographical order of the wilderness (desert) for the sake of Israel, God will defy every debilitating challenge of your life to give you the desires of your heart. For your sake, He will cause the sun to stand still, until you are done with your exploits.
The flow of water in Meribah is symbolic in many ways:
1. It shows God’s supernatural ability to do a thing anytime, anywhere.
2. It is an indication or confirmation that God is able to suspend existing protocols to bless His beloved children.
3. It shows God’s refreshing grace on His people when everything is dry.
4. It is an overflow of mercy, love, joy, peace and protection of God to His people.
5. It shows that no situation is hopeless until God says so. The hopelessness of situations is the hopefulness of God in everything.
Friends, I do believe God that, as we traverse the days in the month of July 2014, God’s reign of love, mercy and blessings shall overflow. The flow of His grace for us shall be unstoppable. This is indeed a season of “supernatural release”. The same God that released water from the rock at Meribah shall surely release fresh glory upon your life. He will provide solution to all your problems.
Most importantly, the greatest rock from where provisions are derived is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 10:4). He will abundantly exceedingly do all that your heart can think or imagine. He is a supernatural God and He will supernaturally sustain us, and continually provide for us.
God is truly faithful.