That Rock was Christ

In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul makes this statement: ‘That Rock was Christ.’. He’s speaking of the Rock that the children of Israel obtained water from in their journey to the Promised land, first mentioned in Exodus 16 and the second time in Numbers 20. He refers to this Rock as being a type of Christ. It was the source of water for all the people of Israel, God’s people. It was in essence, the source of life, for they had run out of water and without it would perish.

Paul doesn’t spend long on the typology of the Rock, though he no doubt could have. Today, let’s pause for a moment to examine the Rock and it’s parallels with Christ and the Church.

The Rock	Christ
gave the people life through the provision of drinkable water	provided life through the payment of sin at Calvary
smitten the first time to give water (life)	smitten to give life
Moses (a type of Christ) smote the rock (a type of Christ)	Jesus laid down his own life (John 10:18)
once the Rock had been smitten once, it was not to be smitten again, but rather spoken in order to access the water	once He had been crucified, the way to access God is found through the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues)
the Rock ‘followed’ the people	Christ is with His people wherever they may be at all times

It’s a fascinating mini-typology of the OT that becomes even more fascinating when you realize the interaction it has with Moses, one of the major-types of Christ in the OT, a bit like the lamb and the High Priest, two types that interact with one another to give a picture of the dual natures of the Messiah.

He was both the Rock smitten and the one smiting the Rock. He is both the Rock being spoken to for life and the indwelling Spirit that makes intercession on behalf of the Christian. In Him is the fulness of the Godhead. Everything that God is can be found in Jesus. The Rock is just one of the many types that silently witness to Him.

1Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.