Isaiah 48:21
They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow for them from the rock;
he split the rock and the water gushed out.
1 Corinthians 10:4
. . . and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
In Isaiah 48 God is speaking of the redemption of his people from slavery and captivity. In God’s genius, he is speaking of three timelines: the exodus from Egypt, the return from captivity in exile, and the redemption from captivity to sin through the work of Christ.
He refers to the water he provided from a rock when he led them through the desert (Exodus 17). But that act of physical salvation was always a symbol and promise for something greater.
He refers to the provision and protection he offered when they were in the desert, but Israel’s wandering in the desert was always a symbol of something worse, distance from God and wandering in sin.
And he refers to the rock from which the water flowed, and while that was miraculous in the moment, it was always a symbol and promise of something greater–Christ himself, the source of living water (John 7).
God, in his genius, meets the needs of his people with real help, rescues them in timely and miraculous fashion, and promises eternal redemption and provision in Christ. All across the pages of scripture Jesus is present as promise or as fulfillment.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.