Crystallization-Study of Numbers (2)
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Message Four
Speaking to the Rock to Drink of the Spirit as the Water of Life and
Digging the Well to Allow the Spirit as the Water of Life to Flow Freely within Us
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Take the rod, and gather the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, so that it yields its water.……-Num.20:8.
…… to Beer; that is the well where Jehovah said to Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water………Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well! Sing to it! The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter, with their staffs……… -Num.21:16:18.
Word of Appetizer
How to Drink of the Spirit as the Water of Life and Allow the Spirit as the Water of Life to Flow Freely within Us?
To receive the living water from the crucified Christ, we need only to “take the rod” and “speak to the rock”； To take the rod is to identify with Christ in His death and apply the death of Christ to ourselves and to our situation；To speak to the rock is to speak a direct word to Christ as the smitten rock, asking Him to give us the Spirit of life based on the fact that the Spirit has already been given.
The digging of the well (Num. 21:18) signifies the digging away of the “dirt,” the barriers in our heart—our conscience, our mind, our will, and our emotion—so that the Spirit as the living water may spring up within us and flow freely.
Spiritual Burden
To receive the living water from the crucified Christ, we need only to “take the rod” and “speak to the rock”； If we apply the death of Christ to ourselves and ask Christ in faith to give us the Spirit, we will receive the living Spirit as the bountiful supply of life.
We need to go to the Lord to be “dug out” for the free flow of the living water within us; The more we dig away the dirt, the more living, strengthened, and victorious we will be as the living water flows freely within us to cause us to grow in life for the building up of the Body of Christ.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
The striking of the rock is a clear, complete, and full picture of Christ’s crucifixion.
To receive the living water from the crucified Christ, we need only to “take the rod” and “speak to the rock”.
Whereas the rock in Numbers 20:8 typifies Christ on the cross, smitten by God so that the living water, the Spirit of life, may flow out into us, the well in Numbers 21:16-18 typifies Christ within us.
The Experience of Life
If we apply the death of Christ to ourselves and ask Christ in faith to give us the Spirit, we will receive the living Spirit as the bountiful supply of life.
Many times we do not submit ourselves to the Lord’s sovereign arrangement in our environment; Sometimes we think that we are quite submissive to the Lord, but when He puts us into certain circumstances, we are exposed.
Practice and Application
We need to go to the Lord to be “dug out” for the free flow of the living water within us;
If we would experience a free, inward flow of the Spirit, our conscience must be dealt with and purified.
We must dig away the dirt in our mind; the Lord wants to transform us by the renewing of our mind.
We must dig away the dirt in our will; This digging is accomplished only by prayer in our private time with the Lord; we have to spend more time with the Lord and pray according to His inner leading.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
I will be standing before you there upon the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. -Exo.17:6.
And all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ. -1Cor.10:4.
But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water gushing up into eternal life. -John.4:14.
I. The striking of the rock is a clear, complete, and full picture of Christ’s crucifixion
- Moses signifies the law, and the staff represents the power and authority of the law.
- Hence, the striking of the rock by Moses’ staff signifies that Christ was put to death on the cross by the authority of God’s law.
- Christ as the living, spiritual rock was smitten by the authority of God’s law so that the water of life in resurrection could flow out of Him and into His redeemed people for them to drink.
- The water that came out of the rock is the water of life in resurrection.
- The source of the water of life is the throne of God and of the Lamb—the redeeming God; hence, the water of life is the Triune God flowing out to be our life.
- John 4:14b reveals a flowing Triune God—the Father is the fountain, the Son is the spring, and the Spirit is the flowing river, issuing in the totality of the eternal life, the New Jerusalem; The entire Triune God was involved in the water flowing out of the smitten rock for the people to drink.
Key Verses (2)
Take the rod, and gather the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, so that it yields its water. Thus you shall bring forth water for them out of the rock and give the assembly and their livestock a drink. -Num.20:8.
II. To receive the living water from the crucified Christ, we need only to “take the rod” and “speak to the rock”
- Since Christ has been crucified and the Spirit has been given, there is no need for Christ to be crucified again, that is, no need to strike the rock again, that the living water may flow; in God’s economy Christ should be crucified only once.
- To take the rod is to identify with Christ in His death and apply the death of Christ to ourselves and to our situation.
- To speak to the rock is to speak a direct word to Christ as the smitten rock, asking Him to give us the Spirit of life based on the fact that the Spirit has already been given.
- If we apply the death of Christ to ourselves and ask Christ in faith to give us the Spirit, we will receive the living Spirit as the bountiful supply of life.
Key Verses (3)
…… to Beer; that is the well where Jehovah said to Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water………Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well! Sing to it! The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter, with their staffs……… -Num.21:16:18.
Because of this I also exercise myself to always have a conscience without offense toward God and men. -Acts.24:16.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. -Matt.5:8.
III. the well in Numbers 21:16-18 typifies Christ within us
A. The digging of the well (Num. 21:18) signifies the digging away of the “dirt,” the barriers in our heart—our conscience, our mind, our will, and our emotion—so that the Spirit as the living water may spring up within us and flow freely.
B. We need to go to the Lord to be “dug out” for the free flow of the living water within us; there is much “dirt” within us that needs to be dug out.:
- We must dig away the many things condemned by the Lord in our heart; not many brothers and sisters have a pure heart in seeking only the Lord Himself.
- We must be dealt with and purified our conscience.
- We must dig away the dirt in our mind.
- We must dig away the dirt in our will; there are not many who are absolutely and utterly obedient to the Lord.
- After digging away the dirt from the will, we need to deal with our emotion.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
Day 1
TI You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it (Exo. 17:6)
(Please illustrate that the striking of the rock is a clear, complete, and full picture of Christ’s crucifixion.)
T2 Christ is our rock and the rock (Deut. 32:18; 2 Sam. 22:47; Psa. 95:1; 62:7; 94:22; Isa. 32:2)
(Please illustrate that the rock is our salvation, strength, refuge, hiding place, protection, covering, and safeguard with verses.)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1982, vol. 2,”The Fulfilment of the Tabernacle and the Offerings in the Writings of John,” chs. 18-19; CWWL, 1989, vol. 3,”The Experience and Growth in Life,” ch. 3
Day 2
TI The water that came out of the rock is the water of life in resurrection (John 7:37-38)
(Please illustrate that Exodus 17:6 implying Christ’s incarnation, human living, and death.)
T2 The source of the water of life is the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1)
(Please illustrate that the water of life is the Triune God flowing out to be our life.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msg. 35
Day 3
TI To receive the living water from the crucified Christ, we need only to “take the rod” and “speak to the rock” (Num. 20:8)
(Please illustrate the meaning of “take the rod” and “speak to the rock”.)
T2 Since Christ has been crucified, there is no need for Christ to be crucified again (Heb. 7:27)
(Please illustrate that why “Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod twice against God’s economy?)
Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 32-35
Day 4
TI There is much dirt within us that must be dug out (Num. 21:18)
(Please illustrate the reason the flow of the spiritual life is not free within us with experiences.)
T2 The well, which the leaders sank, which the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, with their staffs…(Num. 21:18)
(Please illustrate that all the leading ones have to take the lead to dig away the dirt under the Lord’s authority and according to His guidance.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 36-37
Day 5
TI We do not sense much liberty within because of the accusations in our conscience (Acts. 24:16)
(Please illustrate that why we have the accusations in our conscience with experiences.)
T2 Our conscience must first be dealt with and purified (Heb. 9:14; 1 Tim. 1:19)
(Please illustrate that we need to go to the Lord again and again in our spirit and be dug in His presence with experiences.)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1969, vol. 2,”The Crucial Revelation of Life in the Scriptures,” ch. 3
Day 6
TI Seeking the Lord’s presence and ask Him to bring us into His light then we can dig away the dirt in our heart (Rom. 12:2; Luke 22; Matt. 10:37-39)
(Please illustrate that what are the dirt that needs to be dug away in our mind, will and our emotion with experiences.)
T2 The more we dig away the dirt, the more living, strengthened, and victorious we will be (E 250)
(Please illustrate that this digging is accomplished only by prayer in our private time with the Lord with experiences.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 38 -39