The Rock that Followed Them

The Exodus narrative relates four or five wonderful occasions when God supplied water for the multitudes of Israel and their flocks as they traversed the wilderness of Sinai: Marah, Elim, Massah , Meribah and Be'er. Beyond these few references the Bible tells us virtually nothing about how God provided Israel’s water needs - which leaves us with a big question.

There were oases here and there, but how could they have survived a generation in that forbidding terrain without water?

Deuteronomy 8:14-15 summarizes the miraculous odyssey this way: 'the LORD your God, … led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock'.

In the absence of any further narrative or explanation, a legend developed in Judaism about a rolling rock-well that literally followed Israel throughout the desert for forty years, miraculously supplying abundant waters. It was called Miriam’s Well, given to Israel because of Miriam’s gracious character and piety. As long as Miriam travelled with them, Israel’s water needs were supplied.

According to the twelfth century Jewish commentator Rashi, this is the reason Numbers 20:1-2 reports that 'at Kadesh Miriam died and was buried. Now there was no water for the community so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron.' For Rashi, the legend explains why the death of Miriam triggered a water crisis for Moses and Aaron.

As a well-read Jew, the apostle Paul knew this rabbinic tradition of Miriam’s rock-well and apparently had it in mind when he says in 1 Corinthians 10:4, 'our forefathers all drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them.’ But Paul radically re-interprets the legend, saying ‘and that rock was Christ.’

The Old Testament often referred to Yahweh as the Rock of Israel’s salvation. Paul identifies this Rock metaphorically as Jesus Christ himself – which is consistent with how Jesus identified himself in John 7:37-38 as the one the Scriptures speak of from whom streams of living water will flow.

In Jesus God continues to be not only the Rock of Israel’s salvation, but the source of living water for the whole world.  This doesn't answer the logistical questions of Israel's water supply, but it does answer other questions critical to our deepest spiritual needs.

Art Credit: Rock - original source unknown.