Two objects in the foregoing quotation demand the reader’s attention, namely, “The rock” and “the rod.” They both present Christ most blessedly to the soul, but in two distinct aspects. In 1 Corinthians x. 4, we read, “They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” This is plain and positive. It leaves no room whatever for the exercise of imagination. “That Rock was Christ”—Christ smitten for us. Then as regards “the rod,” we must remember that it was not the rod of Moses—the rod of authority—the rod of power. This would not suit the occasion before us. It had done its work; it had smitten the rock once, and that was enough. This we learn from Exodus xvii, where we read, “The Lord said unto Moses, ‘Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and _thy_ rod, _wherewith thou smotest the river_ (see Exodus vii. 20.), take in thy hand and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.’ And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Here we have a type of Christ smitten for us, by the hand of God, in judgment. The reader will note the expression, “Thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river.” Why the river? why should this particular stroke of the rod be referred to? Exodus vii. 20 furnishes the reply.—“And he [Moses] lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were _turned to blood_.” It was the rod which turned the water into blood that was to smite “that Rock which was Christ,” in order that streams of life and refreshment might flow for us. Now, this smiting could only take place once; it is never to be repeated. “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin _once_; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.” (Rom. vi. 9, 10.) “But now _once_ in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself; ... so Christ was _once_ offered to bear the sins of many.” (Heb. ix. 26, 28.) “For Christ also hath _once_ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” (1 Pet. iii. 18.) There can be no repetition of the death of Christ, and hence Moses was wrong in smiting the rock twice with _his_ rod—wrong in smiting it at all. He was commanded to take “_the rod_”—Aaron’s rod—the priestly rod, and speak to the rock. The atoning work is done, and now our great High-Priest has passed into the heavens, there to appear in the presence of God for us, and the streams of spiritual refreshment flow to us on the ground of accomplished redemption and in connection with Christ’s priestly ministry, of which Aaron’s budding rod is the exquisite figure.