In 1 Corinthians 10:4 Paul goes on to say, “All drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ.” As the spiritual rock, Christ follows the believers to give them the spiritual drink. The spiritual drink in verse 4 refers to the living water that flowed out of the cleft rock (Exo. 17:6), typifying the Spirit, who flowed out of the crucified and resurrected Christ, as our all-inclusive drink (John 7:37-39; 1 Cor. 12:13). In His crucifixion Christ, as the living, spiritual rock, was smitten by the authority of God’s law in order that the water of life in resurrection could flow out of Him into His redeemed people for them to drink. The water of life flowing out of the smitten rock signifies the Spirit (John 7:37-39). We should all drink the same spiritual drink and should not drink anything other than the all-inclusive Spirit.
The rock that was smitten and cleft to flow out the living water for God’s chosen people was a physical rock. Yet the apostle called it a spiritual rock because it typified Christ, who was smitten and cleft by God to flow out the water of life (John 19:34) to satisfy the thirst of His believers. Hence, the apostle said that the rock was Christ. Since it was a spiritual rock signifying Christ, it was able to follow the children of Israel. This indicates that Christ as the real rock is following His believers.
Paul was bold to say that the physical rock of Exodus 17:6 was a spiritual rock and that this rock was Christ. In actuality the rock in Exodus 17 was physical. However, we need to have a spiritual view of this physical rock and see through the physical into the spiritual. Because Paul viewed this rock according to his spiritual sight, in his eyes it was a spiritual rock. To him, that rock was Christ, and he boldly declared this in 1 Corinthians 10:4.
Through incarnation Christ came to earth as the rock. On the cross He was smitten by the authority of God’s righteous law to accomplish God’s redemption. His side was pierced, and living water flowed out for God’s people to drink (John 19:34). This living water is the water of life in resurrection, the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit as the ultimate issue of the Triune God. This water of life quenches our thirst and satisfies our being.
To drink of the water of life, we first need to be positioned to drink (1 Cor. 12:13), and we also need to be thirsty (John 7:37; Rev. 21:6). Then we need to come to the Lord (John 7:37; Rev. 22:17), to ask of the Lord (John 4:10; cf. Num. 20:8), and to call on the name of the Lord (Isa. 12:3-4; Acts 2:21).
As the spiritual rock, Christ follows the believers to be the source of living water to them (Exo. 17:6; John 4:14). Mainly, the Lord led the children of Israel through the wilderness into the good land in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night (Exo. 13:21), but in regard to many details, the Lord followed them in their journey through the wilderness because they were disobedient to His leading. Likewise, mainly the Lord is leading us, the New Testament believers, into glory (Heb. 2:10), but in regard to many details He is following us because of our disobedience. For example, He does not want us to go to certain places. Yet when we go to those places, He does not give up on us; rather, He still follows us with a purpose of bringing us back under His leading.
On the one hand, the Lord was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness into the good land; as a result, they entered into the good land. On the other hand, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, the Lord was following these foolish people. Today we need to know that as the spiritual rock Christ is following us, who often foolishly wander in the wilderness of our soul. Ultimately, He will achieve His purpose to bring us into Himself as the reality of the good land. We will then tell the Lord, “You are the Lord. We were so foolish when we wandered in the wilderness of our soul for many years. Yet through these years of wandering, our real condition—our sinfulness, our unfaithfulness, and our shortage of the living water—was exposed. As the spiritual rock, You nevertheless followed us to give us the spiritual drink in order to quench our thirst and to bring us back under Your leading. Eventually, You have brought us into Yourself as the good land of Canaan.”
As our guide, Christ not only leads us but also follows us. The Christ who follows us as the spiritual rock flows out the life-giving Spirit as the living water to satisfy our thirst. The fact that the spiritual rock followed the children of Israel indicates that they were not obedient to the Lord. Although they were disobedient to Him, they had the rock following them, and the living water flowed out of the rock to quench the thirst of these sinful people. According to the intrinsic significance of 1 Corinthians 10:4, the situation of the New Testament believers is exactly the same as that of the children of Israel in the Old Testament. Christ is leading us, yet we are not obedient to Him. Hence, as the spiritual rock He follows us to flow out His eternal life in order to quench our thirst and, ultimately, to carry out God’s purpose, that is, to bring us all into the all-inclusive Christ as the reality of the good land.