Fainting in the desert

1
Fainting in the desert,
Israel’s thousands stand
At the rock of Kadesh.
Hark! the Lord’s command,
Speak to the Rock,
Bid the waters flow,
Strike not its bosom
Opened long ago.
Speak to the Rock,
Till the waters flow.
  Speak to the Rock,
Bid the waters flow,
Doubt not the Spirit,
Given long ago;
Take what He waiteth,
Freely to bestow,
Drink till its fulness
  All Thy being know.
2
Blessed Rock of Ages,
Thou art open still;
Thy blest Holy Spirit
All our being fill;
Still Thou dost say,
Wherefore struggle so?
Call for the Spirit,
Whisper soft and low,
Speak to the Rock
Bid the waters flow.
3
Oh, for trust more simple,
Fully to believe;
Oh, for hearts more childlike,
Freely to receive;
E’en as a babe,
On its mother’s breast,
So on Thy bosom
Let my spirit rest,
Filled with Thy life,
With Thy blessing blest.
6
Jl

CA, United States

I found the best way to speak to the Rock is to call, O Lord Jesus! Jesus is the name, while the Spirit is the person of that name. When I call "Lord Jesus," I get the Spirit. Because He is a real and living person, even when I whisper soft and low, He comes as the Spirit all my being to fill.


Lauren Bennett

Houston, Texas, United States

Oh, for trust more simple!

Fully to believe!

Wow, what a sweet hymn. We praise you Lord as the flowing Rock!


Frank Kennedy

Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States

May we become as little children in recieving the infilling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit by simply speaking to the "rock".


Joshua Penner

Anaheim, California, United States

May the fullness of the Spirit flow unhindered! Lord, may Your recovery know the fullness of the living waters!


Joanna Smathers

Baton Rouge, LA, United States

Speak to the rock till the waters flow.


AW

Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand

Praise the Lord that He was smitten on the cross, and out flowed blood and water, blood for our redemption, and water to impart His divine life into us. Now we can experience this life giving flow, not by struggling, but as the hymn says

"Call for the Spirit, whisper soft and low, speak to the Rock, bid the waters flow"

He is the Rock. Amen.

The truth is that Christ was smitten and cleft on the cross once for all. There is no need for Him to be smitten again. We need to realize the accomplished fact that Christ was smitten on the cross two thousand years ago. Instead of smiting Him again, we just need to speak to Him. When we speak to Him, He will give us the living water. Hymn #248 (see Hymns) is very good in this point:

...

The more you sing this hymn, the more you will fall in love with it. Christ has already been crucified and riven for us. We do not need to smite Him, but we need to call on Him, to speak to Him, to bid Him to give us the living water.