This is actually a beautiful story which brings out the great importance of the symbolism in the Sanctuary services and the exact specifications that God personally gave to Moses.
The significance is so astounding that it calls into question the seriousness of the doctrine of the Sacrifice of the Mass. According to this doctrine, Christ is continually being sacrificed during the communion and the bread is changed so that it is the actual body of Christ. So Christ dies over and over again.
But according to the lesson God taught Moses, the Messiah (the Rock) was to be broken (die) once for all. After that you must speak to the Rock. When Moses hit the Rock twice in his anger, he ruined the symbolism. It was such a grave error that God had to reprimand him publicly, in the most serious way.
The symbolism was meant to be this:
- The Messiah (the Rock) must die once for our sins. The rock must be struck once.
- Afterwards everyone must speak to the Rock (pray) for life from the one who gives living water.
In the doctrine of the Sacrifice of the Mass, the Catholic church claims to Daily put Christ to death over and over again in reality (not as a symbol).
But in the Communion Service that Christ instituted at the Last Supper, Christ says to do these things "In remembrance" of him. Just like the Israelites needed the sanctuary service to remind them of the coming works of God, we need to be reminded of what he has done for us. Of themselves these services do not have the ability to save us. Christ already did that - once for all, what they do is to help us to remember. It is an object lesson that everyone can understand. Including the blind, the deaf and those who cannot read about the sacrifice.
This experience of Moses teaches us that it is important to understand that He must only die once. It also points out the central role of prayer as the permanent way for us to communicate with God."
But in the Communion Service that Christ instituted at the Last Supper, Christ says to do these things "In remembrance" of him. Just like the Israelites needed the sanctuary service to remind them of the coming works of God, we need to be reminded of what he has done for us. Of themselves these services do not have the ability to save us. Christ already did that - once for all, what they do is to help us to remember. It is an object lesson that everyone can understand. Including the blind, the deaf and those who cannot read about the sacrifice.
This experience of Moses teaches us that it is important to understand that He must only die once. It also points out the central role of prayer as the permanent way for us to communicate with God."
TH
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them,
saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luke 22:19