Deuteronomy 32:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This illustrates the idea that the land was so fertile and rich that honey flowed from the stones due to the abundance of bees. Others interpret this to mean that the liquid that emerged from the rock catered to each person's desires; for one it was honey, for another it was oil, and for yet another it was either the oil of cows or the finest wheat. However, all these offerings symbolically point to Christ. He is the true cornerstone, the source of life for the entire world, satisfying the needs of all who approach Him. For some, He is the Light; for others, the Door; for yet others, the Way or the Wisdom. He embodies all that is good and is beneficial to all. "And oil from the solid rock" (Num. 11:8), or the fruits of the olive trees flourishing on the mountains, which, after the blessing, become even more abundant.

‘Nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the solid rock.’ Such events are not found in historical accounts if we consider the entirety of the Old Testament. This people never literally ‘ate’ honey from a rock or oil from a rock. However, as Paul stated, ‘the rock was Christ’ (1 Cor. 10:4). Therefore, those who witnessed the works and miracles of our Redeemer drew forth sweetness comparable to honey from ‘the rock.’ They received the oil from the ‘solid rock’ because they obtained the anointing through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit following His resurrection. It was not the unyielding stone itself that offered the sweetness attributed to honey when the still-mortal Lord revealed the joy of His miracles to His disciples. Rather, the unyielding stone produced oil, since after His resurrection, the Lord, now free from affliction, imparted the gift of holy anointing through the breath of the Spirit.

Such occurrences are unprecedented in history, even when one reads the entire Old Testament. There is no mention of the people consuming honey or oil from the rock. However, as Paul states, the rock represented Christ (1 Cor. 10:4), and those who witnessed the miracles of our Savior partook of honey from that rock. They experienced the oil from the rock when they were graced with the anointing of the Holy Spirit following His resurrection. Just as the solid rock produced honey, the Lord, who was once mortal, revealed the sweet nature of His miracles to His disciples. The solid rock flowed with oil because, after His resurrection and His transcendence over suffering through the Holy Spirit’s presence, He bestowed the gift of holy anointing.