Water from the Rock (Exodus 17:1-7)
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
Good morning my name is Chet I'm one of the pastors here grab a Bible and turn to Exodus chapter 17 with me we are working our way through the book of Exodus it's on page 34 if you grab one of the blue Bibles that stuck down in the seat in front of you if you don't own a Bible then this is our gift to you we'd love for you to take this home with you we'd love for you to read it and follow along with us as we continue to walk through Exodus um we are picking up a story where we left off last week we're about six weeks from not in our time.
But in their time from when the crossing of the Red Sea happens when God I mean definitively shows miraculous victory over the Egyptians and the rescue of the people of Israel after the the ten plagues there's the crossing of the Red Sea the Egyptians are defeated that was about six weeks ago so for us that would be like December 11th somewhere around in there so if you think back about that far if we were the Israelites that's about how far back the crossing of the Red Sea is and what we've seen is the Israelites have been uh traveling in the wilderness and grumbling being kind of hard to get along with complaining kind of wondering.
Where is God going to provide how was this last week they said I wish God had just killed us in Egypt because at least I'd have died sitting next to a meat pot so that's the way you want to go you know just a pot of meat and then boom full belly death that's what they said I wish that had happened because this wandering around in the wilderness with no food is the worst and that's kind of where we were.
God begins to miraculously provide Manna and so we're going to pick up they're following the pillar of cloud during the day the pillar of fire at night and moving around the Wilderness Exodus 17. let's pray and then we'll start reading this together Lord ask for your help we ask for your wisdom as we study your word we pray that you would bless us um with the ability to hear this morning we ask for your Holy Spirit to work in our hearts.
For us to be soft and willing to listen to you this morning in Jesus name amen Exodus chapter 17 it says all the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the Wilderness of sin and we said last week that that's not like a title that's just they've transliterated the word into English so some translations will put a z there Zen it's just a name Wilderness of sin by stages according to the Commandment of the Lord encamped at rephidim but there was no water.
For the people to drink so there's two things we need to see in this first verse that are important for us and important for us to understand this story the first one is this they moved at the Commandment of the Lord as I just said they're following the pillar of cloud so if the pillar of cloud moves they move when the pillar Cloud stops they get there they stop so it's at the Commandment of the Lord that they move from one place to the next.
And so they move at the Commandment of the Lord and they move to a place with no water now if you're leading people through the wilderness the way you choose where to stop is where is water you might rest on the way to water you might stop for a night if you have enough water but you don't go I think this is good let's set up camp here in a place with no water this is done by every human standard incorrectly this the cloud stops.
God stops by his commandity stops and it's like no no like keep going we can't stop here it it would be like if you found out about a a commander in the Army who sent everyone out and then was like it was like why did the battle go so poorly we forgot guns as we got out there and we kept thinking there was something missing and when they shot at us we were all like guns that was what we were supposed to have it's I mean it's gross incompetence you.
If they on one of those uh shows where they're fixing a house and they're like move that bus move that bus and the bus moves and the house doesn't have a roof it's like move the bus back finish it up so they stop in the wilderness in a place with no water and that's very important for us to understand in this story but it's also important for us to see as we try to learn about the nature and character of God.
Because some of us right now feel like in life we're in a place where there's no water but they moved here by the command of God now I don't know what you're missing in life but I know it's not water it may hurt it may be painful it may be wildly something that you think is essential to life but I just want you to be able to understand that that you can connect to this story because water is up there in the things we need.
And so to move there with no water it shows that God sometimes puts us in a place that doesn't seem right and by all of our standards we could say this is this is incorrect this should not be the way this is we all know this is wrong that's the way this would feel it's obvious and so God moves into a place where there's no water verse two therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said give us water to drink and Moses said to them why do you core with me why do you test the.
Lord okay so last week they were grumbling and we're going to hear they Grumble again here but they've ratcheted it up it's not just grumbling grumbling is like side sideways complaining um grumbling is is I'm complaining a little bit I'm complaining a little bit maybe to Moses but it's it's in general it's like a murmur when Moses walks by everybody gets quiet maybe they give him dirty looks but it's it's not as aggressive as coral and quarreling is now they've come to him they're arguing with him they're fighting with him the aggression level has gone from from some grumbling to.
Now we're getting close to like a mutiny we're going to say that's what Moses says in a second so they're bringing this complaint to Moses and they've ratcheted up the aggression and he says why do you quarrel with me why do you test the Lord and you got to feel Moses here for a second because Moses is a little bit of like hey y'all see the cloud too right you see the presence of God I didn't pick this place we've moved here by his command we've moved here in obedience.
So why are you arguing with me why are you testing the Lord he's the one who's put us here why are you putting him on trial and why are you with your attitude trying to see what he's going to do that's that's like when your parents said don't test me that's what he's saying why are we testing the Lord y'all were in Egypt right it doesn't go well he can do stuff so he says verse three but the people thirsted there.
For water and the people grumbled against Moses and said why did you bring us out of up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst now this question feels a little ridiculous but it's understandable so let's think about this for a second I I think you could ask in your right mind like I can ask we can ask why would God bring you out of Egypt to kill you with thirst as a rhetorical question which means he wouldn't that's a dumb.
But he's bringing us to the promised land he's rescued us out of Egypt why would why would he do that like I have to ask those questions of my my older son every once in a while will have this moment where he thinks that I'm not going to take care of him and I'm out to get him I've had times where I'm like hey let's let's get ready I need to get your shoes on we're going to leave the house and he'll he'll be like we hadn't eaten supper I gotta eat supper and it's like.
First of all when have I failed to feed you your mom might but I like eating she might forget about a meal I don't forget about meals buddy I like eating your mom will remember eventually she just is okay without eating I'm thinking about food right now it's like I'm gonna feed you we're gonna take care of you also we're going to supper so put your shoes on you've made us all hungrier like when have I ever failed like that could be the question is why would he do this and the answer being he wouldn't we can trust him.
But that's easy for me to say because I'm not thirsty in this moment my lips aren't chapped I'm not looking at my kids and saying I don't know how to to I don't I'm not looking at a one of our like cattle that's that's slobbering and drooling because it can't it's panting and I have nothing to give it I'm looking at a child and I have nothing like I'm not in that spot but they are and in that moment of thirst everything they know about.
God is gone everything they know about his power everything they know about his provision this very morning that they're asking this question God miraculously provided food that appears for them to harvest bread do miraculous bread that shows up you go get it it tastes like Wafers baked with honey like not even just like like good bread and that that why is he going to kill us why is he out to get us and I want you to feel that too because it's possible.
For us to be there I became a Christian I thought this was supposed to be better I'm following Jesus now and everything's gotten worse why would God why would I suddenly believe in Jesus start showing up to Church and then he punches me in the face I don't understand like why why would he do that I don't know if I'm going to believe this I don't know if I'm going to follow this I don't like I signed up for something different why is this working out this way and everything you would know about God's just gone.
Because of the way life is going that's where they are and on one hand it seems ridiculous and on the other hand there's part of me that goes I feel that so Moses cried to the Lord verse 4. what shall I do with this people they are almost ready to Stone me so this has gotten this is not it wasn't like a nice question that they asked this is aggressive they're coming at him it's a mob like it's it's getting dangerous down here Moses is like I think that like I think I'm grossly incompetent they're about to get rid of both of us they're going to get rid of me they're going to get rid.
Of you they're gonna do their own thing that we have failed so miserably in their eyes they're about to kill me it's like they got together and said hey we don't know who's the last person to die because of the thirst but we voted and we know who the first person to die is going to be that's what Moses is saying like they're they're about to Stone me this is about to be an execution because of their anger because of their frustration.
Because of their doubt and mistrust five and the Lord said to Moses pass on before the people so do this publicly taking with you some of the Elders of Israel so Elders are brought together for counsel for judgment for Witnesses they're the leaders of the people said get some of the leaders of the people I'm sure some of the elders are some of the people who were having these conversations with him bringing their complaints pass on before the people taking with you some of the Elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile.
Okay so this staff struck the Nile the Nile turned from water into blood just take that staff and go behold I will stand before you there on the rocket Horeb and you shall strike The Rock and water shall come out of it and the people will drink so God says take the staff get some of the elders go I'll Stand before you know when he stands before him I believe my best understanding is that he is standing in the cloud that the cloud stands before the rocket horror this is the way it's worded in other places Exodus 33 9 says.
When Moses entered the tent the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent and the Lord would speak with Moses or Exodus 34 5 the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord so I think that God's presence goes and stands over the rock now it's possible he does this a different way but in the context of Exodus this makes the most sense it's the cloud that stands there.
And so Moses is going to go he's told to go and strike the Rock and water is going to come forth and the people are going to drink now just for us keep keeping up with this keeping score at home here do you think God brought them to this place had forgotten humans needed water had no real plan and because of their bad attitudes was like oh yeah if they're going to kill you Moses I'll provide some water here's a miraculous way I just made up to do this I would think.
God knew what he was doing the whole time even though they couldn't see it I would think that God had intended to again show his miraculous ability to provide to rule over all things even in the midst of them not seeing how that would work and I want I want that to encourage you because there are times where it's like there's no water here I'm going to die and in those moments we get to go but Lord you can snatch water out of a rock you can make food miraculous appear Out of Heaven like you you've got this I trust you it's not what happens.
So Moses is going to bring the elders the the Lord is going to stand before the Rock and he's going to strike the rock with with the staff now uh if if you just are you know if you're having to choose between what's harder than what rocks are harder than sticks just letting y'all know so in general when you strike a rock with a stick it's bad for the stick it's not bad for The Rock but the Rock's gonna break and water is going to pour forth and there's going to be life in a place where there was a death.
But something very interesting happens in the way this is written the last part of this verse is and Moses did so in the sight of the Elders of Israel that's it it doesn't tell us anything else God tells him to do this and then it just says and Moses did so now we've read enough of Exodus to know this just broke the formula because there's a bit of a formula that's been running through Exodus which is number one God tells them to do a thing tells Moses to do a thing and the.
Lord said go do this thing second Moses does the thing it'll say and Moses did the thing there's one verse that says and the Lord did the thing he said I'm going to do this thing tomorrow and the next day he did the thing like that's this is we're fine we're on step two but step three is telling us about the thing that was done now sometimes it's longer and sometimes it's shorter sometimes the explanation of what's going to happen is longer.
But then they'll say he does it and it'll give a little short thing sometimes it so like what we would expect next is for it to say so on the next day or that afternoon or Moses went straight away and he gathered elders and sometimes it could list the elders and we'd make some kind of joke about if you're naming babies here you go alipa has or whatever like we would pick you know but we would read through these names or maybe it would just say shortened version and it would say.
And so Moses did this and The Rock broke and the people drank yeah we don't get to hear anything about the people's reaction about how much water that's not what marks this moment look at the next verse and he called the name of the place Masa which means the testing and meribah which means quarreling because of the quarreling of the people of Israel and because they tested the Lord by saying is the Lord among us or not that's the conclusion we didn't even hear that they said that earlier.
But that's what we're going to end with that's the taste that's left in our mouth is the Lord among us or not that's what marks this place now you would think that this could have been called holy spring flowing Rock Fountain of delight like they could have named this place water in the desert the place of provision God is good like what's his name quarreling and testing because it wasn't marked by the miracle it wasn't marked by what God did it wasn't remembered.
For that it was remembered and marked by and the thing that we're supposed to see is there heart towards the Lord is the Lord among us or not now I used to when I was little I would watch uh little Bible cartoons if you grew up in Christian home you might you might have watched little Bible cartoons if you didn't you were able to allowed to watch you know the Simpsons and the Smurfs I was not they were going to turn me evil.
And so I didn't watch them and if you watch The Simpsons and the Smurfs and you're here well done overcoming all that evil that would have led you astray but I wasn't allowed to watch that and I watched little Bible cartoons and uh in the little Bible cartoons there was one where they would open the Bible and then like four kids would get sucked into it and they would have to go on adventures and so if they had done this one though it feels like the adventure would be short.
Because when they showed up and they're like what's going on and they're like we don't know if the Lord is among us or not you'd feel like the kids would be like oh do you see that big Pillar of Fire there he is all right let's head on back it wouldn't even be a 15-minute show it would just be over the credits would roll but they're not basing it off of his actual presence what are they basing it off of his provision.
When they say is the Lord here or not they mean has he provided for me in the way that I expect him to and if he hasn't I don't know if he's trustworthy if he hadn't done what I think he's supposed to do by now I don't know if I'm going to follow him I might just be out if he's going to act in a way that's outside of my controller if he's going to act in a way that some way that I don't understand or.
If he's going to tell me that this is where we're supposed to be when I don't want to be here then I might just be done so the New Testament talks about this I want you to to turn to First Corinthians 10. this is Paul he's writing to the Church in Corinth so he's writing to People Like Us Christians a Church people who have gathered saying they're Christians people who are gathered because they believe in the Lord they've heard about Jesus.
First Corinthians 10 if you have one of these Bibles on page 557. it's also on the screen Paul writing says for I do not want you to be unaware Brothers Church This Is Us I do not want you to be unaware of Brothers that our fathers were all under the cloud okay Cloud we've been talking about all passed through the sea that's the Red Sea that's the part of the Red Sea we talked about and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea that he used the word baptized there on purpose.
But what he's saying is that that was a thing that marked them all as belonging to this community those who had gone under the cloud and through the sea it's like a baptism says I'm a part I belong all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and the Sea and all ate the same spiritual food that's manna and I'll drink the same spiritual drink for they drink from the spiritual rock that followed them and The Rock was Christ so that's referring to the story we just read.
And so far what he's saying is all good stuff these people all belong they were all participating they were all there and he tells them I don't want you to be unaware I want you to know this he's looking at the Church and saying I need you to know this but then here's why nevertheless with with most of them God was not pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness now these things took place as examples for us so he says Church read Exodus and learn that we might not desire evil as they did I don't want to ruin a whole bunch of the rest of the Exodus some of this is in numbers in.
Deuteronomy but we're going to run through quickly it doesn't get better from here he says do not be idolaters as some of them were as it is written the people sat down to eat and drink and Rose up to play we must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did and 23 000 fell in a single day we must not put Christ to the test as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents nor Grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
Now these things happen to them as an example but they were written down for our instruction on whom the end of the ages has come what's the end of the ages Jesus Christ coming to rescue a people for himself so he says the end of the ages have come Jesus has come the Gospel is proclaimed will listen it's possible for you to be here and miss it it's possible for you to show up sing songs read the underlying portions pray listen to the Bible it's possible.
For you to be in a community group it's possible for you to lead a community group it's possible for you to be baptized it's possible for you to partake in communion and it's possible for none of that to have any effect on your heart and for you to not belong to Jesus you can grow up in the Church watching Bible cartoons as an eight-year-old and not know Jesus so Paul says this was written down so that we wouldn't think that just.
Because they were there just because they were around it that it changed to them this is the way this passage is treated this is Masa and mariba are reused like if someone says that this situation was someone's Waterloo they're referring to to the downfall of Napoleon they're saying that that's marked his whole story that's what when they talk about Masa and Mary but I want to show you this this will be on the screen because we're going to stay in First Corinthians as we finish up Psalm 95.
Today if you hear his voice do not Harden your hearts as at meribah as on the day at Masa in the wilderness when your father's put me to the test and put me to the proof though they had seen my work if anybody should have known how good he was and how he could provide Israelites should have walked into a place and said there's no water everybody buckle up take a seat watch what God can do watch what he can do.
Because I've seen him do so much this one's about to be good this story could have been the valley of provision but just seeing the stuff and just being around the stuff hadn't affected their heart it doesn't tell us how they drank it doesn't tell us how they responded it almost feels as if when this happens you can almost feel the people of Israel being like that's what I thought yeah you should provide for me there's no it doesn't seem like there's any amount of thankfulness it seems like this whole place is marked by the wickedness of their hearts Hebrews 3 picks up quotes psalm 95.
Therefore as the Holy Spirit says today if you hear his voice do not Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness and then it keeps going down It quotes more of that Psalm and then it goes to verse 12 it says take care Brothers lest there be in any of you an evil unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the Living God but exhort one another every day as long as it is called.
Today that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin that is possible for you to be around the Church but not be in the Church for you to not belong to Jesus for you to have an unbelieving heart and for you to be deceived by the deceitfulness of sin let astray by it it's possible that right now there's something in your life that you're saying it's not that big a deal I'm not really doing anything bad I haven't really acted on I'm just thinking about it it's not it's not that bad I don't need to talk to my group about this I don't need to talk to my spouse about this I.
Don't need to uh if people knew my circumstances if God had really provided the way he was supposed to I wouldn't have to do this maybe you're saying all right that was the last time I'm not ever going to do it again I'm I'm going to change this time and that's the hundredth time you've said that there's no real confession and no real repentance maybe you're justifying your actions maybe you're saying it's not really hurting anybody maybe you're telling yourself I'm too I'm In Too Deep.
But it's possible for us to be slowly step by step being led astray by a deceitful sin and the deceitfulness of our own hearts and this can happen to Christians this can happen to anybody this can happen to anybody who belongs to Jesus that would be around it this is this happens to people who would say I'm in I believe it but they're slowly taking step and step this could be someone who leads a group this can be someone who leads a Church this can be anybody can sit and slowly make compromises and be led astray by the deceitfulness of sin and what he's saying is that there's a possibility that there's an unbelieving heart.
In you and it's hardened to the things of God and I want you to hear what he says today if you hear his voice don't Harden your heart don't be like the people at Masa and Maribel that the Holy Spirit speaking right now and he's bringing something to mind and he's saying you're going to need to talk about this you're going to need to turn from this whatever he's bringing to you and you're thinking in that moment and I've been there I've been in that moment where the Holy Spirit Whispers something to you and you have that moment where you just immediately react and you say I can't I can't I can't confess that I.
Can't tell anybody that I can't turn from that and you have the opportunity at this moment to harden your heart to press the Lord away and to look at the Holy Spirit and say I don't want to hear from you I don't want to be led to Jesus I don't want forgiveness I don't want Redemption you have the opportunity also to not Harden your heart to hear his voice and to turn to him y'all they were around it but they missed.
Jesus that's what First Corinthians 10 says Paul says something that's very odd in First Corinthians 10. all were baptized into Moses and the cloud and in the sea all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink for they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them and The Rock was Christ this moment at Horeb was going to be a picture of this provision of God and Paul looks at this story and he says that's Jesus in the midst of their quarreling in the midst of their sin in the midst of their Rebellion what does.
God do does he strike them no he strikes The Rock and The Rock brings life he gathers the elders together and they stand in God In God's Presence they stand and they stand before the Rock and instead of them being punished for their Rebellion instead of that being the final part of the story they cry they strike the Rock and the life pours forth miraculously Paul says that's Jesus then in the midst of our rebellion in the midst of our failure that.
God brought him forward before the elders that he was presented and that he was struck and from him comes life and you can be covered by Jesus that can be the end of your story that there's a fountain filled with blood where there's forgiveness of sins and Redemption and life or the story can be quarreling hard heart Romans says do you presume upon the riches of God's kindness and patience and forbearance not knowing that his kindness is meant to lead you to repentance that.
God is kind he's patient he forbears so that we would repent so that you would see and turn to him with your sin not run away from him in your sin but turn to him with your sin and ask for forgiveness but then it says because of your hard and penitent Hearts you're storing up a wrath for yourself on the day of God's Wrath when God's righteous judgment is revealed and those are the options and if you hear his voice today don't Harden your heart in Rebellion.
If the Holy Spirit the spirit of the Lord God Almighty Whispers to you I want to take the sin from you don't Harden your heart don't run from that Praise Jesus that there's forgiveness Praise Jesus that he was struck so that we can be forgiven Praise Jesus that in the midst of our Rebellion there is life the band's going to come back up Paul says that this happened to them but it was written for our instruction that we might not be like them you have the ability to harden your heart against the.
Lord Harden your heart against his voice to press back on him as he calls you don't do that repent ask for grace and forgiveness there's something potentially right now that you're saying I can't tell anybody that it'll ruin everything can I explain to you that not confessing and not repenting is what ruins everything hardening your heart is what ruins everything but breaking before the Lord and saying I Surrender and I need help and I need forgiveness and I need life rewrites the story in Grace.
So I don't know what the Holy Spirit's telling you this morning I just know you should listen I know you should surrender so we're going to take a second let's bow our heads and let's pray and let's listen and Lord we pray that if in your grace you are speaking this morning we would not Harden our hearts as in the day of rebellion that there would not be a single person in this room that pushes you back today it's by your wounds it's by your stripes it's by your suffering that we are healed and forgiven foreign.
Lord for those who are struggling right now in a place it's like a desert rather than wrestling with you may they sit and say I know that you provide and I know that you're good and I know that you will not keep one good thing from me and that if I don't need this I don't need this I just need you thank you listen to the Lord right now he's calling you to confession if he's calling you to repentance if there's someone you need to talk to you need to talk to them the band's going to play.
For a minute and give us a moment to listen don't Harden your heart against the Lord surrender to him he's good his kindness his forbearance his patient our meant patients are meant to lead you to repentance bring you to him but there's a day when that opportunity is over when the story is pinned there's a day of Wrath and may we all meet it covered by the blood and the grace of Christ not standing in our sin Holy Spirit we ask you to speak.
Provisions & Grumbling (Exodus 15:22-16:36)
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.