Facing Life's Challenges

Exodus 15:22-18:27 - Facing Life's Challenges February 5, 2023 Last week, Pastor Pat walked us through the account of the Israelites being led through the fear of being consumed by the Egyptian Army. God did something big and amazing in this account of deliverance. Now, if you're familiar with this book at all, you can probably guess what's coming next. This section begins this theme of God's people grumbling before Moses and before the Lord. This section begins in chapter 15, verse 22 and today's sermon will take us through chapter 18, verse 27. Last week, the San Francisco 49ers went into the NFC Championship Game with their third string quarterback, Brock Purdy. In the first half of the game, he injured his elbow, bringing in the 4th string quarterback, who also got injured during the game, which technically left the team without a quarterback. Purdy somehow came in and finished the game, but it wasn't enough to beat the Philadelphia Eagles. Speaking from experience, being a professional athlete comes with a lot of challenges and setbacks. For me, it was back in 2014 when my adult recreation softball league career was cut short due to a torn meniscus. In all seriousness, though, every career, every marriage, every step along the way in our lives come with challenges. There are several of you this past week that have dealt with some major challenges. That's just something we have to accept. What's important is how we handle them, and the manner of which we face them. So, that's what we're going to do this morning. We're going to see how the Israelites dealt with several challenges as they begin their journey to Mount Sinai. What I want to do this morning is to start with the main idea, as we'll be able to explore this along the way. Here it is ... In all of life's challenges, you are not alone. In this passage, we see five challenges presented. So, what I want to do is discuss each of these challenges, the response, and the result. We'll take it one at a time, as to stick to the flow of the text. FIRST CHALLENGE: * The first challenge we see is BITTER WATER. Let's read what is says in 15:22-23: 22 THEN MOSES MADE ISRAEL SET OUT FROM THE RED SEA, AND THEY WENT INTO THE WILDERNESS OF SHUR. THEY WENT THREE DAYS IN THE WILDERNESS AND FOUND NO WATER. 23 WHEN THEY CAME TO MARAH, THEY COULD NOT DRINK THE WATER OF MARAH BECAUSE IT WAS BITTER; THEREFORE IT WAS NAMED MARAH. FIRST RESPONSE: * We find this response in verse 24: 24 AND THE PEOPLE GRUMBLED AGAINST MOSES, SAYING, "WHAT SHALL WE DRINK?" o You see, the first response was to GRUMBLE against Moses. o The difference here is Moses' response. Moses takes this issue to the Lord, and the Lord produces a solution. In verses 25-26 we read: 25 AND HE CRIED TO THE LORD, AND THE LORD SHOWED HIM A LOG, AND HE THREW IT INTO THE WATER, AND THE WATER BECAME SWEET. THERE THE LORD MADE FOR THEM A STATUTE AND A RULE, AND THERE HE TESTED THEM, 26 SAYING, "IF YOU WILL DILIGENTLY LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND DO THAT WHICH IS RIGHT IN HIS EYES, AND GIVE EAR TO HIS COMMANDMENTS AND KEEP ALL HIS STATUTES, I WILL PUT NONE OF THE DISEASES ON YOU THAT I PUT ON THE EGYPTIANS, FOR I AM THE LORD, YOUR HEALER." o You see, the Lord here provided a solution to this challenge, but He also reveals the reason for this challenge. Do you see it? At the end of verse 25, "HE TESTED THEM." o I saw a great quote this week. I'll paraphrase - God didn't want to simply get the people out of Egypt, He wanted to get Egypt out of them. * No doubt there is a lesson for us here. * God wants us to put away the things of the world. Those old vices that we used to turn to for comfort and to get away from life's challenges. * God too is trying to get the people of Israel to rely on Him for water. For sustainment. To get them to their destination. * Instead, they complain to Moses, who intercedes for the people. So ... FIRST RESULT: * BITTER MADE SWEET o God makes right, that which is wrong. o God makes straight, that which is crooked. o God makes sweet, that which is bitter. o But be careful where you are getting your fix. Are you setting your eyes on Jesus? Are you settling for the temporary comforts such as alcohol, substances, shopping, or other addictions? o This leads us to the ... SECOND CHALLENGE * The second challenge that the people faced was the LACK OF FOOD. Exodus 16:1 says: THEY SET OUT FROM ELIM, AND ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL CAME TO THE WILDERNESS OF SIN, WHICH IS BETWEEN ELIM AND SINAI, ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH AFTER THEY HAD DEPARTED FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT. * This challenge comes with a much larger narrative. SECOND RESPONSE * MORE GRUMBLING * Once again, we see how the people responded in verses 2-3: 2 AND THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL GRUMBLED AGAINST MOSES AND AARON IN THE WILDERNESS, 3 AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL SAID TO THEM, "WOULD THAT WE HAD DIED BY THE HAND OF THE LORD IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, WHEN WE SAT BY THE MEAT POTS AND ATE BREAD TO THE FULL, FOR YOU HAVE BROUGHT US OUT INTO THIS WILDERNESS TO KILL THIS WHOLE ASSEMBLY WITH HUNGER." SECOND RESULT * THE LORD PROVIDES * Once again, the Lord responds and resolves their challenge. This time, however, was a little different. First, verses 4-5 of chapter 16 tells us God's plan: 4 THEN THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, "BEHOLD, I AM ABOUT TO RAIN BREAD FROM HEAVEN FOR YOU, AND THE PEOPLE SHALL GO OUT AND GATHER A DAY'S PORTION EVERY DAY, THAT I MAY TEST THEM, WHETHER THEY WILL WALK IN MY LAW OR NOT. 5 ON THE SIXTH DAY, WHEN THEY PREPARE WHAT THEY BRING IN, IT WILL BE TWICE AS MUCH AS THEY GATHER DAILY." * Not sure if you picked up on it. o It was the Lord directly who responded. This account does not have Moses going before the Lord. o Next thing of note is that the Lord was now including the people in the solution to this challenge. o First, God provides this bread from heaven, later called Manna - which means, "What is it?" * Verse 13 reveals that the Lord also provided Quail for the evening, and this manna would be reserved for the morning. * This entire narrative once again displays God's power over creation, as He not only provides food literally out of the thin air, but also provides them exactly what they need for each day. o Second, the Lord makes them work for their food - collecting each day. Notice that they were to collect twice as much on the sixth day, because they would rest and observe the Sabbath on the seventh, according to verses 25-26 and verse 29. This is the first formal institution of the Sabbath, and in verse 28, we see the Lord foreshadowing the commandments and laws that we'll next week and the weeks following. o The lesson here - again - is clear. God will provide for our basic needs, but He still expects us to work for our food. He also expects us to rest. o Next, the ... THIRD CHALLENGE * LACK OF WATER, as seen in 17:1: ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL MOVED ON FROM THE WILDERNESS OF SIN BY STAGES, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD, AND CAMPED AT REPHIDIM, BUT THERE WAS NO WATER FOR THE PEOPLE TO DRINK. * Another situation where the people are lacking water. God has now saved them from the Egyptian army, made bitter water sweet, and gave them a never-ending supply of Manna. THIRD RESPONSE * QUARRELING * Back in 16:4 we saw that the Lord was testing them again, and according to Moses in verse 2, here, they were testing the Lord with their response. Look at what the response here is from the people and from Moses from 17:2-4: 2 THEREFORE THE PEOPLE QUARRELED WITH MOSES AND SAID, "GIVE US WATER TO DRINK." AND MOSES SAID TO THEM, "WHY DO YOU QUARREL WITH ME? WHY DO YOU TEST THE LORD?" 3 BUT THE PEOPLE THIRSTED THERE FOR WATER, AND THE PEOPLE GRUMBLED AGAINST MOSES AND SAID, "WHY DID YOU BRING US UP OUT OF EGYPT, TO KILL US AND OUR CHILDREN AND OUR LIVESTOCK WITH THIRST?" 4 SO MOSES CRIED TO THE LORD, "WHAT SHALL I DO WITH THIS PEOPLE? THEY ARE ALMOST READY TO STONE ME." * At this point, even Moses is getting tired of all of these challenges. He rebukes the people, then he cries out to the Lord. * The picture in this narrative is that as they continue on their journey, they stop at a campground of sorts, and when they do, they see that there is no water in sight. * So, how did the Lord respond. Let's take a look at the ... THIRD RESULT * WATER FROM THE ROCK. 17:6 states: BEHOLD, I WILL STAND BEFORE YOU THERE ON THE ROCK AT HOREB, AND YOU SHALL STRIKE THE ROCK, AND WATER SHALL COME OUT OF IT, AND THE PEOPLE WILL DRINK." AND MOSES DID SO, IN THE SIGHT OF THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL. * Once again, the Lord responds positively, demonstrating both His love and His power. Let's be honest, these are major problems. In the opening verses of chapter 15, we see that they went three days without water. I struggle to get through a sermon without water! I read in a few places that no water for three days is a medical emergency - that person is just about at death's door. So, when they finally get to a body of water, it was bitter. The next issue was around food. One can survive without food for much longer than water, but what we see from the text is that they were well fed in Egypt. They ate - seemingly - in abundance. Back in chapter 12, we saw that Israel left Egypt on the 14th day of the first month, and here in chapter 16, we see that they ran out of food by the 15th day of the second month - one month. First, they run out of water, then they run out of food, then in chapter 17, they ran out of water, again! Let's face it, this escape from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea was not producing the best of conditions for the people of Israel. But wait, there are even more challenges ahead. FOURTH CHALLENGE * The fourth challenge is WAR. In 17:8, we read ... THEN AMALEK CAME AND FOUGHT WITH ISRAEL AT REPHIDIM. * Now, war!! Come on! * Amalek was a descendant of Esau, there are several passages in Scripture that address the Amalekites and Israel's rivalry * This passage doesn't reveal why Amalek attacked Israel, but Deuteronomy 25 reveals that they attacked Israel from the rear. * So, how do the people respond? FOURTH RESPONSE * THEY FIGHT * Now, they are finally looking like a united nation. * Moses has Joshua - the first mention of Joshua in the Bible - select men to fight. Moses then goes up to the mountain top with his staff raised. o There are a couple of theories why Moses did this. o One, this was a posture of prayer o Two, Moses may have assumed that the Lord would do something with the staff, as He had in the past. o Either way, the important piece of this story comes next, where we discuss the ... FOURTH RESULT * GOD WINS. * I love this story. The text reveals that Aaron and Hur go up with Moses. Anytime that Moses brought his arms down, the Israelites were losing, and anytime he raised his arms, they were winning. o Expectantly, over time, Moses got tired, so Aaron and Hur held his arms up, so Israel would be victorious. * This was the Lord's victory, as evidenced in the memorial and recording of this battle in history. * Next, we get to the ... FIFTH CHALLENGE * I'm calling this one, the challenges of EVERYDAY LIFE o This is probably where we can relate the most. o Moses here is tasked with hearing and resolving all the problems of the people. o In 18:13 we read: THE NEXT DAY MOSES SAT TO JUDGE THE PEOPLE, AND THE PEOPLE STOOD AROUND MOSES FROM MORNING TILL EVENING. * Many of you know, I worked in Human Resources for a couple of businesses over about 8 years. * You can imagine that I can definitely relate to this challenge. * The challenge is the amount of time that Moses was spending on these complaints. * Chapter 18, verse 14 reveals the ... FIFTH RESPONSE 14 WHEN MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW SAW ALL THAT HE WAS DOING FOR THE PEOPLE, HE SAID, "WHAT IS THIS THAT YOU ARE DOING FOR THE PEOPLE? WHY DO YOU SIT ALONE, AND ALL THE PEOPLE STAND AROUND YOU FROM MORNING TILL EVENING?" * The response? ADVICE FROM A TRUSTED FRIEND * Admittedly, this is an interesting account. First, Jethro, who we haven't seen or heard of since chapter 3, appears hearing all that the Lord had done with and through Moses. In verses 9-13, Jethro appears to have confessed that God was Lord and even made an offering to the Lord. * The next day, we read, he observes Moses - apparently it was bring your Father-in-Law to work day - and offers some advice. * In short, the advice was to appoint judges over the people, choosing able men, who feared God and were trustworthy, to effectively hear the issues of the people, only bringing the bigger challenges to Moses to intercede before the Lord with. * Now, there are a couple of ways to look at this. o First - was Moses wise in listening to the advice of man? Or two, o Should he have taken this to the Lord instead? * Fast forwarding to Numbers 11, we see that the Lord essentially fixes this system of judging. * The Proverbs warn against seeking the council of the wicked but encourages seeking the council of the wise. * Later in the New Testament, we see several examples and directives regarding shared leadership, to include the 12 apostles, and the appointment of elders and deacons in church leadership. * Let's look at it this way. A secular financial advisor may advise you to save, get out of debt and to give generously. That is great advice, and Biblical. But, since it didn't come from the Lord, or a trusted Christian brother or sister, is that something we should ignore? * Finally, verses 19-20 give us some of the motivation for this advice, so that Moses can focus on interceding on behalf of the people and on teaching them the statutes and laws. So, what was the result of this advice from Jethro? FIFTH RESULT * MOSES LISTENED * The NASB renders 18:23 this way - and if you notice, it is much different than the ESV, but consistent with most other translations - why? I don't know! Here is what it says: 23 IF YOU DO THIS THING AND GOD SO COMMANDS YOU, THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENDURE, AND ALL THESE PEOPLE ALSO WILL GO TO THEIR PLACES IN PEACE." * This implies that not only did Jethro give Moses some good advice, but also ensured that he brought it to God before implementation. Earlier, we said: In all of life's challenges, you are not alone. Hopefully you saw that with these challenges that we read about here. So, what are some IMPLICATIONS FOR ME? First, * Don't try to do it on your own. o "It" here could be a number of things. * Maybe you're having issues in your marriage. * Maybe you're having issues overcoming sin. * Maybe you're having issues at work. * Are you trying to overcome them on your own? * Worst of all, are you trying to "get to God" on your own? * There's only One Way to God - His Son Jesus Christ. o Are we reaching out to others for prayer or support? * If you read the newsletter this past week, you would have seen the "plug" to utilize the prayer function in the Church App. There was an example given about one of our families posting prayer in this app, and the flood of support that followed was remarkable. These weren't superficial "thoughts and prayers," nearly everyone offered any assistance needed. And looking over those names, I believe that every single one of you who offered would have gladly met and exceeded that need. * God wants us to rely on Him. But in our passage today, we saw that God uses us everyday to accomplish His will. o Next, * Bring your challenges to God. o Prayer should never be the "last resort," rather, it should be the first thing we think of. * The default for Israel with their challenges was to complain, while Moses' default was to take it before the Lord. o We saw what the Lord did once Moses interceded for them. o We saw what happened when Aaron and Hur held up the arms of Moses. Israel was victorious over a hostile nation. Are you holding up the arms of a brother or sister who is worn down? One who is battling the enemy? Are you a brother or sister who is wary and needs someone to hold up their arms? Look to your right and to your left. These are those brothers and sisters who would gladly hold up your arms through these challenges of life. This is how we face these challenges. With God, and with one another. Are you ready to lift up the arms of your brothers and sisters? Let's pray. 2