Sermon Tone Analysis

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: