Diligently Listen to the Lord

Introduction

How well would you say that you listen? On a scale of 1-7; 1 being the worst - 7 being the best. What is your listening level? Often times our listening level depends on what we hear. You say something like ice cream with caramel, cheesecake with caramel, brownie with caramel, I am definitely listening! If it is about camera/video gear, some type of gadget, I am in the conversation. If I hear someone talk about the gym, science, history, complaining - I am not listening.

The future outcome of a conversation determines if we will listen in the present.

The Israelites were in a place where they were not listening to God because what seemed like the future outcome was undesirable. The people began to complain.

Exodus 15:22–27 “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. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 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, 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.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.”

After the first great victory came the first big test. The Israelites did not pass it easily. When circumstances seemed threatening, they quickly forgot the significance of the deliverances they had recently experienced.

They were in the wilderness for 3 days. Three days with AC is pretty easy. Three days in the desert is a little more difficult, but this is no excuse to their attitude. In these 3 days, they could not find fresh water. God had just shown some of His greatest forms of provision in the previous days:

destroyed the Egyptian Army that was coming to kill and enslave them

Protected the first born from death in every household

Protected them from 9 other plagues

God has proven that He protects and provides!

Let’s look at 3 lessons to lear from the Israelite’s tests.

Our Attitude During the Test

Three days into their journey, they finally found some water but it was bitter tasting. So the people asked Moses, “What are we to drink?” The Israelites were innocent in the question they asked. They were in sin with the attitude they asked.

Even though the people were following a pillar of cloud through the wilderness, they grumbled and complained against Moses. The people did not have what they had expected and failed to trust God to provide it. Since the Garden of Eden that has been a formula for disobedience.

We see at the end of vs. 25, that this was a test for the Israelites. They failed because of their attitude.

What is your attitude during tests in your life? The easy response is bitterness, snappy attitude, disrespectful.

One way that God tests me is trusting Him through the busyness of life. When life gets busy for me, I have to watch how I respond to other people because I’ll release my frustration on them. Proverbs 16:23–24 “The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

We must keep a watch on our attitude through the tests of life. How do we keep a watch on our attitude?

Keep these as constants in your life to ensure a Godly attitude

Constantly Pray

Constantly Read

Constantly Worship

Constantly Check (accountability)

Our attitude through different tests, determines the next steps God has for you!

Moses needed something to assure the people that all was well; God told him what to do, and when he did it, God’s care was demonstrated.

God spoke - Moses obeyed - Drinkable water was provided.

There was no wizardy with the wood. There was no illusion with the log.

There was only supplying from the Savior!

Our Preparation for the Next Test

The results of their test led to the rule or statute that God makes with them in vs 26.

“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.”

There are two ways we can prepare for the next test. A MINOR and a MAJOR way

The Minor way is evaluating how we have responded from past tests. There are lessons to learn from our disobedience. There is forgiveness in times of disobedience. We do not have to worry about our past mistakes. Part of repentance is abandoning sinful attitudes and responses. There are lessons to learn from our past.

The Major Way is to seek Christ before tests come. The rest of our time is focused on verse 26. Stay right here with me.

What v. 26 called for was loyalty and obedience: loyalty in the sense of a willingness to pay close attention to what God’s will was and to want above all else to please him by doing what he thinks is right and obedience by not failing to “pay attention to all his commands and keep all his decrees.” His people must give him full, not partial, loyalty and obedience.

What advantage came from such loyalty and obedience? Perfect divine protection. His promise to serve as their doctor/healer also was not a promise that if anyone among them ever got sick he would immediately heal that person. It was instead an assertion that it was to him they must turn for healing if they found themselves afflicted as a result of sin.

Will you diligently listen to the Lord? What do you mean by ‘diligently’? Will you seek the Lord and listen for His voice until He answers? Will you be patient for His perfect response?

Will you diligently listen to Him, for He is the LORD? He is provider. He is healer. He is Savior.

Closing

We see in verse 27 that they traveled to a place called Elim, where there were springs and palm trees. They camped by the water.

If you diligently listen to the voice of the LORD, He will plan the future and provide the path to get there. In that path, there will be some days in the desert that are difficult but if your trust God through the hard and easy paths --- HE WILL PROVIDE.

DILIGENTLY LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD

We have seen God’s message for the Israelites

From that context, we have seen God’s message for us.

Now we must ask, “ What is God saying to me?”

In these next few moments, will you take some time to ask the question “God, what are you saying to me?”

Salvation

Baptism

Repentance

Deeper relationship

Share your testimony with someone

Invite someone to church

In this next time, there will be singing, alter is open, myself and other leaders are available.

Ask the question “God, what are you saying to me?” AND diligently listen to His voice. Then respond!

POST SERVICE

The degree to which they failed to accept and learn from that testing and teaching is not described in the present passage but has its outworking in the upcoming passages. In two weeks we will see how they forgot where God brought them from