Do Not Harden Your Hearts

Passage

Exodus 17:1–16 (ESV)

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. 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.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “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, and go. 6 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. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Intro

We all like to feel self sufficient, like we can take care of ourselves, that we can make things happen

And on some level that is true.

Most of you got yourselves up this morning, got dressed, made yourself something to eat, drove to church, in the car you bought with money you earned at your job.

But it doesn’t take much to remind us that we aren't as in control as we would like to think

In just the last couple of months here a few of my own reminders

-Sevier food poisoning in Belize

-A skunk decided it wanted to live under my house

-My truck decided it did not want to dive anymore

-I’ve caught some kind of cold

-My wife battles Chronic illness

I know everyone in here has experiences like these, small or big reminders that we don’t control the universe. That we must rely on the Lord to sustain us, that he is ultimately in control of our lives.

This forces us to answer the question, “Do I trust the Lord”?

And when these times come along we can respond in a few ways

We can grow angry and bitter, or thankful

We can trust in the Lord’s goodness and remember his many blessings

We can grow angry with the Lord and keep our eyes on our present circumstance

Do you trust the Lord?

Trust him to do what?

What he says he will do

In this life

Romans 8:29 “29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Hebrews 13:5–6 (ESV)

5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

Psalm 37:23–26 (ESV)

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,

when he delights in his way;

24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the Lord upholds his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or his children begging for bread.

26 He is ever lending generously,

and his children become a blessing.

In the next life

John 14:2–3 “2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Last week we talked about not trusting the Lord

In the Desert God was Humbling (showing their lack of control) and testing the people

Teaching them to rely on Him

As he rained down Mana on a daily basis the people would have to go out every morning and collect their daily bread.

Mana- What is it? - Bread from heaven - Foretaste of the milk and honey of the promised land

God supplied everyones needs

Exodus 16:18 “18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.”

Caring for one another in our blessings

2 Corinthians 8:12–15 “12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.””

This is how God will provide for you.

They could only take enough for one day, if they tried to take more than a days worth (in essence trying to take advantage of the Lord provision and use it to become self sufficient) it would breed worms and stink. God was teaching them that to be his people they must live under his rule, under his care, and that he would take good care of them.

On the sixth day the people we to gather twice as much, trusting that it would last an extra day. The seventh day was the Sabath, a day of rest, set apart for enjoying fellowship with God, a look back to the edenic Ideal when man and God lived in close relationship, and man was not outside the garden working by the sweat of his brow.

Moses gives us the two temptations in Deut. 8

Testing-teaching them to trust-Lack of control

Deuteronomy 8:2–3 (ESV)

2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Humbling-Keeping them from self reliance-Are you here?

Deuteronomy 8:11–20 (ESV)

11 “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

This story plays out in the new testament

Biblical theological Background

Failed to remember the bitter herbs of Egypt

Cure for grumbling is Remembering the Lord

The Lord’s name is connected to Israel, and they will make his name known

The new Testement authors depict Christ as the passover lamb 1 cor. 5:7

As Israel was brought out of slavery, God’s people are liberated from slavery from sin

Journey throughout he wilderness, leads us to the new Jerusalem - Mana connects to the Lord’s supper

John 6:11 “11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.”

1 corinthians 11 also in the Gospel of Luke

John 6:23 “23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.”

John 6:32 “32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.”

John 6:35 “35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

John 6:53 “53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” <- anticipation of the Lord’s supper?

Jesus went to the cross as the lamb of God

Gives himself to his disciples as the fulfillment of the mana from heaven

John 6:41–43 “41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.”

John 6:61 “61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?” Others were too

Feed on their hearts through faith, back to the cross and forward to the heaven

Grumbling

Jude 14–16 “14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.”

FCF-Question

Do you trust the Lord?

Proposition-Answer

We learn to trust God as we humbly (not self sufficiently) come to him in faithful obedience (obeying his commands and precepts). Reminding one another of his goodness.

Body

This week we go beyond just not trusting the Lord, but to outright accusation against the Lord

Where the people were being tested by the Lord, in todays passage we see the people putting the Lord on trial.

People are Thirsty Again, they are grumbling again - the people are ready to stone moses

In Exodus 16 we saw God testing the people

Exodus 16:25–26 “25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.””

The Lord was testing Israel, now the Israel is testing the Lord -

Exodus 17:2 “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?””

Exodus 17:5–6 “5 And the Lord said to Moses, “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, and go. 6 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.”

Language that is used in judicial context, the lord is putting himself in the place of the guilty, you shall strick the rock, you shall strike the lord, and water will come out.

The Lord is struck, and then the needs of the people are met

John 6 Bread of Life

John 7:37–39 “37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

John 19:34 “34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.”

1 Corinthians 10:1–4 “1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

What really sustained them was the hope of Christ - the serpent crusher

Conclusion-How do we do it?

Drink form the Spiritual rock

Non Believers

Hebrews 3:7–8 “7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,”

Believers-Exhort one another not to complain and stay faithful

Hebrews 3:7–14 “7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. 10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ 11 As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ” 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 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. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”

We learn to trust God as we humbly (not self sufficiently) coming to him in faithful obedience (obeying his commands and precepts).

How can we learn to trust Jesus?

Ask the Lord to reveal to you where you are being Prideful or Fearful in your life

Psalm 139:23–24 “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Keep a prayer journal

Write down the things that you are praying for and see how the Lord answers your prayers

This assumes that you are regularly praying to the lord

Don’t complain about your circumstances Take them to the lord in prayer

Philippians 4:6–7 “6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Be diligent to trust and obey

Genesis 7:5 “5 And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.”

Hebrews 10:24–25 “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 “6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”