The Water of Life

Introduction

Last week, we saw God, once again, provide for Israel in a miraculous manner: raining bread from heaven on the Israelites. We also saw Israel’s sin of their first grumble. Today, we see yet more grumbling, God’s provision, and God bringing about a military victory through Israel against the Amalekites.

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More Grumbling

The Lord’s Guidance

The first verse of this chapter is a great thesis statement to set up the rest of this chapter.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 17

The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin,

After God provided this manna and quail, Israel continued on following Him. Specifically it says they mov[ed] from one place to the next according to the Lord’s command.

This would be Israel’s life for the next 40 years, and then for the next generation as well. It is simple: the Lord instructs, and they go. They Lord moves, and they follow. What else could Israel do? God was their salvation from lifelong slavery and oppression. God was their sustenance when they lacked food. Without Him, where would they be but dying in the wilderness or oppressed in Egypt?

This is a great thesis statement because it perfectly describes our situation:

Saved from the slavery of sin and eternal damnation.

Daily nourished by our God, lacking nothing in Him

We, too, travel the wilderness of this world, not yet in the Promised Land. We too are in desperate need of guidance. And we should be simply going where He instructs us to go, leaning fully on Him.

Unfortunately, we don’t always live so simply. Neither did Israel.

A “Killing” Thirst

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 17

but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.”

“Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing the LORD?”

3 But the people thirsted there for water and grumbled against Moses. They said, “

Despite how God has provided for them in Egypt, in escaping Egypt, and just earlier with the manna and quail, Israel was still not getting it. They felt their current circumstance and, rather than genuinely praying to their God, they grumbled.

I must emphasize again, this kind of grumbling and complaining is sinful and crooked. Moses emphasizes this too. He questions the Mob: Why are you complaining to me? Why are you testing the Lord? Moses soberly saw what was happening.

He saw that the Israelites were still not trusting God and were still questioning His leadership of their people. Israel still saw themselves to be more knowledgeable of what they needed and when than their God.

Consider this: Moses was also without water. The other day, Moses was also without food. Yet, we don’t see him complaining and grumbling. He simply trusts and obeys. Israel would have done well to follow their leader’s example, but yet they grumbled.

Their grumbling once again involved questioning why they ever left Egypt. They thought their thirst was so urgent, so immense, that they were going to die their in the wilderness. Once again, I am not saying they were not thirsty. Perhaps they were truly very thirsty; my issue with Israel is that they did not 1)trust God was going to provide and 2)simply ask God for water in humble submission. Even more so, verse 7 tells us that Israel was beginning to question whether God was really with them. Even though He was literally raining manna from heaven everyday and guiding them in a great pillar of fire, they still doubted His presence.

Let this be application for us as well: when you are lacking in anything you need, you cannot quickly begin cursing God and lose faith in Him. Rather you should trust God is going to provide, and pray to Him for what you need. He does care about your needs. They matter to Him. Thus is why Jesus says this is Luke 11:

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 11

“Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ 7 Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet

This seems like a strange way to say it, but Jesus is encouraging persistent prayer for things we need. Don’t stop asking, but also don’t forget your posture as you pray: humble submission. Understanding that even if you never get this thing you think you need, you are better off.

Water from the Rock

A Fearful Leader

Verse 4 shows us that this mob was beginning to scare Moses. He says What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me! The mob of Israel was beginning to get upset with Moses, blaming him for their thirst.

As I said last week, you must be careful of the mob. If they determine their leader doesn’t know what he is doing, they will want to kill him. If you’re a leader and this begins to happen to you, you should respond just as Moses does—desperate cry to the Lord.

He doesn’t know what to do. How can he calm them down? How can he correct them when they are this bitter? What can he do? He can pray to the Lord. He can depend on His God.

As a leader, this must be your first response as well.

A) Remember that they are not really upset with you as much as they are upset with the Lord.

If you are following the Lord’s direction, then they are really mad at Him, not you.

B) Their fury towards you should drive you to further depend on the Lord.

There are times where we really are wrong and the Lord will convict us of the direction we were going. There are times where we are truly being faithful, and the Lord will convict us to press deeper. Ultimately, if you’re a leader, your goal is to lead those following closer to God and in victory at what you’re doing. Display for them what should truly be done in response to conflict.

God’s Provision

And what is God’s response? His people are whining. His appointed leader is fearful, crying out to Him. What does He do? He gives Israel what they need in spite of their sin.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 17

5 The LORD answered Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go. 6 I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

This is a very simple command. Hit the rock with your staff and water will spring from it. God had this ability to bring water about the entire time, yet He didn’t give it to them. Jesus tells us we don’t receive because we do not ask. Again, yes, God knows our needs, but He wants us to depend on Him in humble submission.

Christ, the Water of Life

There is a parallel to this story in Jesus’s life regarding water and provision.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4

When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than

This woman had been making her trek to this well everyday so she could have water. It was exhausting, but necessary. Jesus met her there and told her of this living water that comes with knowing the gift of God.

Jesus Christ, when you come to know Him and give Him your life, becomes your living water because in Christ you will never be thirsty again. As long as you abide in Him, you will be satisfied wholly. You won’t thirst for anything else. Truly nothing else can satisfy you. This woman grew to understand this.

Jesus goes further, though, and tells her that when you receive Him, you will have a well inside you, springing up for eternal life.

This well He refers to is the Holy Spirit. After we trust in Christ, His Spirit resides in us eternally, guaranteeing our eternal life.

This good news is only for those who trust in Christ though. GOSPEL PRESENTATION.