Exodus 17 1-7

A Stage of Despise (1-3)

In the past three chapters Moses led the Israelites across the parted sea and after that they went into the wilderness of Shur where ironically there was no water which is the main problem in the passage that I am preaching on today. The water was bitter but God made it sweet after Moses cried out to God.The Israelites then went to Elim where there was twelve springs of water and they encamped there.

After encamping there, they set out and traveled to the wilderness of Sin where the people grumbled and quarreled some more, this time about not having anything to eat. The Lord then provided like He always does by providing bread from Heaven. After that story in chapter 16, we get to chapter 17 where Israel moves on from Sin to Rephidim.

I have three stages that I have found that the Israelites went through in these first seven verses of Exodus 17. Here in the first three verses, I believe we see the first stage which is a stage that is not unfamiliar to the Israelites by any means. It is a stage of quarreling.

Here in verse one, again, going back to the context that I was giving, all of Israel had moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages. They came to a place called Rephidim and decided to camp there. There was no water there the end of verse 1 says. The Lord God led the Israelites to Rephidim, this encampment with no water. It says in the middle of the first verse that they moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages according to the commandment of the Lord.

This is all according to the will of God as we will see later on in the verse. Moving on to verse two, we see that Israel is quarreling once again. They were complaining to Moses that there was no water. They saw what God did through Moses and they chose not to pray to God, not to go to the Father in prayer but to complain. They didn’t even complain to God but to Moses. But this was all according to God’s plan. Moses says at the end of verse two “Why do you test God?’ but in reality, God is the one that is doing the testing.

God has tested the Israelites twice before in the past two chapters. As I mentioned, God tested the Israelites in the wilderness of Shur in Marah when the water was bitter but he made sweet. It says at the end of Exodus 15:25 that there the Lord tested them. Also, in the wilderness of Sin, God tested them when He sent manna from heaven. At the end of 16:4, God says that he will test them to see if they walk in His law or not.

Now, in Meribah, God tests His people again. God wanted to see if His people would trust Him to provide living water. Israel was tired of being tested by now though. They were demanding answers. Israel was now the one doing the testing. They needed to know if God was among them or not.

The people were so upset that they were ready to take out their anger on God’s representative Moses. They were demanding God’s provision by saying “Give us water” in verse 2. We do this a lot. How many times in your life have you just told God “give me this” or “give me that?” We need to be reminded that we must wait patiently on the Lord. We often insist that God works on our terms and not His.

God has a plan for us, that is sometimes why we seem in our lives like we are in the wilderness wandering. We might not know why we are wandering and might often be very upset, but that doesn’t give us the right to demand of God what we want. Insisting that he give us what we want. We are His children. We don’t go up to our dad and demand that instead of going to see his grandparents we go see a movie instead. That is not for you to decide.

In verse 3 we see how Israel questioned God’s protection. They say to Moses “Why did you (God) bring us out of Egypt?” Did you bring us out of Egypt so that our families and livestock could die of thirst? Why would you do that God? I thought you were supposed to be sovereign and just? Why did you bring us out here to kill us O Lord?

They questioned God’s goodness, they tested His patience. They didn’t say why did you bring us out of Egypt? They said why did you bring us out to kill us? They were accusing God of wanting to murder them. They questioned and accused God of so many things but why? They did not have the faith to get them out of the wilderness and that is why Numbers 14:22–23 says “none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.”

The Israelites were getting more and more frustrated. They were about ready to tear Moses’ head off. What do you see is lacking here? We see that God’s people simply do not trust God. The trust is lacking by the second. Why do they not trust God’s providence. What more does the Lord have to do to prove to His people that he is a just God that cares?

Time after time after time God has saved His people. What happened when God’s people were in front of the gigantic sea while Pharoah and the Egyptians were closing in behind them? God made a way. What happened when God’s people encamped at Marah and the water they had was bitter? God made it sweet like only He can. What happened when God’s people were in Sin and had nothing to eat, God provided manna from Heaven for His people to eat and be satisfied.

Are you testing God right now in your life? Do you trust that He will give and bring you living water. Are you truly trusting in God’s providence or do you think that He is just having you go through hard times for the fun of it? God has His hand over you and your life. You are where you are because of His commandment like it says in verse 1.

He may be bringing you to what seems like a Rephidim where there is no water but that is because it is all a part of His will. God does not bring you somewhere just to kill you like the Israelites were accusing Him of doing. He is testing you. You will either trust in the Lord like Job did when everything seems like it is falling apart or you will be like the Israelites here and be done with all of it. You will accuse and despise God and God will say your faith isn’t strong and this is why you are not going to see the land.

A Stage of Desperation (4-5)

Moses doesn’t know what to do now. All of God’s people are upset at him and so now Moses has a decision to make. He is in desperation and that is the second stage that they are in. A stage of desperation. Moses is in despair as are the Israelites but you see a difference in what they do. The Israelites accuse God and quarrel at Him but Moses turns to God.

In verse four it reads that Moses cried to the Lord. This means that Moses literally prayed earnestly to the Lord. He turned to the one who has gotten them this far and in desperation prays earnestly to God. Isn’t that crazy how different Moses and the Israelites go about this situation?

Moses cries out and says “what do I do with these people God?” Moses doesn’t know what to do with the people of God because they have become so enraged that they are ready to stone him. They are done being tested and are now testing God to see if He will show up for them. They were ready to kill Moses, they were done. Can you imagine the scene?!

They are in the wilderness and they come to an encampment to find there is no water. The Israelites immediately start accusing Moses and God of bringing them out of Egypt just so that they could watch them die. They forget everything that God has done before and are just mad and upset. They were so furious with the thought of being brought out there to die that they were ready to kill Moses because of that.

The Lord answers Moses though like He always does. It says in verse 5 “And the Lord said to Moses” which means The Lord answered. God tells Moses to go ahead of the people and take some of the elders who were the senior tribesmen that were recognized as leaders. Take some of the leaders of Israel ahead of the people and take in your hand the staff which you struck the Nile and go.

The Lord answers. God says the people want water? They want to test me? Well I will answer. He instructs Moses to go ahead. Where? Moses didn’t know but he did not have to know because the Lord has done this time and time again and he has no reason to believe that God is leading Him and the people astray. God has led them this far through the wilderness and He is not going to just leave them now.

Like I said earlier, maybe you are in the wilderness and you don’t know where you are going. Maybe God has just led you to Rephidim and there is no water. What are you choosing to do? Are you accusing God of trying to kill you or lead you astray or are you turning to Him like Moses did in this passage? God will answer you if you turn to Him in the wilderness and fully trust in Him. You see that He has led you all the way to now. You have seen all of the miracles that He has done in your life. Are you choosing to trust or accuse?

God answered Moses and he said take the staff that you struck the Nile with. Who knows what kind of staff or rod this was. If it was a shepherding staff or just simply a walking stick. Whatever it was, it had power and the Lord was using it. Take that powerful staff God says. Go before the people and I will lead you. I will not leave nor forsake you God has promised to all of us. Why would He ever do that? We are His children, He would never do that. We would though.

Maybe we have had times where we have been like the prodigal son to God. We asked for our share of the inheritance and we have left and gone astray. We have done our own things and gone our own ways. Whatever or wherever that may be it is away from God. God has never left though. He is literally waiting on the porch for you to arrive back so He can welcome you.

So that He can give you the fattened calf and the nicest clothes. God will always be there even when you don’t think He is or you don’t want Him to be. Why would He do that? Love you, love me after leaving Him. It is because His love for us is more vast then we could ever imagine. His grace is sufficient for whatever you did. How amazing is that? We certainly don’t deserve it. Not any bit but we still get it.

So an application that I have for you guys is that desperation should drive us to God, not away from Him. Israel panicked and turned on Moses. Moses Panicked and turned to God. Don’t let desperation in your own life cause you to turn away from the Lord. Don’t forget all that God has done for you in your life. All of the miracles that He has done. Make it a common practice in your life to dwell on what He has done for you.

How He has brought you from the darkness into the light and how He has worked in your life. Just do something this week. This week, pay attention to what your first reaction is under stress. Does that first reaction pull you towards prayer or does it push you to complaint? It can be so easy to complain. The head of maintenance at my church has a sign posted on the top of his office door that says 5 dollar complaint for whining.

God has had to listen to whining from His people for thousands and thousands of years, do you think He has gotten tired of it? I would’ve probably rang a few necks by now but that is why I am not God and never will be. Don’t let the stress in your life push you away from prayer or God but pull you to Him and bring you closer to Him. Remember, like I said, He is always there and He is ready to listen to your whining if you are praying to Him and whining. But when you’re whining at Him and not to Him, that is not what He likes.

Let your complaint and whining be to God and not at Him.

A Stage of Deliverance (6-7)

After the first two stages of despise and desperation, we get to the final stage which is the stage of deliverance. This comes from the last two verses in this passage. Israel had been through everything. They were tired of being tested and were ready to stone Moses, God’s messenger.

The Lord delivers the Israelites now though. He answers them in their call to try and test Him. In verse 6, after God had told Moses to go before the people with the elders, with the staff in his hand. God says that He will stand before Moses and His people on the rock of Horeb. Horeb means dry or desolate. God says I will stand before you on the dry desolate rock in the dry and desolate place!

God isn’t gone. He has been with His people the whole time. But now He says, “I will go before you and I will make myself known to you.” God says you will strike this rock with your staff and water will come out of it. The people will drink God says. The living water in a sense. It will come out and you will drink of it and you will thirst no more. Because God is the one who allows His people to drink of the living water which is Him.

The people test, and try, and quarrel about God and yet He still chooses love. He still chooses to deliver them. He chooses that because that is just who God is. God could’ve chosen to not deliver Israel because they were saying as Psalm 42 says “Where is your God.” Where is our God Moses that brought us out of Egypt into the wilderness? Why would He bring us here? Just so He can kill us?! Where is He when there is no water?

God is right next to them like He has been since day one. He knows that Israel will be His redeeming people and that His son will come from the offspring of David. Israel needs to be redeemed so that the story can become complete. That is why God won’t let them perish. Because what kind of Father would let His children perish on His watch? No matter how defiant or stubborn the Children may be, they are still His children.

After God gives this command, Moses listens. The end of verse 6 says that Moses did so in the sight of the elders. There were witnesses to what God had done through Moses. Just imagine the picture again with me of Moses leading His people to this rock after all of the quarreling and they are about ready to stone Moses. He leads them to this rock and God commands Moses to strike it. Moses does and water comes out of it and the people drink of it.

You know who was the rock that was struck for us? Jesus. Jesus is the rock that was struck for our salvation. In 1 Corinthians 10:4 it says, “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” That is the living water that we get to drink from. What Christ gave us when He was struck on the cross for us. We can now thirst no more because we have water that will fulfill us forever. Water literally flowed from Jesus side when He was struck.

And, on that same rock that was struck so that we could have living water, is the solid rock that can never be moved. It is the cornerstone of our lives. Praise the rock of Jesus Christ that is our salvation that got struck when we were once in the wilderness searching for answers desperate for water and told us to thirst no more! Does that not want to make you just rejoice in the Lord?

After God answers and gives the people of Israel living water from a miracle, Moses renames Rephidim. But this story doesn’t have a happy ending. There was no repentance for what they did. There was no signs of sorrow for what they did. He calls the place Massah and Meribah. Massah means testing or proof. Meribah means complaining or contention.

Why does Moses rename Rephidim to Massah and Meribah? Why not name it to land of the living water or God’s faithfulness abounds?! It is because of the quarreling of the people and because they tested the Lord. This needed to be a sign to all of the future descendants that their family was unfaithful to the Lord. It is because they tested and tried the Lord and complained day and night.

They did not depend on the Lord or give Him the glory after He delivered them. No. They went on with life like nothing at all had happened. That is why the place was named Massah. Testing. Meribah. Complaining. That is all the people did. They tested the Lord and He provided, He responded like He always did and yet still. They showed no signs of repentance.

When we get to the end of verse 7 and what this story ends with, we see something so very sad. We see a failure in the midst of a gift. After all that happened and the deliverance the people still question with this statement, “Is He among us or not?” The people still question if God is among them or not after they had been delivered! They said where is our God, why are we cast down in the wilderness.

What did they think whenever they saw what God did through Moses? What was going through their minds when in the dry place of Horeb water flowed? God said “I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb and still they are choosing to question if He is among them or not. Why do you quarrel with me and why do you test the Lord Moses said back at the beginning.

Conclusion

Listen I don’t know if you are here today and you feel like you are in the wilderness, maybe searching for Living water or you just feel lost, wandering. Maybe you are saying “Is God showing up in my life or no?” Maybe you are asking yourself those questions because you haven’t felt Him in a while. Let me tell you that even if it doesn’t God is our only hope in the wilderness.

We were all once wandering aimlessly in the wilderness like the people of Israel not knowing where we are going. Remember, God is leading you through the wilderness according to His commandment, His will. If you are a Christian and you don’t know that the Christian life involves submitting to His will you have something to learn. When Jesus was praying in the garden He said God not my will but yours be done.

If we lived life according to our will, we would surely not know how amazing God’s providence and grace is. God will never lead you astray, you know that. God has you in the wilderness for a reason. Just never forget that when you are in the wilderness and thirsting that your only hope is God. Your only hope is the rock that was struck on the cross that provides living water for you today.

We should never have to be like Israel because we are told that we will thirst no more. We have the true water that will satisfy us forever that delivered us for good. So if you feel like you are in the wilderness you have a choice to make. Will you trust in God or will you choose to quarrel and question His presence? Questioning if God is there should not be the choice that you make. What has God ever done that should make you feel like He is not there?

He is your father that will never leave nor forsake you. He yearns for a relationship with you. So in the wilderness that you are in picture the great story of the footprints in the sand. Does anyone know that story? My grandpa loved that story. When you are in the wilderness and you are thirsting, you are tired and you can’t go any further but you only see one pair of footprints, that is God’s. He carries you when you can’t walk anymore.

Lean on Him, lean your whole self on God. Depend on Him in everything. Has God ever hurt you? Has He ever left you or compared you? No. Don’t put Him to the test because one that is just stupid and two, He will pass with flying colors every single time. Don’t put Him to the test, just trust. Trust in His divine forbearance.