IN THE MIDST- WEEK 2

“Is the Yahweh in Our Midst or Not?”

Text: Exodus 17:1–7 (LSB)

Big Idea: When God’s people experience pressure after redemption, they are tempted to put God on trial rather than trust His presence.

INTRODUCTION

(Natural continuation from Week 1)

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that God often makes the preacher walk the road before he ever talks about it. It’s like a man who’s been sent to warn others about a rough stretch of road—he usually has to hit the potholes himself first. Not because he’s special, but because the Word has to work on him before it works through him. The message is never first for the church; it’s first for the one who stands here to preach it.

Last week we saw that God placed Himself at the center of His world. Sin, at its root, was not merely disobedience—it was the seizure of that center.

This week, the center is no longer seized. It is questioned.

Exodus 17 is not the story of unbelievers shaking their fists at God. It is the story of a redeemed people—freshly delivered—now asking a dangerous question.

“Is the Yahweh in our midst or not?”

Scripture

1 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of Yahweh, and they camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you test Yahweh?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to put us and our children and our livestock to death with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” 5 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your 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 will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 So he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the contending of the sons of Israel, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us or not?”

I. A REDEEMED PEOPLE UNDER REAL PRESSURE

(Exodus 17:1–3)

Israel has already passed through the Red Sea. They stood on dry ground while the waters closed in behind them. They watched Pharaoh’s army—the power that once terrified them—collapse and disappear.

On the far shore, they didn’t whisper their praise. They lifted their voices. They sang. They celebrated the God who had rescued them with a mighty hand.

They are no longer slaves. The chains are broken. They belong to the LORD.

And yet—now they are thirsty.

That moment matters, because Scripture is teaching us something honest and necessary: redemption does not remove pressure. Being delivered does not mean life suddenly becomes easy. Obedience has led them into a hard place, and faith has brought them into real discomfort.

And it is precisely there—when the songs have faded, when the relief has worn off, and when the need feels urgent—that something begins to surface. Not about God, but about the human heart.

II. FROM TRUST TO TESTING

(Exodus 17:2)

The text tells us that the people quarreled with Moses and tested the LORD. That wording matters. This isn’t just people being tired or grumpy. Something deeper is happening.

What we are seeing here is a reversal of Eden.

In Genesis, God tested man. God spoke, God commanded, and man was called to trust Him. Here, the roles are flipped. Now the people are testing God. They are putting Him on trial.

And that’s an important difference.

Testing God does not mean asking for help when you’re desperate. Scripture encourages us to cry out to the Lord. Testing God means standing back and demanding that God prove Himself—as if He owes us an explanation.

At this point, God’s presence is no longer taken for granted. It’s no longer trusted. It’s being judged.

And once God’s presence is treated like something that has to earn our confidence, trust has already started to break down.

III. THE QUESTION THAT SHOULD NEVER BE ASKED

(Exodus 17:7)

When the people ask, “Is the LORD in our midst or not?” they are not asking for directions. This is not a question of location. It is a question of loyalty.

They are not asking where God is. They are asking whether He is truly with them at all.

In other words, they begin to tie God’s presence to their circumstances. God is no longer trusted because of who He is, but evaluated based on what He provides—and how quickly He provides it.

If the water flows, then God must be present. If the water is delayed, then God must be absent.

That way of thinking is dangerous.

It turns faith into a transaction. It treats God like a utility instead of a King. And it quietly teaches the heart that God’s nearness is proven by comfort rather than by covenant faithfulness.

And once God’s presence is measured by immediate relief, trust will always rise and fall with circumstances.

IV. GOD REMAINS IN THE MIDST—EVEN WHEN QUESTIONED

(Exodus 17:5–6)

God does not abandon His people. He does not turn away from them. He does not revoke His covenant or walk out on what He has promised.

Instead, He tells Moses to strike the rock.

That detail matters. God remains in the midst of His people even while they are questioning Him. He does not leave the camp. He does not withdraw His presence. He acts.

But Scripture is careful here. This response is mercy, not approval. God meets their need, not because they trusted Him well, but because He is faithful to His covenant.

The people live, not because their faith was strong, but because God’s character is steady. He provides water in the wilderness not to reward testing, but to preserve His people and keep His promises moving forward.

And that should sober us and comfort us at the same time. God is patient, but He is not casual. He is gracious, but He is never absent. Even when His people falter, He remains in the midst—faithful, present, and at work.

V. CHRIST IN THE TEXT

(1 Corinthians 10:4)

Paul later looks back on this moment and removes all doubt about what is happening. He tells us plainly, “The rock was Christ.” This is not poetic language. It is theological reality.

In Exodus, Moses strikes the rock. In the fullness of time, Christ is struck. Judgment falls, not on the people who questioned God, but on the One who stands in their place.

Christ is struck. And when He is struck, life flows.

The water in the wilderness was not a reward for Israel’s faithfulness. It was grace flowing from a wounded Savior. The people live, not because they passed the test, but because Christ bears the blow they deserved.

This teaches us something vital about God’s presence. God’s nearness is not proven by comfort, ease, or immediate relief. It is proven by covenant faithfulness—by God keeping His promises even when His people falter.

The presence of God is not most clearly seen when life is easy. It is most clearly seen when grace flows where judgment should have fallen. And that grace flows because Christ stands in the midst—struck, faithful, and sufficient.

VI. THE WARNING AND THE HOPE

This text speaks directly to the Church, and it does so with both warning and assurance.

It warns us not to confuse hardship with abandonment. Difficulty is not proof that God has left. Thirst in the wilderness does not mean the covenant has failed. The Lord often leads His redeemed people into places where trust must grow deeper, not where comfort comes quicker.

It warns us not to measure God’s nearness by the speed of provision. When relief is delayed, faith is tested. But delayed provision is not denied presence. God is not less near because the answer takes time.

And it warns us not to put the King on trial. God is not obligated to prove Himself on our schedule. He has already revealed His faithfulness. To demand proof is not humility—it is a subtle reversal of roles, where the creature sits in judgment over the Creator.

But this text also assures us—strongly, clearly, and graciously.

God does not disappear when His people struggle. He does not retreat when faith wavers. He does not abandon the covenant when obedience feels costly. He remains in the midst, even when questioned, even when misunderstood, even when tested.

The wilderness does not drive God away. It reveals whether we will trust Him there.

And the comfort of this passage is not that God always removes the hardship quickly, but that He remains present faithfully. He stays with His people. He keeps His promises. He provides what is needed to carry them forward.

So this text calls us not to panic, but to trust. Not to accuse, but to remember. Not to demand proof, but to rest in covenant faithfulness.

The Lord is still in the midst of His people. And that is enough to carry us through the wilderness.

APPLICATIONS (6)

Redemption does not eliminate hardship—it redefines it

Pressure reveals whether we trust God or test Him

God’s presence is not measured by comfort

Testing God replaces faith with demand

Christ bears judgment so God’s people may live

Faith learns to trust God in the midst of thirst

CALL TO REPENT AND BELIEVE

Church, this is not a call to despair. It is a call to remember.

The question before us is not whether God has proven Himself enough. The cross has already settled that. The question is whether we will trust Him when provision is delayed, when obedience leads into discomfort, and when the wilderness feels long.

And if you find yourself asking, “Is the LORD really with me?”—the cross has already answered.

For those who belong to Christ, this is a call to return: Repent—not of weakness, but of testing God, of quietly demanding proof instead of resting in His promises. Believe—not only in Christ’s saving work in the past, but in His present reign over your life today.

And if you are here this morning and you have never trusted Christ, the call is the same—clear and open: Turn from self-rule. Turn from measuring God by circumstances. Trust in Jesus Christ—the One who bore the judgment you deserve, rose victorious over death, and now reigns as King.

The Rock has already been struck. The water has already flowed. Forgiveness is real. Life is offered.

And the King remains in the midst of His people—faithful, reigning, and near.

CLOSING PRAYER

Father, You have proven Yourself faithful again and again. Forgive us for the moments when pressure causes us to question Your presence. Teach us to trust You when obedience leads into difficulty. Anchor our faith not in circumstances, but in Christ—the Rock who was struck for us.

As we prepare now to share a meal together, we thank You for Your provision. Bless the food we are about to receive, and bless the fellowship we will enjoy. May it strengthen our bodies and deepen our love for one another as Your people.

And as we depart from this place, send us out in faith. Keep us faithful in the wilderness, bold in obedience, and steady in trust. May we live this week knowing that You remain in our midst—reigning, present, and good.

We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.