GOD IN THE DOCK

The whole Bible is about Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament his coming as Savior is expected. In the Gospels his glorious person and redeeming work are exhibited. In the Epistles his way of salvation by faith is explained. Then in the book of Revelation his majesty as King is exalted. From beginning to end it is all about Jesus.

The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (pp. 446–447). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

“And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin” (v. 1). Mark that this chapter opens with the word “And,” connecting it with the one preceding. So, too, chapter 16 begins with “And,” linking it on to the closing verses of 15. “And” is a little word, but we often miss that which is of much importance and value through failing to weigh it carefully. There is nothing trivial in God’s Word, and each word and syllable has its own meaning and worth. At the close of (v. 23) Israel came to Marah, and they could not drink of the waters there because they were bitter. At once we find the people murmuring against Moses, saying. “What shall we drink?” (v. 24). Sad, sad was this, after all that the Lord had done for them. Moses cried unto God, and in long-suffering grace He at once came to the relief of the people. The Lord showed him a tree, which when cast into the bitter waters, at once sweetened them. After this experience they reached Elim, where were twelve wells of water. There closes.

opens with “And.” Why? To connect with what has just preceded. But for what purpose? To show us the in-excusableness and to emphasize the enormity of the conduct of Israel immediate following; as well as to magnify the marvelous patience and infinite mercy of Him who bore so graciously with them. Israel had now entered the wilderness, the Wilderness of Sin, and it furnished no food for them. How, then, do they meet this test of faith? After their recent experience at Marah, one would suppose they promptly and confidently turned unto their Divine Benefactor and looked to Him for their daily bread. But instead of doing this we read, once more, “The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron” (16:3), and not only so, they “spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” (). Yet, notwithstanding their petulency and unbelief, the Lord again came to their relief and rained down bread from Heaven. The remainder of the chapter is occupied with details concerning the manna.

Now, once more, the chapter before us for our present study, begins with “And.” The opening verse presents to us a scene very similar to that which is found at the beginning of the previous chapter. Israel are once again face to face with a trial of faith. Their dependency upon God is tested. This time it is not lack of food, but absence of water. How this illustrates the fact that the path of faith is a path of trial. Those who are led by God must expect to encounter that which is displeasing to the flesh, and also a constant and real testing of faith itself.

God’s design is to wean us from everything down here, to bring us to the place where we have no reliance upon material and human resources, to cast us completely upon Himself.

GOD DESIGNS A TEST.

Exodus 17:1 ESV

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.

“And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” (v. 3). As their thirst increased they grew more impatient and enraged, and threw out their invectives against Moses. “Had Israel been transported from Egypt to Canaan they would not have made such sad exhibitions of what the human heart is, and, as a consequence, they would not have proved such admirable ensamples or types for us: but their forty years’ wandering in the desert furnish us with a volume of warning, admonition, and instruction, fruitful beyond conception. From it we learn, amongst many other things, the unvarying tendency of the heart to distrust God. Anything, in short, for it but God. It would rather lean upon a cobweb of human resources than upon the arm of an omnipotent, all-wise, and infinitely gracious God; and the smallest cloud is more than sufficient to hide from its view the light of His blessed countenance. Well, therefore, may it be termed ‘an evil heart of unbelief.’ which will ever show itself ready to ‘depart from the living God’ ” (C. H. M.).

Pink, A. W. (1962). Gleanings in Exodus (p. 137). Chicago: Moody Press.

FORGED IN FOREKNOWLEDGE.

“And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” (v. 3). As their thirst increased they grew more impatient and enraged, and threw out their invectives against Moses. “Had Israel been transported from Egypt to Canaan they would not have made such sad exhibitions of what the human heart is, and, as a consequence, they would not have proved such admirable ensamples or types for us: but their forty years’ wandering in the desert furnish us with a volume of warning, admonition, and instruction, fruitful beyond conception. From it we learn, amongst many other things, the unvarying tendency of the heart to distrust God. Anything, in short, for it but God. It would rather lean upon a cobweb of human resources than upon the arm of an omnipotent, all-wise, and infinitely gracious God; and the smallest cloud is more than sufficient to hide from its view the light of His blessed countenance. Well, therefore, may it be termed ‘an evil heart of unbelief.’ which will ever show itself ready to ‘depart from the living God’ ” (C. H. M.).

HE KNOWS OUR KIND

Exodus 17:2 ESV

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?”

Moses at once reminded the Israelites that in criticizing him they arraigned the Lord. The word “tempt” in this verse seems to signify try or test. They tried His patience, by once more chiding His servant. They called into question both His goodness and faithfulness. Moses was their appointed leader, God’s representative to the people; and therefore to murmur against him was to murmur against the Lord Himself.

“And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” (v. 3). As their thirst increased they grew more impatient and enraged, and threw out their invectives against Moses. “Had Israel been transported from Egypt to Canaan they would not have made such sad exhibitions of what the human heart is, and, as a consequence, they would not have proved such admirable ensamples or types for us: but their forty years’ wandering in the desert furnish us with a volume of warning, admonition, and instruction, fruitful beyond conception. From it we learn, amongst many other things, the unvarying tendency of the heart to distrust God. Anything, in short, for it but God. It would rather lean upon a cobweb of human resources than upon the arm of an omnipotent, all-wise, and infinitely gracious God; and the smallest cloud is more than sufficient to hide from its view the light of His blessed countenance. Well, therefore, may it be termed ‘an evil heart of unbelief.’ which will ever show itself ready to ‘depart from the living God’ ” (C. H. M.).

Exodus 17:3 ESV

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?”

As their thirst increased they grew more impatient and enraged, and threw out their invectives against Moses.

“Had Israel been transported from Egypt to Canaan they would not have made such sad exhibitions of what the human heart is, and, as a consequence, they would not have proved such admirable ensamples or types for us: but their forty years’ wandering in the desert furnish us with a volume of warning, admonition, and instruction, fruitful beyond conception. From it we learn, amongst many other things, the unvarying tendency of the heart to distrust God. Anything, in short, for it but God. It would rather lean upon a cobweb of human resources than upon the arm of an omnipotent, all-wise, and infinitely gracious God; and the smallest cloud is more than sufficient to hide from its view the light of His blessed countenance. Well, therefore, may it be termed ‘an evil heart of unbelief.’ which will ever show itself ready to ‘depart from the living God’ ” (C. H. M.).

HE CONSTRUCTS OUR CRISIS.

“And there was no water for the people to drink.” What of that? This presented no difficulty to Him who could part the sea asunder and then make its waves return and overwhelm their enemies. It was no harder for Jehovah to provide water than it was for Him to supply them with food. Was not He their Shepherd? If so, shall they want? Moreover, had not the Lord Himself led Israel to Rephidim? Yes, for we are here expressly told, “The children of Israel journeyed according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephedim.” He knew there was no water there, and yet He directed them to this very place! Well for us to remember this. Ofttimes when we reach some particularly hard place, when the streams of creature-comfort are dried up, we blame ourselves, our friends, our brethren, or the Devil perhaps. But the first thing to realize in every circumstance and situation where faith is tested, is, that the Lord Himself has brought us there! If this be apprehended, it will not be so difficult for us to trust Him to sustain us while we remain there.

Pink, A. W. (1962). Gleanings in Exodus (pp. 136–137). Chicago: Moody Press.

ISRAEL DEMANDS A TRIAL

THEIR ACCUSATION

They were demanding God’s provision.

First they said, “Give us water to drink” (). The sin here is demanding God’s provision—not asking for it or waiting for it, but insisting on it. They were telling God that he had to give them what they wanted or else there was no telling what they might do. In our rebellion we often do the same thing. We insist on having our own way. When God does not do for us what we think he ought to do, in the way we think he ought to do it, we complain about it. At home, at work, and in the church, we demand God’s provision on our own terms.

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 449). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

They were denying God’s protection

The second thing the Israelites said was, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” (v. 3). Here they were denying God’s protection. The people assumed the worst, as they usually did, and thus they concluded that God had abandoned them, even to the point of death. Although their words were directed against God’s prophet, they were really impugning God’s motives. They were accusing him of trying to harm them. Again, we often commit the same sin. We complain that what God is doing in our lives—especially the suffering we must endure—is not good for us but actually harmful. This is to deny God’s protection.

They doubted God’s presence

The third thing the Israelites did was to test God, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” (v. 7). In this case, their sin was doubting God’s presence. The lack of water made them wonder if God was really with them after all. Our own trials often raise the same question: “Are you really there, God? If you are, you sure don’t seem to be blessing me very much right now!” When we adopt this attitude, we are guilty of denying God’s presence.

We can understand the complaints that Israel made because we often make the same complaints ourselves. But really, we have nothing to complain about. None of our accusations are true. And if only the Israelites had taken the time to remember everything that God had done for them, they would have recognized this for themselves. God had done great things for his people.

TREASON

He had provided for them, turning bitter water into something sweet and feeding them in the wilderness: “They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven” ().

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (pp. 449–450). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

The people also forgot God’s protection, especially their deliverance from Pharaoh at the Red Sea.

And they forgot his presence. They had seen his glory in the fiery pillar of cloud.

How many times was God going to have to prove himself to these people?

Psalm 95:9 ESV

when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

He was guiding them day and night, feeding them manna six days out of seven, and still they wondered whether he was there for them. Their unbelief was unbelievable!

Treason

Rephidim was supposed to be a place of testing—not for God, but for his people. They were the ones on trial. God had been testing them all along. He tested them at Marah, where the water was bitter: “There the LORD … tested them”

Exodus 15:25

Exodus 15:25 ESV

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,

He tested them again when he sent manna from Heaven. He said,

Exodus 16:4 ESV

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

Then God tested his people once again at Meribah. As part of their ongoing spiritual education, he wanted to see if they would trust him to provide living water. But they were tired of being tested. They wanted to ask the questions, not answer them; so they charged God with breaking his covenant.

How can we tell that Israel was bringing God to trial? First, because twice this episode is called a “test” (, ), meaning a trial by ordeal. As Moses later reminded God’s people,

Deuteronomy 33:8 ESV

And of Levi he said, “Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;

The Hebrew word used in these verses (rib) is the term for a covenant lawsuit. We also know that this was a trial because the people presented a list of their grievances, which were really accusations. As we have seen, they charged God with neglecting to provide for them, refusing to protect them, and failing to be present with them.

Furthermore, the alleged crime was a capital offense—namely, murder. The people said,

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (pp. 450–451). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Exodus 17:3 ESV

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?”

. Although they were pressing this charge against Moses, he, of course, was God’s representative. They were really judging God in absentia for leading them into this wasteland. Not only were they rushing to reach a verdict, but they were also prepared to carry out the sentence. They figured that if they were going to die anyway, then at least Moses should be the first to go. So the prophet was compelled to cry out, “They are almost ready to stone me” (v. 4b). Stoning was a conventional way to carry out the death penalty. Its mention here gives further evidence that the Israelites were conducting some kind of trial.

Although they were pressing this charge against Moses, he, of course, was God’s representative. They were really judging God in absentia for leading them into this wasteland. Not only were they rushing to reach a verdict, but they were also prepared to carry out the sentence. They figured that if they were going to die anyway, then at least Moses should be the first to go. So the prophet was compelled to cry out, “They are almost ready to stone me” (v. 4b). Stoning was a conventional way to carry out the death penalty. Its mention here gives further evidence that the Israelites were conducting some kind of trial.

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 451). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

GOD DEMONSTRATES A TYPE

In the Old Testament this next scene stands as a mystery but the New Testament we are told it was the Messiah.

Suffering not only saves us from sin’s power but it was suffering that saved us from sin’s penalty.

HE STANDS TO BE JUDGED.

God said to Moses,

Exodus 17:5 ESV

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.

In ancient times the assembly of elders passed judgment on disputed matters. Therefore, when Moses gathered them together, he was convening a court by forming a jury.

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 451). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Then he took up his staff to strike the rock. God had given Moses this staff back at the burning bush as the proof of his presence

Exodus 4:1–2 ESV

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.”

, . It represented God’s power and authority as Judge. God called attention to this by saying to Moses, “Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile” (). Striking the Nile was an act of God’s judgment against Egypt. For Moses to strike the rock, therefore, was another act of divine judgment.

It represented God’s power and authority as Judge. God called attention to this by saying to Moses, “Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile” (). Striking the Nile was an act of God’s judgment against Egypt. For Moses to strike the rock, therefore, was another act of divine judgment.

We know this is a courtroom scene by its location; “And he [Moses] called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD” (v. 7). Meribah is legal terms. Massah means “to test.” Meribah means “to strive, to argue, to dispute, or to contend.”

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 451). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

HE SPARES THEM JUSTICE

When all the evidence is considered, the scene at Rephidim is easily recognized as a courtroom. It was more like the People’s Court than the Supreme Court; nevertheless it was a court.

The people wanted to hold God responsible. They were not happy with the way things were going. Instead of trusting that God’s plan was good and gracious, they wanted to bring him to judgment.

People often put God to the test this way. We want him to prove himself to us.

So instead of starting with God and evaluating our experience from his point of view, we start with our own circumstances and judge him on that basis.

When things go wrong, when life does not meet our expectations, we are quick to fix the blame squarely on his shoulders and to demand some kind of explanation.

C. S. Lewis observed: “The ancient man approached God as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man the roles are reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge: if God should have a reasonable defense for being the god who permits war, poverty and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that Man is on the Bench and God in the Dock.”

Lewis was right. People often claim the right to reach their own verdict about God. They demand some answers before they will even think about becoming Christians. Some of the questions are legitimate, such as “If God is good, then why does he allow evil?” or “If God is love, then why did he come up with such a narrow way of salvation?” It is not wrong to ask, but our motivation for asking makes all the difference. Are we asking from a genuine desire to know God, or are we raising objections that are really based on a refusal to believe in him? God loves to answer the questions of an honest seeker, but for those who expect God to meet their demands, his ways will forever remain a mystery.

To see how wrong it is to put God in the dock, consider that this was Satan’s strategy. When the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he tried to get Jesus to prove himself. Taking him to the highest point of the temple he said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’ ” (). Satan was putting Jesus in the dock. He was trying to get him to prove that he really was the Son of God. But Jesus refused to submit to the devil’s trial, not because he couldn’t pass, but because the trial itself was wrong. Thinking back to the exodus, Jesus said, “It is also written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’ ” (v. 7; cf. ).

It is not our place to bring God to trial. The real question is not “What do we think about him?” but “What does he think about us?”

It is not a matter of us reaching a verdict about him, but of him declaring his verdict on us. With reference to Israel’s trial at Meribah, the Bible gives this warning:

Hebrews 3:7–12 ESV

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (pp. 451–452). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

HE SPARES THEM JUSTICE

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.

Exodus 17:6 ESV

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.

Moses took the elders to “the rock at Horeb,” not far from Mount Sinai. Horeb was the place where God had first appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and now God appeared there again.

HE IS SMITTEN BY THE JUDGE

I

Isaiah 53:4 ESV

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

Instead of smiting Israel for their treason God smites Christ. When He is smitten water flows from Him.

What did the water prove? It proved everything about God that the Israelites were calling into question. Remember, they were demanding his provision, denying his protection, and doubting his presence.

But the water flowing from the rock proved all these things. Obviously it proved that God had the power to provide: “He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers” (, ).

Not only was God their provider, but he was also their protector. Instead of judging his people for their sins—especially for their unbelief—he submitted himself to judgment so they could live.

Finally, the rock was the proof of God’s presence. The Israelites wanted to know if God was with them or not. Well, there he was—their Savior—standing on the rock.

In a sermon called “God on Trial,” Ed Clowney describes a play about a group of people who put God to the test. They wanted to know who was responsible for the Holocaust—the destruction of millions of Jews and others in the Nazi concentration camps. Who was to blame?

The play is called The Sign of Jonah. It was written by Günter Rutenborn and was first performed in West Berlin shortly after World War II. The play not only asks the question, “Who’s to blame?” but it also draws both the cast and the audience into the answer. No one is really to blame. A storm trooper merely followed orders. An industrialist merely kept up production. A citizen simply did not become involved. Yet in defending their own innocence each of the accused becomes an accuser. All are guilty. Some are guilty by words; others by silence. Some by what they did; others by what they did not. And suddenly the accused accusers all take up another cry. “We are to blame, yes, but we are not the most to blame. The real blame belongs much higher. God is to blame! God must go on trial!”

draws both the cast and the audience into the answer. No one is really to blame. A storm trooper merely followed orders. An industrialist merely kept up production. A citizen simply did not become involved. Yet in defending their own innocence each of the accused becomes an accuser. All are guilty. Some are guilty by words; others by silence. Some by what they did; others by what they did not. And suddenly the accused accusers all take up another cry. “We are to blame, yes, but we are not the most to blame. The real blame belongs much higher. God is to blame! God must go on trial!”

So that is what the people do: They put God on trial. In the play God is accused, prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced. What is the sentence? The characters decide that God must “become a human being, a wanderer on earth, deprived of his rights, homeless, hungry, thirsty. He himself shall die. And lose a son, and suffer the agonies of fatherhood. And when at last he dies, he shall be disgraced and ridiculed.”

So that is what the people do: They put God on trial. In the play God is accused, prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced. What is the sentence? The characters decide that God must “become a human being, a wanderer on earth, deprived of his rights, homeless, hungry, thirsty. He himself shall die. And lose a son, and suffer the agonies of fatherhood. And when at last he dies, he shall be disgraced and ridiculed.”

So that is what the people do: They put God on trial. In the play God is accused, prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced. What is the sentence? The characters decide that God must “become a human being, a wanderer on earth, deprived of his rights, homeless, hungry, thirsty. He himself shall die. And lose a son, and suffer the agonies of fatherhood. And when at last he dies, he shall be disgraced and ridiculed.”6

Of course, that is exactly what happened. God sent his Son into the world, and people did to him what the Israelites wanted to do with Moses. The Son of God was a man without a home, a wanderer on earth. He was hungry and thirsty. And when his life was almost over, he was deprived of all his rights. He was stripped, mocked, beaten, and then condemned to die the most disgraceful and excruciating death—death on a cross.

He died a traitors death. The Judge of all the Earth was judge by all those on earth. He that is Supreme over all submitted himself to all. Innocence's humble itself underneath the insolences of the haughty. The Guiltless stood condemned for the guilty. The Savior becomes like sinners so that can bear their just recompense and thereby free them from their sentence.

Christ in the dock

to save His flock.

Seated at His Father’s right hand

Stepping down as had been planned

See His rod being raised

How can we not stand amazed.

His justice rolling down

On Him who wore the crown

Now the guilty go free

Because the Judge hung on a tree.

Today we have taken the Lord’s Supper. We have been reminded that he has taken the blow for us. So why don’t you drop all of your angry demands and conditions to God. Stop saying, “I’ll obey you if you get me that job. I’ll obey you if you finally work these things out in my life.” Drop those conditions and say, “You took my blow for me; I give you everything.” If you do that tonight, you’ll drink.

On the other hand, there may be some people here who know they have never actually received Christ as Savior. You’ve never come to him and actually said, “ I see that nothing I have done can possibly merit acceptance with you. Only Jesus Christ can save me.”

You’ve never done that. If you’ve never done that then you need to get the Rock not take the bread. Let’s pray.

Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.