EXODUS 17:8-16 VICTORIOUS IN THE TRIAL

INTRODUCTION

WHEN you soak a sponge in water and then press down on it, what's inside comes out. A trial is the pressure on our lives that shows us what we've been soaking up. Trials show us what's really inside.

Chapters 14–19 of Exodus chronicle a series of challenges that the Israelites faced on their journey to the land that God had promised to them. The challenges spanned the spectrum from military struggle to hunger and thirst. Each victory quickly yielded to a new battle. This series of struggles tested Israel’s resolve. It was so trying that Israel frequently yearned to return to the slavery of Egypt instead of going on with the fight. They often voiced their harsh displeasure with their circumstances to their leader, Moses. Moses was about to experience ANOTHER trial in a desert land, AGAIN as the leader of a MURMURING people. But God is not arbitrary. He had a purpose in leading his people down this hard road. But before we get to the reason for the hard road, let’s travel that road with Moses and Israel and experience it with them.

IN CHAPTER 19 GOD DIRECTS ISRAEL’S ATTENTION TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THEIR SALVATION

IT COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED BY SCIENCE NEITHER REASON, BUT BECAUSE GOD BROKE INTO HISTORY, AND ACCOMPLISHED WHAT COULD NOT BE HUMANLY ACCOMPLISHED

WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT JUST A THEORY BY WHICH GOD HAS SAVED US AND ACTS ON OUR BEHALF

WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US IT COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE AND IN HIS POWER OVERTHROWN WHAT COULD NEVER BE OVERTHROWN BY THE STRONGEST NATION

YOU COULDN’T HEAL YOURSELF ON YOUR OWN, DELIVER YOURSELF ON YOUR OWN, PROSPER YOURSELF ON YOUR OWN, REMOVE THE OBSTACLE ON YOUR OWN

PHARAOH COULDN’T CONTEND WITH THE SOARING MIGHT OF YAHWEH

NOTHING CAN STAND AGAINST THE SOARING MIGHT OF GOD

NO MATTER HOW STRONG THE DARKNESS IS, IT IS NO CHALLENGE FOR THE SPIRIT WHO MOVED OVER THE FACE OF THE WATERS PREPARING LIFE TO BE INJECTED INTO IT

NO TRIAL WAS TOO BIG

IF THE ENEMY CANNOT STOP YOU FROM MOVING OUT OF THE AFFLICTION, HE CANNOT STOP YOU FROM MOVING IN

AND BECAUSE GOD HAS THE POWER TO BRING YOU OUT, HE HAS THE POWER TO BRING YOU IN

HOWEVER, YOU MAY FEEL LIKE THE WORST IS NOT BEHIND BUT IN FRONT OF YOU

BUT AS WE WILL SEE IN THE TEXT, THE MORE PRESSURE THAT IS APPLIED TO THE OUTSIDE, THE MORE GLORY THAT IS GOING TO BE RELEASED ON THE INSIDE

BODY

THE ISRAELITES HAD UST EXPERIENCED ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING MIRACLES THAT COULD BE EXPERIENCED

THEY NEEDED WATER

AND AS USUAL, THEY COMPLAINED AND MURMURED ABOUT BEING THIRSTY

THUS MOSES IS DIRECTED TO STRIKE THE ROCK AND THAT WATER WOULD COME FLOWING OUT

A WONDERFUL SYMBOL HOW CHRIST WAS SMITTEN ONCE AND AS A RESULT THE SPIRIT WAS RELEASED ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST

THIS IS VERIFIED BY PAUL IN

1 Corinthians 10:3–4 KJV 1900

And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

ON THEIR OURNEY NOW, THE ISRAELITES ARE FOLLOWED BY CHRIST

COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE THE ROCK THAT WAS PUT UNDER MOSES, SO THAT MOSES COULD REST WHILE AARON AND HUR LIFTED HIS ARMS

Matthew 8:28 KJV 1900

And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

Matthew 10:28 KJV 1900

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 11:28 KJV 1900

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

MATT

YOU ONLY HAVE TO TAKE ONE STEP TOWARDS HIM AND HE PROMISES REST

ANYTIME THAT YOU RECEIVE SOMETHING FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE FLESH IS GOING TO COME AND WAR AGAINST IT

AS AMALEK IS A TYPE OF THE FLESH

DESCENDANTS FROM ESAU WHO SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT FOR A BOWL OF SOUP

AND ANYTIME THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS SOMETHING MIRACULOUS AND WONDERFUL INTO YOU LIFE, THE FLESH ALWAYS COMES TO FIGHT AGAINST THAT BLESSING

UP TO THIS POINT, GOD HAD DONE THE FIGHTING FOR THEM

BUT NOW IT IS TIME FOR THEM TO FIGHT

THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION

IN JUSTIFICATION, CHRIST IS FIGHTING FOR US

IN SANCTIFICATION, THE SPIRIT IS FIGHTING THROUGH US

HERE IS WHY MANY BELIEVERS DON’T GROW

THEY FEEL BETTER WHEN CHRIST IS FIGHTING FOR THEM

THIUS, THEY REMAIN AT JUSTIFICATION

LIKE THE DISCIPLES ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS

JESUS LED THEM OUT AS FAR AS BETHANY AND BLESSED THEM THERE

HE BLESSED THEM IN BETHANY, BUT TOLD THEM TO GO TO JERUSALEM TO RECEIVE POWER FROM ON HIGH

MOST PEOPLE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AT THE BLESS ME PLACE, WHEN GOD WANTS YOU TO GO TO THE PLACE OF POWER

DOES ANYONE WANT TO GO TO THE PLACE OF POWER?

WE LIKE TO QUOTE THOSE SCRIPTURES: THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD. STAND STILL AND SEE THE SALVATION OF OUR LORD

WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THAT NAME ORF THE LORD SHALL BE DELIVERED

BUT WHAT ABOUT POWER

POWER TO GET YOUR JOY BACK, FAITH, PRAYER LIFE, WORSHIP, MARRIAGE

THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE WITH JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION

IN JUSTIFICATION, CHRIST FIGHTS FOR YOU BUT IN SANCTIFICATION THE SPIRIT FIGHTS THROUGH YOU

AND THE ENTRANCE OF THE NEW NATURE WILL BRING A WAR UPON THE EXISTENCE OF THE OLD NATURE

THEREFORE, GOD SAYS, IT IS TIME TO FIGHT

I WILL BE WITH YOU BUT YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING

THIS TEXT IS FULL OF ALL KINDS OF TYPOLOGY

AMALEK IS A TYPE OF THE CARNAL NATURE

AARON MEANS “MOUNTAIN OF STRENGTH”

HUR MEANS “FIRE”

Isaiah 2:2 KJV 1900

And it shall come to pass in the last days, That the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow unto it.

Luke 12:49 KJV 1900

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

MOSES TOLD JOSHUA, WHO IN FACT IS THE ONE OF THE GREATEST TYPES OF CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

GO OUT AND FIGHT AND TOOK AARON AND HUR WITH HIM UP THE MOUNTAIN

YOU CANNOT REACH YOUR DESTINY ON YOUR OWN

YOU NEED OTHER BELIEVERS TO FIGHT AND BATTLE WITH YOU TO FULFILL YOUR DESTINY

JOSHUA IS THE NAME JESUS AND MEANS THE LORD SAVES

The conviction that Jesus (Yeshua)1 is the True Joshua was one of the most powerful themes in early Christian preaching.2 The church fathers attributed profound typological significance to the fact that Jesus was named for the successor of Moses, the warrior-conqueror of Canaan who led the twelve tribes of Israel into their promised inheritance

The conviction that Jesus (Yeshua)1 is the True Joshua was one of the most powerful themes in early Christian preaching.2 The church fathers attributed profound typological significance to the fact that Jesus was named for the successor of Moses, the warrior-conqueror of Canaan who led the twelve tribes of Israel into their promised inheritance

1 “Jesus” is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew “Joshua.”

JESUS TELLS JOSHUA GO OUT AND FIGHT AND I WILL GO TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WITH THE ROD OF GOD

WHENEVER MOSES HELP UP HIS HANDS, ISRAEL WAS VICTORIOUS

Gage, W. A. (2010). Essays in Biblical Theology (p. 46). Fort Lauderdale, FL: Warren A. Gage.

AND WHENEVER HIS HANDS LOWERED AMALEK WAS VICTORIOUS

SO, THE ROCK WAS PLACED UNDER MOSES SO THAT HE COULD REST ON CHRIST, WHILE HUR MEANING FIRE (HOLINESS) HELD UP ONE ARM AND AARON (MOUNTAIN OF STRENGTH) HELD UP THE OTHER

WHILE THIS WAS TAKING PLACE, CHRIST WAS VICTORIOUS IN THE VALLEY

LOOK AT THE PICTURE, WHEN YOU REST ON CHRIST WITH HOLINESS ON THE MOUNTAIN OF STRENGTH, CHRIST AND THE SPIRIT IS VICTORIOUS OVER THE DEVIL AND YOUR FLESH

MOSES LOOKED LIKE HE WAS HANGING ON A CROSS

FOR CHRIST, HE WAS COMPLETELY HOLY WHO WAS NAILED TO A TREE ON THE MOUNTAIN OF STRENGTH, WHICH IS CALVARY

HIS KINGDOM PREVAILED IN THE VALLEY

THAT IS WHY YOU CAN DISCOMFIT THE ENEMY WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT IN THE VALLEY

BECAUSE CHRIST DIED ON A CROSS, YOU CAN BE VICTORIOUS IN THE VALLEY

BECAUSE CHRIST DID IT, WHEN YOU FIGHT

AS LONG AS YOU KEEP YOUR LIFE NAILED TO THE CROSS VICTORY IS YOURS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS LIFTED IN WORSHIP

WHEN YOUR HANDS ARE LIFTED IN WORSHIP, YOU HAVE TOTAL DEPENDENCE UPON GOD AND WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED FOR US AT THE CROSS

HOWEVER, MANY CHRISTIANS ATTEMPT TO LIFT THEIR HANDS WITH THEIR OWN STRENGTH