Exodus 17
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Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.
No need to spiritualize the name here of Sin.
They are journeying.
in the story of Exodus we are just after the lord provide water, The lord providing Manna, and the lord providing Meat.
All of this in the midst of their grumbling.
So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will 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 or not they will walk in My instruction.
Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the Lord.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your grumblings.’ ” It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
Exodus 16:8-9
God has provided for these wretched people time and time again and time and time again they grumble.
Nehemiah 9
Summary of what happened in the wilderness.
Here the issue here. Look in verse 1…
They are moving according to the command of the Lord.
and there was no water for them to drink.
The Israelites are prosperity Gospel people.
They believe that God works for them.
Now again, they are thirsty.
They need water for life.
Does God not know this?
Hard times make us forget.
“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!
God has brought these people out of the hands of Egypt but look at what they say in verse 2
Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?”
Quarreled. Grumbling. Complaining.
This is sinful.
There is nothing holy about complaining, grumbling.
But how often do we complain?
They make demands of Moses as if they are God.
Moses can’t bring water.
Moses obviously fed up with this says:
“Why do you quarrel with me?”
Better question: Why do you test the Lord?
Literally- they are putting God on trial.
They are charging God with something.
Bear in mind here, they are fighting with Moses but their complaints are aimed squarely at the Lord.
Listen to the charges
But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
Hear what these people are saying:
They have heard the promises of God.
They have forgotten the faithfulness of God.
They treat Moses as they want to treat God.
They grumbled.
You know what this means in Hebrew: they grumbled.
The accuse God of evil.
The accuse God of injustice.
They accuse God of lying.
They accuse God of attempted murder.
They bring these charges against God.
And Moses is fearful for His life.
He responds differently here than in Chapter 16:6-8 Look there.
Here, he is afraid.
There grumbling has turned violent.
Moses is fearful.
He goes to God.
And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
Again, grumbling has turned into violence.
They are ready to kill Moses.
and God steps in
Look in verse 5- 6
Then the Lord 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. “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.
Then the Lord 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.
Elders of Israel- representatives of the people.
The staff- symbolic of God’s faithfulness-
They go to Horeb. They go to Mt. Sinai.
God stands there.
Moses is commanded to Strike a rock.
This is not normal. points to the miraculous work this is.
He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”
They tested the Lord, and the Lord proved faithful.
They wanted to Kill Moses, the one who interceded for them.
Finish here.
Summary of what happened in the wilderness.