03-29-2020 - Taking Action When God Speaks...

Exodus 17:1–7 NLT

1 At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. 2 So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded. “Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?” 3 But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” 4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!” 5 The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on. 7 Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”

Exodus 17

Exodus 17 ESV

1 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. 2 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?” 3 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?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 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. 6 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. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” 8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

In Need of a Drink

In Need of a Drink - Part One (Exodus 17:1-7)

They had thirsted before ( at Marah)

Question: Who Brought Israel Out of Egypt? - The Correct Answer is GOD did… Therefore it was God’s responsibility to care for this people...

Two Sins Erupt from People Forgetting Who Called them to this Journey:

Complaining (17:2-3) - Give us Water (Real Need), Moses (Wrong Source)

Testing God (17:2) - This “tempting God” indicates a heart (collective in this case) of unbelief. “God does not care. God will not help..” So We will turn to Moses and make him help us...

The Man of Faith ()

Moses is a good illustration for us when we reach trials in our lives.

Moses seeks God’s guidance

Moses Obey’s God’s Voice

Moses Allows God to be the Source of Provision

In Need of a Drink - Part Two ()

Numbers 20:1–5 ESV

1 And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there. 2 Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”

Numbers 20:1

Thirst is often used in the Bible to indicate not only Physical thirst, but Spiritual Thirs

The PROBLEM of arises again: “the people quarreled with Moses...”

The Argument Has Advanced:

We should have perished with our brothers (the sinners who Died at God’s hands)

Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD (we be holy, you not so much)

What about our Animals? (PETA already in play…)

Where are we, this is and EVIL place (You want us to die in a wicked place)

This is **not** the Promised land (You must have lied about Where we were going…)

Numbers 20:6

Numbers 20:6–11 ESV

6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9 And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.

Numbers 20:6–12 ESV

6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, 7 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9 And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

Men of Anger

Faith Failure ()

Faith Failure ()

Moses and Aaron, once again, Seek God’s Guidance (v. 6)

God once again Chooses a Rock - but this time they are to SPEAK to the Rock

In the first instance we have the Christ of the Old Testament Struck (the law requires death in payment for sin - crucifixion) - in the second instance we Have the Christ of the new testament - ask, and receive

Notice the change in tone in v. 10… “hear now, you rebels… shall WE bring water for you out of this rock?”

Moses Action now defies his conversation with God - He STRIKES the rock, and not just one time, but twice!!!

God is Good. God Provides in spite of the Faith Failure of Moses (v. 11)

God is Displeased. God Punishes Moses AND Aaron (v. 12)

Because you did not BELIEVE (Faith Failure) in Me (He is the Source of Wisdom AND Provision)

Because You did not UPHOLD ME A HOLY in the eyes of Israel..

YOU SHALL NOT Complete the Task nor the Journey of bringing My people into the Land that I (Provider/Source) have given to them...

An interesting side-note, after the Triumph, Israel defeats Amalek (the day the sun stood still); BUT, after the Faith Fail, Israel is barred from passing through Edom’s territory

Conclusion:

God Expects to be the Source of our Wisdom

God Expects His Wisdom and Guidance to Be Accepted and Obeyed

God Expects Us to Trust Him and to Obey Him **every time** - even if He alters the Approach

God Expects His Holiness to be Exalted - not diminished by our interference