Delivered - God Provides - So Trust and Do

God Provides - and then checks our response (immediate and long-term)

Exodus 16:4 NASB95

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.

1) THIRSTY - Ex. 15: 23-27

Water provided, made to be not bitter

Trust and do - God is trustworthy

2) HUNGRY

Manna provided - description in 16:31

Quail - evening

Bread from heaven - morning

Do they trust God? Instructions:

Gather enough for the day - sun will melt it

Don’t leave it for the next day - God will provide more tomorrow

Some did, some did not - worms, rot

None provided on 7th day, so gather double the day before (6th day)

Some listened, some did not

3) THIRSTY AGAIN - Ex. 17

More grumbling

Great question: “Why do you test the LORD?”

Moses strikes rock - Water comes forth

AT THIS POINT - Give Israel credit - at least they are asking, even if they need attitude adjustment

4) ENEMY - Amalek

God fights - With Israel’s trusting in the plan - Moses arms held up

“YOU GO - I’LL FIGHT!”

SUMMARY: This is how God began His relationship of trust with His people

US - Jesus is the Answer to:

Thirst, Hunger, Defeat

THIRST

John 7:37–38 NASB95

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ”

HUNGER

John 6:32–35 NASB95

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

He invokes Moses

Yes, this is physical, but more so it is SPIRITUAL

DEFEAT - ENEMY

Philippians 3:18–21 NASB95

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

This speaks to future victory (also present)

Do you trust it?

Romans 8:38–39 NASB95

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

REM: Man’s vs God’s Wisdom - Touching on TODAY

We, people, trust other people and their wisdom when it comes to physical matters (virus, for instance)

Why do we NOT trust God when it comes to these matters?

MORE: When God tells us about the reality of Hell, why do so many reject and ignore Him?

People all around us are using fear as a means to control

People apparently respond to fear, because they have no hope

God promises hope, we are not to live a life of being afraid, and “shaming” someone into believing in Jesus is not the answer...

....but, that reality is certain. One SHOULD be fearful of what lies beyond this world, without Christ

But people will stay indoors, wear masks, etc. because people tell them to

Because people don’t want to get sick

Same people, will ignore the warning of God, of believers, no matter how much they are told

They don’t care that they are spiritually sick

Believers will encourage others to grow in the Lord, but...

...“Church-goers” don’t care about spiritual sickness - can’t see it or touch it, so it’s ignored

We hear fear, fear, fear - and we stay home

We hear positives from God, and we do nothing, or we take very little action

Why don’t we respond to God’s encouragement the way we respond to the world’s warning to be afraid?

QUESTIONS, THEN AND NOW (CH. 17)

Why do you test the LORD?

Is the LORD among us or not?

We ask this at times, even in the face of the obvious

God provides - again and again and again

“Little” ways; “Big” ways

But when you DO doubt (and you might)

Go to Him

Cry out to Him

He knows. He knows!

POINTS:

1 - God’s provision is not necessarily dependent on our trust

Israel was provided for before their trust

Unbelievers - God provides food and shelter and other stuff for people

Believers - provided for, even when we don’t ask

God’s material provision is not necessarily dependent on our trust

2 - God’s eternal, spiritual provision IS dependent on our trust

3 - God always acts first - ***

He did not wait for trust to be demonstrated

All the way back to Genesis 3

The exodus - “I’m going to do this, watch, then trust Me”

All the OT points to God’s promise to deliver

He did not wait for OUR trust to be demonstrated

Rather, He demonstrated His love for us - FIRST!

Romans 5:8 NASB95

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God did not say: “If you trust, I’ll feed you.”

He said: “I’ll feed you, but you have to eat”

He said: “I’ll give you water, but you have to drink.”

He said: I’ll provide salvation, but you have to trust”

YOUR JOB IS TO TRUST

HE WILL NOT FORCE YOU TO BE SAVED

He will not force anyone to drink

He will not force anyone to eat

He will not save you, if you reject Him - that’s your choice

He will not grow you spiritually, if you choose not to

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

All we need, He has provided, and continues to provide

OUR JOB IS TO TRUST