Quarreling with the Lord
Notes
Transcript
Misplaced Fault
Misplaced Fault
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”
But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
We all face times of trial in our life, especially times that seemingly everything is going wrong. Our culture and our flesh that is continually seeking to push us away from the Lord tells us that there is fault to be had and that fault does not belong to us.
We become so focused on our circumstances and this innate need to pass blame on to someone else for our problems and circumstances. Three big errors with this thinking:
1. where we place blame is usually incorrect - Leads to more brokenness
2. we position ourselves to be the victim (victim mentality) - Inhibits our ability to see God at work
3. it does not provide a solution to our circumstances - We fail to seek help from God and others
After questioning the people as to what good their blame has done to get them water, Moses then positions himself to seek help from the Lord.
As God answers, Moses brings the elders with him to show them the provision of the Lord that they might redirect the hearts of their tribes to seek the Lord first.
Properly Placed Faith
Properly Placed Faith
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
The reality of the world that we live in is that there will be troubles. Remember the Prince of this present Age is the Prince of Darkness who desires to steal, kill and destroy. And since he knows that we are a blame others/victim culture, he knows that bringing trouble into our lives will push us from God even though troubles are designed to draw us toward Him.
God once again gives testimony to the people of Israel as to what is the end result when they replace misplaced blame with properly placed faith.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
We can press forward in all things for we know that the One who fights for us has already overcome. God instructed Moses to place his hands up, a sign of pressing forward and a sign of trust in the Lord in prayer. As Moses commanded his people to press on in faith, the battle resulted in their favor. As his hands fell, they were met with defeat.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
When the struggles and troubles of life hit, how will we respond?