Monday: Bitter Waters
“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” (Exodus 17:1, NIV).
Perhaps we might not get from God everything we want, but couldn’t we expect to get all that we need? Not what we think we need but what we truly need?
Image © Pacific Press at Goodsalt.com
There was one thing the Israelites certainly needed, and that was water. Just after God in the cloud led the Israelites through the Red Sea, they followed Him through the hot, waterless desert for three days. Particularly in the desert, where finding water is so critical, their desperation is understandable. When would they get the water they needed?
So, where does God lead them? The pillar goes to Marah, where, at last, there is water. They must have been excited. But when they tasted the water, they immediately spat it out because it was bitter. “So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’” (Exodus 15:24, NIV).
Then, a few days later, God does it again. This time, however, the pillar actually stops where there is no water at all (Exodus 17:1).
Read Exodus 15:22-27 and Exodus 17:1-7. What did God reveal to Israel about Himself at Marah and at Rephidim? What lessons should they have learned?
In Rephidim, what question did the children of Israel ask? Exodus 17:7. Have you ever asked the same question? If so, why? How did you feel, and what lessons did you learn after you had it answered? How many times do we need to get it answered before we stop asking it altogether?
(25)
Today's lesson proposes:
Consistent with what the lesson is proposing, it is interesting to compare and contrast Jesus's response when He was also in a desert and in need of physical sustaining. In response to Satan's temptation to meet His genuine need for food, Jesus affirmed awareness of His even greater need when He stated that "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).
Jesus's quoting of Moses from Deuteronomy 8:3 reflects Jesus having become trained/'disciplined' (ie discipled) into trusting (as per Hebrews 5:8-9) that God will always, in every situation, supply what we truly need when we truly need it. This settledness enabled Jesus to trust confidently in God - regardless of how things looked or felt in the moment.
God knows that development of settledness into trusting Him in challenging situations is not easy for us to do as humans. Therefore He is abundantly compassionately patient and perseverant in helping us grow in trust - as per His willingness to persevere with the nation of Israel even though they persistently resorted to doing what seemed good in their own eyes (eg Judges 21:25).
Amen
Again we see that the Lord led His people straight into a difficult situation that would test their faith in Him. It was also an opportunity for Him to show His loving care - which He did. He made the bitter water sweet. (What a great illustration of what God can do in our lives!)
God still leads His people in similar fashion. And, if we could know the end from the beginning, it would be easy not to murmur as the Israelites did and even to be joyful. But we can't see the end from the beginning or discern the glory of His purpose. Yet Peter exhorts us to "rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy." (1 Pet 4:13) But that doesn't come naturally. Joy in suffering is a distinct gift of the Spirit.
That gift brought Paul to the place where he could write, "Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all" (Phil 2:7) and "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church." (Col 1:24)
I don't think I'm there yet, though I remember clearly several incidents where I was under "frenemy" fire when the Lord gave me a distinct sense of peace and even joy. I was thankful that He allowed me to be attacked for no good reason rather than to be the one doing the attacking. It really is an awesome feeling in the true meaning of the word.
How about you? Have you experienced peace and joy in difficult circumstances or even while being attacked?
Hello Inge,
Thank you for your enlighten ing and encouraging comments.
When you ask, "How about you? Have you experienced peace and joy in difficult circumstances or even while being attacked?", My answer is big "Yes,all the time", which immediately brings to mind...
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies;thou anointest my head with oil;my cup runneth over.~ Psalms 23:5
The eastern coast of Australia has had three quite devastating floods this year. One of the consequences is that many of the roads have developed potholes. These are seriously beg potholes. If you drop a wheel into one of them at even low speeds, you are quite likely to ruin a tyre. Carmel found that out a couple of weeks ago when she was going to one of her U3A classes. She ruined not only got a flat tyre, she wrecked it and I had to replace it.
The local community Facebook page has lit up with invective against the local council. Why haven't the roads been fixed? Where to our council rates go? ...and a whole lot more that is unprintable here. The simple truth is we have had so much rain this year that we are short not only of money but manpower to fix the roads. We have 1000s of kilometres of rain damaged roads and only about 20 maintenance people in our local council area. We have become what we Australian's call a "mob of whingers", blaming the government for our problems.
The Israelites too had become a mob of whingers. I understand that if you are travelling in the desert then water is a problem and it needs to be resolved fairly quickly, but the Israelites had turned to whinging and complaining about their problem. They grumbled and blamed Moses for their predicament. If they had had facebook I can imagine pages of Hebrew invective against Moses.
Whinging and complaining about difficult circumstances seems to be a human characteristic. Even Job's wife thought she had the solution for Job's predicament, "Curse God and die! " She was willing to put the blame on God.
Today in our spiritual lives we often like to blame someone in authority for situations we find ourselves in. How often do we hear the phrase, "The church should do ...", or "Why hasn't the church done ..."
Predicaments are God's opportunities. Sometimes he perform a miracle but more often that not he turns the predicament into a learning opportunity. Often, it is such situations that provides us with the opportunity to grow and develop.
If you try to be patient with all of those "whingers" may be you'll develop a beautiful character like Moses did. Even though Moses messed up at the end, at least he got a trip to heaven.
What is learned from a situation that tries a person to the utmost with God by his side and brings him to “perfection” (maturity in Christ) is more of a miracle than a supernatural intervention to “fix” the problem. There is a joy in being made into the image of Christ that surpasses “happiness” that would come from a god who fixes all the bad situations of life.
Perpetually fixing the problem of a situation enables a person to remain immature and stunted, instead of growing up in the stature of Christ. This principle especially applies to the body of Christ, the church, as Paul points out in his letter to the Ephesians 4:11-16.
Why did the Israelites and/or the mixed multitude blame Moses for the lack of water? Did they not realize the miracles were performed by the LORD? Surely they knew that the "Pillar of Cloud/Fire" was an indication of the presence of the LORD?
The LORD was testing them to see if they trusted Him to care for them, provided they were prepared to live according to His Principles of Life. The LORD knows what is best for us and what will make us happy and sucessful.
Ex 15:24-27 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He made a statute and an 25 ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (CSB)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Study's comment:
Perhaps we might not get from God everything we want, but couldn’t we expect to get all that we need? Not what we think we need but what we truly need?
What did we get for our needs to be a perfected son/daughter of God ?
Jesus in flesh, knew his Hebrew Scriptures, as the WORD of GOD he spoke to a chosen people and as the WORD incarnate he lived the WORDs of God and explained the hidden plan of salvation, from his enemies, and revealed it to those, who had eyes to see, and ears to hear.
The escape from Egypt, through the troubled waters, the journey through the desert and the goal of the promised of land, was a shadow that had hidden meaning, and now revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.
The substance/reality of these events, Egypt/Waters/Desert Wanderings /Promised Land was lived out in his life and he perfected the way as the New Israel. and we in HIM.
The events in Jesus ministry was carry our Sins/out of Egypt, Baptism/ (waters) desert Wanderings/(sanctification) and promised Land/ New heavens and New Earth.
We were presented with a new way, a new law in hears and minds, but it comes with a cost ! ?
Will we give up our life for it, in faith ?
Keep on trucking (meme)
Shalom in HIM !
🙏