COME AS A CHILD LESSON 134 A TIME OF THIRST, TESTING AND QUARRELS

A TIME OF THIRST, TESTING AND QUARRELS

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Exodus Chapter 17 only contains sixteen verses; but those few verses say so much!  

The first thought is the fact that the people of Israel had been traveling through the Wilderness of Sin and keeping the LORD’s commandments as they had promised.  All was well for a little while, then they came to Rephidim.  Once again they found themselves in a place with no water.  How quickly we forget our high and lofty spiritual thoughts and ambitions when our flesh suffers. 

As they became more and more thirsty, they forgot the ways of God and they forgot about all that had happened to them in Marah.  They had no drinkable water there either; but God had provided.  They did not chose to remember this and hold on to the hope of God providing again. 

The only thing the people remembered was how to complain to Moses!  They griped and complained on and on to Moses; saying that he had brought them out to the wilderness in order that they might die.  Moses reminded them that it was God that had brought them there, and asked why they were not calling out to God instead of complaining against him.  The people did not seem to be listening though, and Moses all alone once again had to be the one to cry out to God. 

Poor Moses.  As I read about this I wanted to play him that song called “Alone Again Naturally!”  I’m thinking of the lyrics that Gilbert O’Sullivan wrote and sang back in 1972.  They so fit the mood that Moses could have taken!  The lyrics of the first verse started out like this:

"In a little while from now if I’m not feeling any less sour, I promise myself to treat myself and visit a nearby tower, and climbing to the top will throw myself off in an effort to make it clear to whoever wants to know what it’s like when you’re shattered." (Gilbert O'Sullivan - 1972)

In the case of the song lyrics, a bride had left a groom at the altar.  That is sort of the same as here in our story.  The Bride of God (Israel) had totally forgotten the might and power of her groom.  She had turned her back to Him.  In her thirst and discomfort she forgot all about the wedding day she had dreamed of and delighted in at Elim.  

It happens all the time, not just in the days of Moses.  People in The Church of God today (those who have been saved and have God's spirit dwelling in them) often forget how to call on the Name of The LORD, especially if they are feeling discomfort or displeasure at the moment.  So they do not receive the blessings that God has in store for them.  They do not get the water from the rock!   Instead, they act like the Israelites who criticized Moses and they grumble and complain against their leaders.  Not every leader will be as humble as Moses in this story.

Why do the people always depend on their leaders to be the one to cry out to God?  We all have the power of God living within us.  We can cry out to God ourselves!  He is always listening to His people.  He is waiting right now; have you cried out?  The leaders of America have failed us completely; but that is no excuse for the people not to be crying out to God every day!  

Have you been crying out?  

Are you waiting on some magical moment when everything is perfect?  I hate to tell you; but you will never see that moment this side of heaven.  Our only hope is to look to God for our provision and live in expectation that He will save us; even if our leaders completely fail.

But that is how the story usually goes; the people forget to call upon God for help, and it was not any different in the day of Moses.  Moses, being the humble leader that he was, cried out to God and stated that the people were so put out with him that they wanted to stone him!  It was as if Moses were saying “Okay God, whether or not the people realize the facts, this whole thing was your idea; so please come on and help me out here!”

God heard Moses and told him exactly what to do.  He suggested that Moses gather up some elders from the people and grab the staff that he used to get them out of Egypt; that same staff that he used to part the Red Sea.  God instructed Moses to go stand before the people with the elders and the staff.  Then God said:  “Behold I shall stand there before you on the rock in Horeb and you shall strike the rock and water will come out of it, and the people will drink.”

So this is what Moses did before the eyes of Israel and all of the elders.  He took the staff and struck the rock and water flowed from the rock.  The thirsty people drank until they were satisfied.  The grumbling and complaining stopped for a moment as the people began to feel refreshed and Moses felt briefly relieved of the anxiety that comes from caring for thousands and thousands of people constantly.

As they were there drinking the pure healing waters from the rock; Moses named the place two names;  Massah (which means “testing”) and Meribah (which means “quarreling”) because of the quarrel of the children of Israel and because of their testing the LORD in that place.  Moses had stood right there and asked them the most relevant question of the day: “Is the LORD in our midst or not?”

The people had failed miserably by putting all their trust and faith in a man named Moses instead of God; but Moses had passed the test for good leadership; he humbly realized he had no power on his own and he called on the name of the God who had all power.  Many men would have let such false power and trust go to their heads and they would have relied on their own judgments and actions.  This time Moses passed the test.  He stayed humble.  He realized his own limitations.  Could he continue to do this as he kept leading these fickle people through the wilderness?

This incident is very similar to another incident that we will study later.  This was the FIRST time that God commanded Moses to bring water to the people from a rock.  The lack of water always seemed to be a test of faith.  It happened several times in the beginning of the time of the exodus.  Later in the study of the book of Numbers, reading about the times after the people of Israel have been wondering in the wilderness for a much longer time; we will hear of the SECOND time water came from a rock.  

The people of Israel were in two different places at two different times in history when the water came from the rock in the wilderness.  

It is important though to notice how Moses handled this FIRST time that the miracle happened.  This is so that when you get to the study of the SECOND time you will see the difference in Moses’ actions and attitude.  The first time Moses called on God, trusted in Him completely and humbly, listened and carefully followed God's instructions.  He pointed out to the people that all power and might and provision came from God alone.  This first time God was pleased with the actions of Moses.

The rock clearly represents Christ each time.  Jesus told us during the time He walked this earth that whoever is thirsty should come to Him!  John 7:38 - 39 speaks of Jesus as he talks on the last day of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles), instructing the people; "On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  To the one who believes in Me, it is just as the Scripture has said:  'Streams of living water' will flow from within him.  He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him were later to receive.  For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.  

Do you think the people listened to Jesus as He called out to them that day? Did Jesus experience the same frustration with the fickleness of the crowd as Moses?   Do you think that people are listening now?  How long and how much will it take?  Listening to God is very important.  He doesn't waste words.  Details matter.  

This FIRST time Moses was listening carefully to God and following his exact directions.  He did exactly what God said and his actions were humble and cautious.  He clearly realized all power comes from God.  When Moses struck the rock (as instructed by God the FIRST time this happened) provision for life was given to the people.  It was a great miracle!   There was a greater miracle though; the one this action shadows; that of God giving His Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins.  This latter miracle is the greatest miracle of all.  

In both incidences; very undeserving people received refreshment and life in abundance.  At both times death was overcome by the power of God, and in this time we speak of today; Moses passed the test and the people failed the test, yet they were given mercy.  They had plentiful water from the rock.

What stands out to me is the fact that God was testing everyone; both the people and the leaders.  They had to endure thirst for a long time.  They needed to turn to God and ask Him for provision.  God was testing them to see if they knew from whence their life came.  God wanted them to always recognize Who He was among them.  He was the source of their strength and their provision, and they needed to learn to call upon Him when times of troubles came.  They needed to turn to Him in ALL times, both good and bad, and be grateful for His awesome provision and presence in their lives.  It is the same for all of us living in this modern world.

At some point, we all come to Meribah.  We all have those long, dry spells when it may feel like God has left us for awhile.  We forget to listen carefully.  We forget how He has already instructed us.  We have to become thirsty for Him and we have to call upon Him and ask Him to provide the nourishment that our souls desire.  In these times we cannot depend on our leaders; leaders often fail; they are all human, just as we are.  We must humble ourselves before God and call upon His name in such times.  He will lead us to that Rock that is faithful and true.  Jesus Christ will take our petitions before God, if we just trust Him with the task.  We must go to The Rock of Our Salvation.  He will heal those long, dry times of our spirits.   He will give us living water to drink!

We can see this in another story about a Samaritan woman who came to the well of Jacob seeking water.  Jesus spoke to her about many things, but one statement found is John 4:13 says:  "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  

The Samaritan Woman was living in a whole different type of wilderness.  Jesus relieved her thirst by giving her living water!  

If the wilderness of life begins to overtake you; stay calm and call upon the LORD.  He is that pillar of cloud and that pillar of fire that hovers over us; just waiting on us to call out to Him.  He will not lead us in the wrong direction.  

Put your trust in the Rock of Christ and life, even in the wilderness, will always be abundant and blessed.

Come drink from the fountain that never runs dry; receive the living waters from the Everlasting Rock; Jesus Christ, and be satisfied and live forever.