Here we will pick up at Exodus 17, after the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea (more exciting stuff about that later! found some very cool pics to share!)
EXODUS 17
1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
~ OK folks, to catch up: these people had just recently experienced INDISPUTABLE evidence of God's favor and provision toward them, both in Egypt and getting out of it. At this point, they had decided to obey His direction! :) Woo Hoo! Good for them! Don't we do the same thing? ... until a new trial of our faith comes up ... suddenly we find ourselves "venting," complaining, or murmuring! ... AGAIN ... doggone it!
2 Wherefore the people did chide (5th of their 12 complaints) with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do you tempt the LORD?
~ Did they think to ask God, or did they ask Moses to ask God??? Nooooo! They had already come to EXPECT provision and, it feels like to me that, they even demanded it! Complaining already??? Could that be what God feels like too? OUCH, sounds so ... uggg ... human!
3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
~ Oh come on, after ALL He has done for them, this far??? The Lord Himself led them with the Pillar of Fire and the Cloud!!! ... but doesn't He lead us too?
4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they are almost ready to stone me.
~ GOD was leading them, GOD had faithfully provided for their needs, GOD had a plan, GOD never failed them ... YET, they murmured SO much among one other, that they stirred up a mob! And against Moses to boot! Don't we do the same when we complain and/or murmur about our jobs, our relationships, our circumstances??? Ultimately, it is the LORD that we are complaining about! YIKES! I can't stand the thought! I am SO convicted on both counts! Oh WHOA (woe) to me, my precious family, my sweet friends, my dear readers!!!! We need to STOP!!!!
~ WHOA again, I see a big neon sign here, 'UNBELIEF!' Do I ever tempt the Lord this way? Or do I "see" the signs ahead? I am afraid I know the answer :( *gulp* I am SO thankful that God is never limited by our unbelief!!
5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with you of the elders of Israel; and your rod, wherewith you smote the river, take in your hand, and go.6 Behold, I will stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb; you shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
This rock is on the back side of Mount Sinai. It is 60 feet high and is split down the middle.
Close inspection shows signs of water erosion, and from the cleft in the rock and downhill is washed away sediment and very smooth rocks. Many believe this could be the very rock that was smitten by Moses.
~ Our compassionate, merciful, gracious God did not pour out this anger on their unbelief and constant complaining, instead He poured out life-giving water for them. What an awesome picture of Jesus Christ, Himself our "smitten" Rock, pouring Himself out to be Living Water for us! Wow!
~ GOD Himself was standing on the rock as well!!!! I never realized that before! I am undone!
7 And he called the name of the place Massah (temptation/tempting) and Meribah(strife), because of the chiding (complaining) of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
~ Moses was obedient to do what the Lord told him. But ... helloooo??? Did not this GIGANTIC slab of granite splitting wide open and gushing forth water get the attention of the others???? I used to picture the water coming out much like a spring ... but it was obviously SO much MORE than that, it was enough to sustain more than 600,000 people, plus all their flocks and herds!!
However, don't we ask, or at least think, that same question ourselves sometimes? And we also downright KNOW that the LORD is our Provider and that He has a perfect plan for every situation and need!!! :/
The closer I look, the more I see how much we are like the children of Israel, why the Lord wrote this all down for us, and why we need to read His Word EVERY day! His Word is life to us!!! Bless Him!
Oh help, Lord, our unbelief! Help us to see the "signs," to be still, and to trust You in ALL things. Amen!
I am blessed everyday with some new revelation of God's Word.
I will be sharing my measure of manna with all who come to my "tent."
Please let me know if you have been blessed by the way it was prepared for you this day.
