Exodus 17_ 1- 7      Like a Rolling Stone

Rev. David Holwick  Z                                  Exodus series, #8

First Baptist Church

Ledgewood, New Jersey

August 23, 2009

Exodus 17:1-7


LIKE A ROLLING STONE



  I. You gotta have it.

      A. Hikers know what I am talking about.


         A few years ago our family explored some slot canyons in

            Escalante, Utah.

         Slot canyons are carved out of sandstone by flash floods.

         They are deep and beautiful and curvy but they tend to get

            narrower as they go along.


         We were in Spooky Canyon when the kids decided we had to turn

            around.

         At that moment, Josiah dropped the water bottle.

            It all poured into the sandy floor of the canyon.

         It was the only water bottle we had.

            How would we get back?

            What would we drink?


         Celeste began to panic.

           She had no confidence in my navigating ability.

           She knew her children would die and it was all the dad's fault.

         The temperature was 114 degrees.

         Of course, her husband guided them all to the safety of their

            car and the cooler filled with drinks.


         This isn't the worst water story I have, though.

         A few years ago I read of some hikers who were trying to trace

            an old Apache trail in New Mexico.

         After hiking through the blazing desert for hours, they ran out

            of water.

         They had to keep going.


         Eventually they saw a saw a cattle trough in the distance.

         It was one of those large round basins like a swimming pool,

            fed by a windmill.

         The hikers hurried to it, only to find it had a dead cow

            floating in it.


         They hesitated.

         Then one of them said the cow didn't look like he had been

             dead THAT long, so they filled their canteens.


         Kinda gross, huh?

         But thirst will drive you to do that, or worse.


      B. The Jews were driven to rebellion by thirst.

          1) They must have been fearful being in the desert with such

                a huge crowd.

          2) They came to a wadi called Rephidim, but it was dry.

              a) They argued with Moses.

              b) He says it got to the point where they wanted to stone

                    him.

              c) "Give us water to drink!"


      C. It was not a new problem.

          1) In Exodus 15:23, they found a spring that was too bitter

                to drink.

              a) As always, they blamed Moses.

          2) Moses sought God, who told him to throw a piece of wood

                in it.

          3) The water was made sweet and everyone was happy.

              a) But not for long.

              b) Only a short time later they are at Rephidim.

                  1> Instead of asking, "What will we drink?" they

                        demand, "Give us water to drink!"

                  2> What had been a gracious gift of God through

                        Moses' hands before, was now demanded as a

                           magical solution to their problem.    (Kaiser)


      D. Bad thirst and good thirst.

          1) Some things in life we desire, some we need.

              a) Water is one of the things we need.

              b) A true relationship with God we need even more.

          2) Have you found something to quench your thirst?


II. The tests of God.

      A. The manna and quail had been part of a test from God.

          1) He wanted to teach them about trust and obedience.

          2) As God had said in 16:4, "I will test them and see whether

                they will follow my instructions."


      B. Now the Israelites want to turn the tables.

          1) Instead of being tested, they want to test God.

              a) They don't really trust his system of provision.

              b) Verse 7 sums it up: "Is the LORD among us or not?"

                  1> If he is, he will have to prove it.

                  2> Whatever we want, on demand, would do fine.

          2) Many religious people take this approach to God.

              a) "I will believe in God - if he does such-and-such...."

              b) It is really a form of manipulation.

                  1> The Health-and-Wealth perversion of the gospel

                        falls into this trap.


      C. Is it wrong to test God?

          1) Later, Moses would warn the people not to test God as

                they did here.                                  Deut 6:16

          2) But there are places in the Bible where God calls on

                people to put him to the test.

              a) The prophets provide several examples.       Isaiah 7:10


                   In Isaiah 7:10, God is speaking through the prophet

                      to King Ahaz.

                   He tells him to ask for a sign, any sign.


                   Ahaz piously says, "I won't do that.  It would be

                      wrong to put God to a test."

                   In reality, Ahaz has his own political schemes going

                      on and he doesn't want God to mess it up.

                   He knew that if he asked for a sign, God would produce

                      it and than Ahaz would have to do what God said.


                   God gave him a sign anyway - the birth of a child

                      to a virgin.


              b) Gideon's fleece would be another example.    Judges 6:37


                   God told the timid Gideon to lead Israel against the

                      invading Midianites.


                   Gideon hesitated.

                   To boost his confidence, he asked for a sign, that

                      a sheep's fleece would be wet in the morning while

                         the ground would be dry.

                   It was.


                   But immediately Gideon realized his mistake - the sign

                      proved nothing.

                   You would expect a fleece to soak up dew and stay wet.

                   So this time he reversed it - he wanted the fleece dry

                      and the ground wet.

                   That one worked as well, and Gideon became a general.


                   Should he have tested God like this?  No.

                   God had given him a clear command, and Gideon should

                      have obeyed.

                   But our gracious God will play along with stunts like

                      this since our flesh is so weak.

                   At least Gideon obeyed in the end.


          3) Testing God is a temptation for us.

              a) We like to put the ball in God's court, force him to

                    prove himself.

              b) It shows our pride and arrogance.

              c) God is willing to direct us and provide for us.

              d) The real question is: Are we willing to obey him?


III. God did not take sides, but sent a solution.

      A. God puts Moses out front.                                   17:5

          1) Since the leaders were the focus of the complaining,

                God put them closest to the miracle.

          2) God is there as well, his presence (Shekinah) hovering

                over the rock.                                       17:6

              a) Then again, God has been present with them throughout

                    the journey.  (see verse 1)


      B. Moses was to strike the rock like he struck the Nile.

          1) The Nile became undrinkable when struck with the rod.

          2) The wadi experienced the opposite, and water flowed.

              a) (note that theme in the plagues - bad for Egyptians,

                    but good for Jews)


IV. Do people never learn?

      A. There is a similar episode in Numbers 20.

          1) Many of you probably think it is the same event (I did).

              a) There is the Desert of Sin (=Zin).

              b) No water, so people oppose Moses.

                  1> "Why did you bring us here to die of thirst?"

              c) Moses takes his staff to the rock.

              d) Water comes forth.

              e) Both places are called Meribah.

          2) But there are critical differences.

              a) The Exodus event happens at the beginning of the

                    journey, while the Numbers event is at the end.

              b) In Exodus, Moses is told to strike the rock.

                  1> In Numbers, he is told to speak to it.

                  2> He strikes it anyway (twice) and is given a death

                        sentence by God.

          3) Why the disparity?

              a) The only conclusion is that God is the provider,

                    and we must obey him.

              b) Do exactly what God says, or suffer the consequences.

                  1> No matter who you are.


  V. Where is God among us?

      A. Paul says the rock of Exodus is still with us.        1 Cor 10:4

          1) He says that rock was Jesus.

              a) This doesn't have to mean the rock was Jesus himself.

              b) Paul is using the rock as a "type" just like the

                    entire Exodus experience was.

          2) Both Jesus and the Exodus rock can quench our thirst.


      B. Bible water is special.

          1) Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4).

              a) Well water satisfies only for a time.

              b) The refreshment Jesus provides lasts for eternity.

          2) The last verses of the last book of the Bible.     Rev 22:17

              a) The water of life is a free gift.

              b) Anyone can have it - if they take it.

              c) Have you taken it?



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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:


I cannot locate the original source of my second desperate-for-water

illustration, but I think it was in Smithsonian Magazine several years ago.


Several in the congregation thought I was too hard on Gideon, since God

never rebuked Gideon's request for two signs and the text does not

indicate he asked for a double-sign because the first did not prove

anything.  Nevertheless, I feel it is logical to look at the passage in

Judges this way, and signs should not be resorted to when God has given us

a clear command.


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