Do We Want To Be Massah (The Place Of Testing), Meribah (The Place Of Arguing)?

Do we want to be Massah (The Place of Testing), Meribah (The Place of Arguing)?

Introduction

Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us today for this worship service. I hope you are all doing well and feeling God's love and grace in your lives.

Today, I want to talk to you about a topic that is very relevant and important for our spiritual growth and our relationship with God. The topic is: Do we want to be Massah (The Place of Testing), Meribah (The Place of Arguing)? (Exodus 17:7).

Massah means “testing” and Meribah means “quarreling” or “arguing”.

These names were given by Moses to commemorate the events that happened at Rephidim, where the Israelites camped after leaving Egypt.

There was no water for the people to drink, so they grumbled against Moses and God, saying, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” (Exodus 17:3).

They accused Moses and God of bringing them out of Egypt only to kill them in the desert.

They also questioned God’s presence and power, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7).

What do these names mean, and why are they significant? Well, these are the names of two places where the Israelites camped in the wilderness, after they left Egypt and before they entered the promised land. These are also the names that Moses gave to these places, to commemorate the events that happened there. And these are also the names that remind us of the attitudes and actions that the Israelites displayed towards God and His servant Moses, and the consequences that followed.

Massah means "testing", and Meribah means "quarreling" or "arguing". These names reflect how the Israelites tested and argued with God, by doubting His goodness and faithfulness, by complaining about His provision and protection, and by rebelling against His authority and wisdom. These names also reveal how God responded to the Israelites' testing and arguing, by being displeased and angry with them, by withdrawing His favor and presence from them, and by punishing them and preventing them from entering His rest.

Now, why am I telling you this? Am I trying to scare you or condemn you? No, of course not. I am telling you this because I want you to learn from the mistakes of the Israelites, and to avoid the same pitfalls that they fell into. I am telling you this because I want you to experience the blessing and the peace that come from trusting and obeying God, and not from testing and arguing with Him. I am telling you this because I want you to grow in your faith and love for God, and to live in harmony with Him and with one another.

So, in this sermon, we will explore the following questions:

- What does it mean to test God, and what are the dangers of doing so?

- What does it mean to argue with God, and what are the consequences of doing so?

- What does it mean to trust and obey God, and what are the benefits of doing so?

Have you ever faced a challenge or a crisis that made you question God’s goodness or faithfulness?

- Have you ever felt like God was not listening to your prayers or meeting your needs?

- Have you ever blamed God for your problems or circumstances?

- Have you ever disobeyed God’s commands or ignored His voice?

We will also look at some examples from the Scripture, both from the Old Testament and the New Testament, that illustrate these points. And we will also apply these lessons to our own lives and situations, and see how we can respond to God in a way that pleases Him and honors Him.

So, are you ready to join me on this journey? Are you ready to examine your hearts and see if you are testing or arguing with God, or trusting and obeying Him? Are you ready to receive God's word and His wisdom for your life? If so, let us pray and ask God to speak to us and to guide us. Let us pray.

We will see how testing and arguing with God can lead to a hard heart and a broken relationship with Him, and how trusting and obeying God can lead to a blessed life that experiences His presence and His power.

We will also learn from the examples of Jesus and the early church, who showed us how to live in harmony with God and with one another.

We will also apply the lessons from the Scripture to our own lives and situations, and see how we can grow in our faith and love for God.

1: Testing God leads to a hard heart