Ordinary Water Into Fine Wine

You’ve all heard that phrase, “You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip”. Well this morning, as you heard from our Scripture readings, you can get water from a rock, and even get the finest wine from ordinary water in a stone jar. At least with God, nothing is impossible.

Our OT lesson, told in 8 verses, would almost seem like a minor event, but it was very significant. The Israelites had been in Egypt for 400 years, the last couple hundred years as slaves. They had become dependent on their Egyptian masters for food and water, and had been strongly influenced by the many Egyptian gods. In Egypt, they had grown from a small, Hebrew family of Jacob to well over 2 million people, but had lost their allegiance to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. God had sent Moses to be His visible leader to bring the large population of Hebrews out of Egypt to the Promised Land, the Land God had promised Abraham centuries before. But these former slaves weren’t ready to conquer the land that had become occupied by pagan people. God would lead them… but they had to learn to trust and obey Him, or they’d be killed in the process.

Couldn’t God just have killed off the Canaanites living in what would be known as Israel? Like the pursuing Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea? But God’s ultimate purpose was more than for His people to live and prosper in the land. He wanted them to know Him, to be their trusted, faithful God. It would have only taken a few months, instead of years, to travel from Egypt to the land that would be known as Israel. Even for the well over 2 million men, women, children, and their livestock. But that generation had only known slavery and Egyptian false gods, and no longer knew their God. God wanted their hearts to belong to Him, loving and trusting the faithfulness of the God who loved them and would protect them.

The travel to the Promised Land would be such a time of bonding, like a courtship of a man and his bride to be. In those days, brides were purchased from their fathers to begin a betrothal, an engagement period for them to learn about each other before the actual wedding. God had purchased His bride, His people, from Egypt’s ownership, and was now reacquainting with them, wanting to prove Himself to His bride-to-be on their way to their new home. Jesus would later refer to His Church as His bride. But before taking His bride-to-be to their new home, He needed to gain their trust as the loving God who would care for His bride, so she would trust Him with her life. So God carefully planned their “betrothal trip” to be that bonding time.

We join them on their betrothal trip, where God had been leading them by a fiery cloud as they come to Rephidim, almost two months after leaving Egypt. God had already showed them His care, providing them daily manna, even quail for meat on occasion. Once they left Rephidim, it would be about a day to Mt Sinai where they would camp for about a year, and receive the Ten Commandments, God’s way of detailing what He would expect of His bride. How to honor her God-husband: have no other before Him, honor His name, use His gift of a Sabbath day well. How to honor each other as family: Honor parents, don’t murder, don’t steal, lie, covet.

But arriving at Rephidim, they discover there was no water to drink because the brook that had been watering this area had dried up. Had the God of Creation mistakenly led the well over 2 million people to this place to die without water? The people quickly confronted Moses,” Did you lead us out of slavery just for us to die in this place?”

But God does everything for a purpose, even if we don’t know it. Instead of complaining, God must have hoped by now His people might have said, “God, we need water and we don’t see any. What’s Your plan?” And then waited for God to provide for them, as He inevitably would. But they grumble against Moses and God, and God tells Moses to take the leaders to a giant Rock near the mountain feeding the dried-up brook, and strike the rock with his staff. The same staff God had Moses use to bring each of the plagues on Egypt to show His power. The same staff God had Moses use to strike the Red Sea to provide a way across. Moses strikes the Rock, and water pours from the rock. Scripture doesn’t give any more detail, but it was a miracle, that should have shown the people God’s power to care for them.