- Ch 16 - Two and half months from Egypt
- Saw Gods’s hand at the Red Sea-
- v.2 - Murmured — Manna
- Ch. 17 - traveled 40 miles — call it 2 weeks
- Now there is no water
- Last line in v. 7 - Is The Lord Among Us Or Not?
- We need to answer this question
- It has been asked since the beginning of time
• Noah & the Ark - On ark 370 days - 7:11, 8:13
• Abraham & Isaac - Gen 22:8
• Israel & Jericho - Jos 6:16
• Gideon & His fleece - Jud 6:36-37
• David & Goliath - 1 Sa 17:45
• Daniel & Lions Den - Da 6:20-22
• Man born blind - Jn 9:1-3
• Mary & Martha & Lazarus - Jn 11:3-6
• Christ cry from the cross “My God, My God” - Mt 27:46
Today’s World events
Time called it The top 10 News stories — Some stories
• May - Cyclone in Burma (Myan·mar) killing 150,000
• May - Earthquake in China - 87,000 dead
• Aug - Russia move against Georgia
• Sept - Economy
• Aug-Nov - Barack Husai Obama
• Nov Mumbai (5th largest 12 million)Held Hostage by 10 men
• Nov - Pirates of Somali Take supertanker holds Saudi Arabia daily production
• Dec - Israel risking it all in Gaza
• Pew Forum for Religion & Public Life found that 28% of U.S. adults have left their cradle faith for another one
— Is The Lord Among Us Or Not?
Personal Lives
• Marriage going sour
• Kids in rebellion
• Health broken
• Fiancees dwindling
• My job stinks
• Misunderstanding
• False accusation
- Beside that my car is dying
- Cat just threw up on the sofa
— Is The Lord Among Us Or Not.
To put Ex 17 in perspective
John 7:37-38KJV
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Psalm 36:7-8KJV
7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
Isaiah 12:2-3KJV
2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
John 4:10KJV
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
John 4:14KJV
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
- v.1 ALL
- When we journey form the wilderness SIN “Thorns, Mire”
- We will pitch our tents in Rephidim
- Rephidim = “Stretches”, “Expanse”
- Change the ending – Stretched - Expand
- Faith will be tested
- There will be a lack in our lives
- A need
- A problem
- v.2
- What will be our response
- We say “None of this is our fault”
- Chide
Blame others
- Finding Fault
- Quarreling
- Demand our own way
- v.3
Exodus 17:3KJV
3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, ...
- We look around
- We dig in the sand
- We try to solve our needs our way — This is humanism
- We turn to things — This is materialism
- We try to please ourselves — This is hedonism
- None of this satisfies the thirsting soul, the longing heart
- As long as we look this direction we will never see God
- v.3 ..... and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
- Blamed Moses and forgot that they were lead of the Lord
- Is The Lord Among Us Or Not
- v.4 Moses response — Prayer
• Not complaint
• Not bless me
• Not unbelief
— But “What shall I do....?”
- One who had much asked this question
Mark 10:17KJV
17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
- Jesus answer Mk 10:21 .....take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
- Pilate asked this question
Matthew 27:22KJV
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
- Moses given an answer from the LORD
Exodus 17:5KJV
5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
1. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people
- Leave the Unbeliever
- Leave the World
- Leave the Lack
2. Take the Elders with you
- Go with your encouragement
- Those who are closest with you
- Parents your children
- Workers your supporters
- People you know
3. Take your Rod with you
- Your enablement
- Your Abilities
- Your Talents
- Your gifts
Exodus 17:6KJV
6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou 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.
- Horeb - Mt range - Sinai part of it
– Dried up
– To lie waste
– Destroyed
- In all of this God worked
- In our emptiness Christ died for us
- As you go on before behold I will be before you
- It’s all about HOPE in the Lord
- Discovered through obedience
