Eternal Rock

Exodus 17

Years ago there was an old lady, who did not have money to buy food. She prayed. "Sir, please send me a couple of chicks, and a sack of rice." Again and again, she prayed the same prayer out loud.

One of the cynical men of the town, decided to make a pass. He threw a couple of chicks and a sack of rice down the chimney. These fell right in front of her, to which she knelt to pray.

She got up excitedly and exclaimed, "Lord, you answered my prayers!" Then he went around town telling the good news to everyone. The cynic, that man, who had thrown the food through the chimney, could no more.

So he began to ridicule her in public, and told her loudly that God had not answered her prayers. She said, Yes she has answered them, "The devil may have brought it to me, but it was the Lord who sent it to me."

Source

The title of this message is "Eternal Rock." And in this passage we see two wonderful realities about God, (I) God Guide, and (II) God Hears.

SO WE COME WITH THE FIRST REALITY ...

I. God Guide (Exodus 17: 1-7)

17 The whole Israelite community left the desert of Sin in stages, as the LORD had commanded. They camped at Refidin, but there was no water for them to drink, 2 so they quarreled with Moses. - "Give us water to drink" - they demanded.

Why are you fighting with me? Moses defended himself. Why do they provoke the LORD? 3 But the Israelites were thirsty, and they murmured against Moses. What did you get us out of Egypt? They demanded. Just to kill us, our children and our cattle with thirst?

4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and said to him, What shall I do with this people? I just need to be stoned to death! 5 - "Go to the people," the LORD advised him, "and take some elders of Israel with you, but carry the staff with which you struck the Nile.

Get going, 6 that I will be waiting for you next to the rock that is in Horeb. Strike a blow to the rock, and water will flow from it for the people to drink. So did Moses, in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 Moreover, to that place he called Masah, and also Meribah, because the Israelites had quarreled with him and provoked the LORD by saying: "Is the LORD or is he not among us?"

This is a passage of contrasts. We see the Israelites at their worst, and we see Moses at his best.

The first thing that comes to mind here is that the children of Israel begin their journey, as the Lord had commanded. God tells them to go. Why? Because God knew there was no water in Refidín. When God wants to remake a person, he puts it to the test.

Why does God lead us to difficult situations? Because if we were free from difficulties and trials, we would not realize how great is the power of God, and how merciful is His grace. Without proof, we would not learn about faith, because the tests are the "School of Faith" of God.

The faith of the Israelites would be proven ... AGAIN. But would they pass the test this time? As the Israelites walked towards Mount Sinai, the Lord continued to direct them to difficult situations ... NOT ONLY TO PROVE THEM THEIR POWER, but also to build their faith and character.

The journey of life IS MUCH MORE than just reaching our destination. If we are not growing in faith, in the knowledge of God, and in godly character, we will be losing our opportunities.

Again and again, the Israelites continued to challenge the leadership of Moses, AND THE THING NOT FOR THERE ... when they arrive at Refidín. The Hebrew word Refidín means "place of rest." I imagine that the Israelites - tired, tired, and with nerves on edge - would be anxious to get to Refidín, to that place of rest.

People were short-tempered, irritated, and even out of control. The implacable sun, and now the lack of water ... threatened "madness" in the camp. Israel lacked enough to be considered a godly nation. So far, every test that passed brought out the worst in them.

And once they arrive in Refidín, they find that again, they did not have water. Previously, the Israelites had failed this test, so God has to try them again.

GOD HAD TESTED THE ISRAELITES, time and again, that He could provide them with water and food, so why did they fight with Moses? Because HIS HEARTS were still in Egypt! They were guilty of ingratitude and lack of faith, wanting to return to their old life. And as a result, they again, do not pass the test,

First, the heat was intense, day after day. Then, there was no food. And now, there was no water. And how do people respond? Do they complain as before? Of course they complain, but this time, the thing gets worse. They start fighting with Moses!

Discontent and carnality are aggravated. In the past they had said Who will give us food? And they murmured. But now, they were threatening! With a frown and anger in the voice, they order Moses, Give us water to drink!

And Moses says to them, "Why are you arguing with me?" Who did they believe after all? How could he provide them water? If they wanted to fight with someone, they would have to deal with the Lord! Why do they tempt the Lord? Moses asks them.

Moses wanted the Israelites to focus on God, AND NOT ON HIM! And less, in their circumstances. That is why he warns them, many times, about the Lord's trials. But they refuse to listen to him. They do not stop complaining!

3 But the Israelites were thirsty, and they murmured against Moses. What did you get us out of Egypt? They demanded. Just to kill us, our children and our cattle with thirst?

Moses realizes that this scene was getting hot. Then he cries out to the Lord. What am I going to do with these people? They are ready to stone me!

These were not exaggerated words of a frightened leader. It was the truth! The people were so furious that they even wanted to kill their leader.

And once again, in the midst of frustration and complaints, God responds with gentleness, and gives them abundance. If we reduce the complaints to their lowest common denominator, we will realize that what they were really asking God was, "Are you here? OR NOT? "Doubt and distrust were totally out of control!

As Moses did not want people to forget their insolence TO GOD, he calls that place, Masah, and also Meribah, which means "to argue," to remind them with whom they had discussed. Whenever they told the story in the future, they would remember their litigation with God.

Every problem, that God allows in our life, can make us, or a better person, or a worse person, and it is our own attitude, which determines which of them will be. If in our unbelief, we begin to complain and blame God, then our sin will trap us, and rob us of the opportunity to grow spiritually.

But if we trust in God, and let Him do things His way, THE TRIAL will work for us, and not against us, and will help us grow in grace.

Romans 8:28 says, "Now we know that God arranges all things for the good of those who love Him, that is, of those He has called according to His purpose."

Even though God was providing them with daily bread, even so, people begin to doubt that God would give them water. Is not it interesting ... how quickly do we forget what God has done? How quickly we begin to despair ... and imagine the worst.

When people are not in communion with the Lord, and they are upset and bitter, they generally want to do irrational things, which can only make the situation worse. At that time, they wanted to stone their leader! How could this change the situation? Disobedient people always look for someone to blame!

God tells Moses, "Take the rod. Strike the rock, and water will flow from it, so that the people can drink. "The elders would be the witnesses. Moses does what God tells him, hits the rock, and the water gushes out.

The rock is a type of Christ. Not only does the apostle Paul say it, but the Old Testament also describes Christ, as the Rock of Life, the Rock of Salvation, the Rock of Refuge, and the Rock of Rest. And the LORD JESUS ​​CHRIST HIMSELF said that HE was the Rock.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10: 4, "And they took the same spiritual drink, for they drank of the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and the rock was Christ." And Jesus says in John 7:37, "If anyone is thirsty, come to Me. and drink. "

THIS IMAGE WAS FULFILLED, when Christ, the ETERNAL ROCK, was beaten on Calvary. And on the Day of Pentecost the water flowed from that Rock, when the Holy Spirit came in all His fullness, to satisfy our thirsty souls.

The Jews had not yet learned that God tests His people with the experiences of daily life. He uses the difficult experiences of life to strengthen our faith and mature our character.

The faith of the Israelites was so weak, that they thought that His God had taken them TO A PLACE where He could not care for them. Their problem was that they had hard hearts, that they did not want to submit to the Lord, and because of that, they were rebelling against His will.

What lessons can we learn from these irritating experiences in the desert? First, it takes a humble attitude to learn from these earthly tests. God not only wants us to endure trials, He wants us to learn from them. But we can not learn without humility. Because the proud do not learn. In fact, Proverbs 28:26 says, "It is foolish to trust in one's heart; He who walks wisely will be well delivered. "

12 years ago I graduated from the School of Ministry of my church. At the end of the academic part of the school, we would go on a mission trip. Our team, a group of eight, ended up going to South Dakota, USA. Our mission was to minister to the small Indians of the region.

Our teachers at the School always said that a missionary journey is never what we expect.

And while we were preparing for the trip, I met a lady who a few years earlier had graduated from the School of Ministry as well. She told me all excited that when she went on her mission trip to South Dakota, God had blessed her with a great task.

I HAD HAD TO CLEAN AN ELECTRIC KITCHEN! "WOW!" I thought, and she considers that a blessing? I prefer to do a great work for the Lord ... I said to myself. After all, I've been to the School of Ministry for a whole year! And besides, I got EXCELLENT NOTES!

Finally, the great day of our missionary journey arrived! After two exhausting days of road trip ... in a truck ... with a stop in Denver, where we had to sleep "on the floor" in a church ... there were not even showers ... AND AFTER MANY KILOMETERS, we finally arrived in South Dakota. .

The battle, against the sins of the flesh, is always worrying for new Christians. They have experienced the spiritual emotion of a new life in Christ, and suddenly, sin raises its ugly head, and they wonder, "What happened here?"

That is the situation that the Israelites faced: They had gone through the glory of Passover, the opening of the Red Sea, the demonstration of God's love, when it provides them with manna, and water. And NOW, the disconcerting reality confronts them: the life of the believer also requires "fighting battles."

The Amalekites attack Israel. And that is why God declares war on you! This would be a war without end. You can never have peace with the Amalekites ... And you can never have peace with the sinful desires of your flesh. Only the Spirit of God can give you victory!

There is no record that the Jews had to fight any battle in Egypt, but once liberated from slavery, they discover that they had enemies. And the same thing happens with the Christian life.

When we identify with Jesus Christ, His enemies become our enemies, and we have to fight the battle of FAITH. We need the battles of life to help balance the blessings of life. IF NOT, we will feel too safe ... too comfortable ... and we will stop trusting in the Lord.

The Amalekites attack Israel, after Israel experienced the great blessing of the rock water. Satan and his demons know exactly what our weak point is ... our weakest point, and when we ARE NOT PREPARED for an attack.

Jesus says in Mark 14:38, "Stay awake, and pray, lest you fall into temptation. In fact, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. "

Many times, the enemy attacks the people of God, after he has experienced a special blessing. But the Lord uses those attacks so that we do not rely on blessings, but on the GIVER of those blessings.

Abraham was tempted to take the spoils of war ... after his victory over the four kings. Joshua trusted himself too much, after his victory over Jericho, and was defeated in Hai. Elijah, after defeating the priests of Baal, became discouraged, and was tempted to resign.

And it was after the blessing of His baptism, that Jesus Christ was taken to the desert, to be tempted by the devil. 1 Corinthians 10:12 reminds us, "So, whoever believes to be firm, be careful not to fall."

9 Then Moses commanded Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will be at the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.

10 Joshua followed Moses' orders and presented battle to the Amalekites. For his part, Moses, Aaron and Jur went up to the top of the hill. 11 While Moses kept his arms raised, the battle was tilted in favor of the Israelites; but when he lowered them, he bowed in favor of the Amalekites.

12 When Moses' arms were tired, they took a stone and put it under him so that he could sit on it; then Aaron and Jur held his arms, one the left and the other the right, and thus Moses was able to keep them firm until sunset. 13 So Joshua defeated the Amalekite army with the edge of the sword.

This is the first time that Joshua is mentioned in the Bible, but from now on, Joshua will be mentioned more than two hundred times. Joshua was born in Egypt, and his name was Hosea, which means "salvation." Later ... Moses changed his name to "Joshua," meaning "Jehovah is salvation," which in Hebrew, is the equivalent of Jesus.

Joshua knew the challenges of Egyptian slavery, and must have had a good aptitude, as a military leader, for Moses to become Army General. Joshua becomes Moses' servant, because God's policy is that we first prove our worth, before we can be promoted to leaders.

The great victory of Israel over the Amalekites had three elements: (1) The power of God in heaven, (2) The ability of Joshua and his army on the battlefield, and (3) The intercession of Moses, Aaron, and Jur on the top of the hill. Actually, the battle was won at the top of the hill! IN PRAY!

God could have sent His angels to annihilate the enemy, but He condescends to use human instruments to carry out His purposes. Joshua and his army would trust God, and they would fight.

Moses and his associates would trust in God, "interceding," and God would do the rest. In this way, the people of God would grow in faith, and the name of God would be glorified.

It was the custom of the Jews to raise their hands when they prayed. And as Moses held the rod of God with his hands up, he was confessing his total confidence in the authority and power of God.

This is a generation that DOES NOT PRAY. A generation of great activity ... of great movements, but UNA, which has the tendency to strive for the material, and neglect, and even discount, the spiritual.

Prayer can be defined as that force that vitalizes and energizes the Word of God, holding on to God himself. The Word of God is a great help in prayer. It is the food, by which, prayer is nourished and made strong.

The people who pray and the people who read the Bible are the same kind of people. The God of the Bible and the God of Prayer are ONE. God speaks to man in the Bible. And man speaks to God, in prayer. Prayer IS THE GREATEST of all forces, BECAUSE IT HONORS GOD, and brings God to our help. There is no substitute, no rival for prayer!

Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer move God. How can ministries function without prayer? Prayer opens the doors to the gospel. It gives wings and power to the Word of Christ.

Many people believe in the efficacy of prayer, and yet not many pray. Prayer is the easiest and most difficult of all things ... the simplest and most sublime ... the weakest and the most powerful.

Spend time alone with God! This will help you grow spiritually, and you will become more and more like Christ.

And the most important thing of all is that our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, is our High Priest, who lives in heaven making intercession for us, while we fight the battles of life ...

If you are going through great difficulties, tell them about Jesus. He will present your needs to the Father. Through His intercessory work, you will experience extraordinary results, which only the prayers of Jesus can achieve.

Jesus will never fail you! You will never be disappointed! He will never reject you! He lives to heal the brokenhearted. JESUS ​​IS THE FRIEND, who is more faithful than a brother.

AND ALREADY TO END

Guiding the people of Israel was not an easy task. There were water problems, bread problems, and meat problems. They complained ... they argued ... They did not pray. They were ungrateful, and they did not trust God.

However, Moses was faithful and obedient, AS LEADER. AND MORE THAN NOTHING, Moses became the intercessor of the people, and therefore, his army defeated the enemy.

And you? Are you complaining all the time, or do you trust that God will provide for you and your family? Do you blame God for your situation, or do you seek the wisdom of God to which you face trials? Is it prayer, your last resort, or are you in constant communion with your Heavenly Father?