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Good morning friends, today is Tuesday July 16 and we have arrived at another of my favorite chapters in the Bible, Exodus 17.
I have two important questions to begin our day. . .
What do you do when the stress of life is nearly overwhelming?
Who do you have, as true partners in life with you? I mean the kind of person you can call at 3 am, when you need a friend right now? Or, the friend who will walk through the really deep weeds of life with you in life?
Exodus 17 speaks to both of these questions.
In our Exodus reading, we are walking along in the desert, with nearly 2 million people, who have escaped from slavery in Egypt. They’ve brought with them as much as they can carry from Egypt, and thousands of animals, in flocks and herds. They are following a huge cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, which gives them an assurance that the same God who rescued them from the Pharaoh’s slave grip, is now leading them through the desert. . .but it’s still a hot, barren desert and sometimes the harshness of the landscape turns attitudes into resentment, and bitterness and tempers flare. Do you see that’s how Exodus 17 opens?
“The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place at the LORD’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses…”
We’ve all been there. Hot summer days, working outside on the lawn or the house, or perhaps on a hike or some other strenuous activity. Sweat is pouring out, from every pour on our bodies, and we’re getting thirsty. So what do we do? We sit under a shade tree, open up our cooler, take out a cold water or lemonade, and quench our thirst, and thank God for refreshing liquid, right?
But have you ever been in a place where you were really thirsty, and there was no cooler filled with cold water? There wasn’t a house anywhere in sight. In fact, you didn’t really know where you were at that moment, and where to find anything to quench your thirst? Ever been in a place your mouth was like cotten, your tongue starting to swell, your head dizzy feeling, like you are going to faint…you’re so thirsty you’d give anything for a cup of cool water, but as far as you can see in every direction, nothing but desert? So let’s not get too upset with these desperately thirsty people…instead, let’s watch to see what Moses & God do, in response to their cry for water.
“Moses cried out to the LORD, ‘What am I to do with these people, they are almost ready to stone me?” There it is friends….the best action step any of us can take, when we find ourselves in a situation needing answers, right now that we don’t have, or help that is beyond our capability. Remember what Jesus said? “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.“ (Matt. 11:28)
So that’s what Moses did.
Have we learned this lesson, or do we tend to scramble and try to fix the problem ourselves and too often make the problem worse? Remember, these people were not Moses’ responsibility. His responsibility, was to lead them, in following God! Isn’t that our role as parents and grandparents…right?
God’s response to Moses is a magnificent strategic plan for handling extreme stress pressure: “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock and water will come out of it for the people to drink.’ So Moses did this…” (17:5,6)
I see several strategic steps…first, distance yourself from the grumbling crowd. Get away from the noise so you can hear God.
Second, take some trusted friends with you who will help you hear God.
Third, take some ‘miracle debris’ from previous miracles with God, to help remind you of God’s power and what He’s done in your life situations in the past.
Fourth…do whatever God tells you to do, and it will change the problem into a platform for God’s miracles!
And last … Just recognize that GOD is there with you in the pressure cooker!
A rock in the middle of the desert began gushing water!
Clean, pure, cool water…enough for 2 million people and their thousands of animals. Can you imagine what that looked like? Have you ever stood by a spring of beautiful water or a water fall…I have, and it’s spectacular as you consider that from somewhere deep inside the earth, God is bringing forth this pure water.
I can only imagine the celebration…perhaps something like what we saw in chapter 15! I sure hope Moms and Dads and Grandparents, grabbed their children and explained…this is another miracle of God which proves He is watching over us, He knows our needs and He cares deeply for us and loves to meet our needs in miraculous ways. Don’t ever be afraid to cry out to God when you are in need…
Well, evidently a water gushing rock in the middle of the desert is not only unusual, but it quickly becomes very valuable. And in Exodus 17 we meet a vicious people called the Amalekites, who evidently lived not far away, heard about this water gold mine and wanted it for themselves, and the refugee camp of escaping slaves came under attack.
I see several really important things in Moses’ response to this new crisis. First… he knew he had to defend that water-gushing rock, and so called up his trusted aide, whom we meet here for the first time, Joshua. Moses was over 80 years old, lets remember. Hand to hand combat with Amalekites was not his role as leader. His role was two fold…mobilize some gifted younger men to fight, and then Moses go meet with God about the problem. Do you see that in vs. 8,9?
Have we learned that lesson friends? Stay within the limits of your capabilities, and recruit & rely on the help of others who have different talents and capabilities from yourself, when joining forces to conquer a problem.
Joshua, of course, will be come a major part of the story from now on, and eventually is the man who follows Moses as leader of this huge refugee city, and leads them into the land of God’s promise. As we follow the story, we’re going to see how Moses mentors Joshua, to be the kind of leader these 2 million people will need. Here’s the first lesson…the importance of partnership, of not trying to do everything yourself, all by yourself. The importance of choosing partners wisely, and the vital importance of going to God with the problem.
“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelties were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalakites were winning.” (17:10,11).
Can you see the picture? Can you put yourself in it? If you’re with Joshua fighting, isn’t it great to look up on the hillside and see Moses, standing with his hands lifted up to heaven, praying for you in the battle? That is the picture of the vital relationship between missionaries and their prayer support team ‘back home’. Many of you are still that prayer team for Dawn and me, some of you for more than 30 years, and we are deeply grateful to God for you!
Most all of us are parents and grandparents… can you see the application? Do you raise up your head, your voice, your hands before God on behalf of your kids and grandkids, EVERYDAY? As they live their lives in this confused world, they are in a battle, would you agree? Pray for them, by name, dear friends…and send them a note from time to time, assuring them you are praying for them, and ask them to let you know how the battles are going, so you can pray more specifically and so they can understand the vital link between your prayers and the presence and power of God with them every day. Be sure to ask them to tell you when they sense God has been directly involved in helping them! Teach them friends, teach them to watch for the ‘finger of God’! Remember that in our reading in Exodus 8:19?
You’ll notice, Moses grew tired, but rather than putting two sticks under his arms, he recruited two trusted men… Aaron & Hur to stand with him, to pray with him, to raise up their arms by holding up his arms! Later in our story in Exodus, we’ll meet these two men again in a very strategic moment and I believe their selection at that future time, reaches back to this moment and what they were learning on the hillside as they prayed and Joshua fought! I cannot overestimate the importance of this my friends. Problems and prayer are linked together by God Himself. It’s His prescription for us. When life gets complicated…pray, and recruit others to join you in the prayer & in the battle...but be careful who you recruit. Make sure they are people of great faith in God, who understand the strategic importance and power of prayer.
“Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that Moses’ hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekites with the sword.” (Ex. 17:13)
At the very end of Exodus 17, two important things happen. Do you see them? Remembrance Miracle Debris, as Moses is instructed by God to write down on a scroll what happened that day, so Joshua and the people would never forget. And also Worship! Moses built an altar, it was time to worship and thank God for His deliverance from the Amalekites! This is so important friends. Recognizing God’s hand of involvement in our lives, and both worshiping Him with thankfulness and doing things to remember in the future, are vital to ‘walking well with Jesus’. Why? Because, we forget way too easily.
Finally, in vs. 15, we are introduced to another name for God “Jehovah Nissi”, the LORD is my banner. It means I live my life under the banner of Almighty God. He is my Master and King. I engage in the battles of life with Jehovah Nissi as my Commander in Chief. I live my life and fight the battles for HIS glory, in HIS power, under His protection and continually seeking HIS guidance. Prayer is my vital communication link, especially when it’s essential that I hear Him advising me, directing me in the battles.
So my friends, as you and I live this week, all across America, facing all kinds of different challenges, may I ask you. . . Who are your Joshua’s, your Aaron’s and your Hur’s, as you face the challenges of your life this week? When you need a water gushing rock miracle, where will you turn?
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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