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We are halfway through the season of Lent. Lent is modeled after the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness.
The wilderness is a major theme in Lent, and it’s a major theme in the Bible. It probably has to do with the fact that a lot of the geography in the biblical lands is wilderness. The wilderness was a geographic reality in their lives.
In the physical wilderness, people experienced many things. They received many spiritual insights there.
Over time, the wilderness became a central metaphor for the spiritual life and relationship with God.
In today’s passage, the Israelites are in the wilderness. They escaped from bondage in Egypt, but they are not in the Promised Land.
They are in an in-between place – they are in the wilderness. It’s as though God intentionally led them there.
You see that in today’s story:
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed in stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim. (Exodus 17:1)
Not only is God leading them through the wilderness, but he leads them into a crisis:
They camped at Rehpidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. (Exodus 17:1)
The people needed water. But they were stuck in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing they could do about it. They were thirsty. They were scared – they literally thought they were going to die.
A key feature of the wilderness is that you are very exposed and vulnerable, and there is nothing you can do about it. You have no control over your circumstances or surroundings.
The wilderness takes many forms. Losing a job and trying to get one, submitting resume after resume only to be met with silence – you wait for a response and it’s totally out of your control. As people get older, many people are receiving health diagnoses that are not in their control.
We are doing a fundraiser for Cuba right now. The people of Cuba right now have no control over their circumstances. They are victims of forces and circumstances beyond their control. There is no fuel to power their water cleaning systems, so they lack clean water to drink. Their future is very uncertain and completely out of their control.
People in the Middle East are stuck in a situation beyond their control.
When bad situations arise, and people have no control over them, people respond in different ways. Some people get very angry and blame others for their problems.
That is what we see today. The people blame Moses for their situation.
The people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” (Exodus 17:3)
The people were scared. They took their fear out on Moses. It didn’t matter that Moses had led them out of bondage and slavery. What mattered was that they didn’t have water NOW.
Underneath their accusation, Moses saw a deeper question:
Why has God put us in this situation? Is God with us or not?
When something happens to us, that is often the first question, whether we realize it or not. Why?
Moses interpreted their question to him as testing God.
Testing God can come out in different ways.
Some people get angry and ask why they are in that situation. They want God to prove himself by making their situation better – the Israelites.
Some people act out in rebellious ways, daring God to act and prove that he is real.
Some people engage in fervent prayer to overcome their challenge, but underneath that prayer, there is a fear that God might not answer that prayer.
Some people test God by living a righteous life – they don’t realize they are testing God, but they are saying that by living a good life, God should reward them with blessings and good circumstances.
Some people test God by becoming very withdrawn and disengaged. Underneath that disengagement is the sense that “I don’t trust you, if you’re true, do something to show that you’re real”.
Testing God manifests in different ways, but underneath it there is a common root: a deep fear. Fear that God will leave you all alone in your suffering.
We all have this fear rooted deeply inside of us. To be alone when things are bad. To have no power to deal with the situation.
The question is: how do you respond to this fear? Do you trust that God is with you? Or do you let that fear control your thoughts and actions?
The Israelites felt very afraid when there was no water to drink. They let their fear take control. They failed the test of faith. They did not trust that God was with them and would take care of them.
Moses named this place Massah and Meribah.
Massah = test
Meribah = quarrel
It was the place the people tested God and quarreled with Moses.
This story became etched in the collective memory of Israel. It was a reminder of how they had failed in faith. It was a warning of what NOT to do when faced with a bad situation.
The psalmist calls on the people to worship God, but he gives a warning:
O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your ancestors tested me and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. (Psalm 95:8-9)
When Jesus was in the wilderness, the devil tempted Jesus in this way:
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” (Matthew 4:5-7)
Jesus’ response is taken from a speech that Moses gave to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land:
Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16)
What happened here became a warning to future generations.
But in that moment, for those who had no water to drink, how did God respond?
This is what God said to Moses:
Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink. (Exodus 17:5-6)
What do you see?
I see no trace of condemnation. I see no tsk tsk or exasperation.
I see a God who cares. God who is not going to let them die. God who is right there with them.
People complained and tested God. But God’s response did not depend on their faith. God was faithful. What I see is grace – I see love and compassion.
Why did God lead the people into the wilderness? Was it to prove what little faith they had? Was it to simply to make their lives difficult and miserable?
Their faith was indeed tested, and it came up short. But that is NOT why God led them into the wilderness.
God led them there to reveal his faithfulness to them. To let them know that they could trust him. That when there is nothing else left to rely upon, they could rely on him.
When circumstances are good, you trust the circumstances. You feel more confident. You feel confident in your ability. You are optimistic about things.
But when those circumstances change, when you lose control over things, you lose confidence. You doubt your ability. You feel no power.
That is exactly when you are able to experience God in a real way.
Imagine what it was like when they saw the water gushing from the rock. God provided once again! God proved faithful!
They experienced God in a real, powerful way.
The wilderness is not a one time thing. The Israelites journeyed by stages through different parts of the wilderness for forty years. They faced challenge after challenge.
Each time, they had to learn how to trust God. Each time, they failed to trust God, but each time, God was faithful and revealed himself in a powerful way. Over time, these experiences shaped their faith and identity as God’s people.
Life brings many challenges. They never stop. They will continue to come your way. Sometimes, the wilderness never seems to end.
When you feel no confidence, no energy… When you feel scared because things are not in your control…
That is the time to look to God. God is preparing to reveal himself in a real way. God is preparing a way out.
That is what St. Paul discovered after meeting Christ.
His faith was tested over and over again. You read through Acts, you read his letters, and you see that after meeting Christ, his life was never in his control. He was in perpetual wilderness, because his circumstances were always difficult and never in his control.
But through these long journeys, he discovered this great insight:
No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Our faith gets tested all the time by circumstances that are beyond our control. But God is faithful. God will not let you falter. God will not leave you alone. God will provide the way out!
With God by your side, you will be able to endure the wilderness you face.
It is never about our faith. It is about God’s faithfulness. That is the point of wilderness.
In the wilderness, you will experience God’s faithfulness. God will provide what you need. And that experience will strengthen your faith, even when you fail in that moment.
Remember the names Massah and Meribah. Make it a reminder not of your own weak faith, but of God’s grace and faithfulness. Let that reminder strengthen you when you feel weak.
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