Scripture Passage
Exodus 17:1-7
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”
3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front 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, and go. 6 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 in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Sermon Script
The Israelites did not reach the Promised Land as soon as they were freed from slavery in Egypt. They had to go through the wilderness to get to the Promised Land.
They were in the wilderness for 40 long years.
But you know what is interesting? We may think it took 40 years for them to get to the Promised Land because the distance between Egypt and Cannan was very long. Well, that wasn’t the case at all.
Geographically speaking, the Israelites could have been at the Promised Land in a matter of weeks. Canaan wasn’t that far from Egypt.
So then, why did it take them 40 years? An entire generation changed while they were in the wilderness!
It is because it took them that long to learn how to trust God.
Their faith wasn’t formed when they were brought out of Egypt. You’d think the kind of grand, spectacular miracle they experienced will make them trust God for the rest of their life.
As soon as they went into the wilderness, the Israelites acted as if God had never brought them out of Egypt. Instead, they blamed Moses for bringing them into the wilderness.
They complained about the bitterness of water and the lack of food. They longed to be back in Egypt, living as slaves. At least there, they had more than enough to eat.
This was basically their attitude while they were in the wilderness. What we see in today’s passage is not too different.
In the story we read today, the Israelites quarrel with Moses. This is more than just complaining. They challenged and argued with Moses, like in a court of law.
They were furious about their situation. Their anger towards Moses was so real that Moses felt scared for his life.
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” (Exodus 17:4)
The Israelites weren’t frustrated about being thirsty. It was much more serious than that. Having no water meant that their family and livestock could die. It was a life-or-death situation.
Cuba is going through a similar situation these days.
Our church began a fundraising campaign last week. The country is going through a major crisis.
This week, I heard that their National Energy System crashed. They are lacking all the basic necessities. Little food, no clean water, no oil, etc. Things we never have to worry about here.
For the people of Cuba, it is a matter of daily survival. That is why we are stepping up to support them at this time.
In that sense, I can sympathize with the way the Israelites acted. In such a bleak and hopeless situation, it is hard to be positive. They were probably scared for their lives. Trusting God would have been the last thing on their minds.
That is why the journey of trusting God is long and difficult. It does not come to us easily.
Sure, when we experience God helping us in our troubles, we feel like we will trust him next time something similar happens. But what do we do when the next challenge comes our way? We usually react the same way as before.
We get overwhelmed, scared, and stressed. We complain, lash out in anger, or become avoidant. We try to deal with the situation in whatever way we can. We act as if God was never there for us to begin with. Rather, we blame God and other people.
Our fear often ends up outweighing our faith. All these are expressions of fear.
Trusting God is not just some skill or an ability. Trusting God is an expression of our faith. It is connected to who we are as a person. You can’t fake it. Being shaped into a person of faith takes time.
Here is one important thing about faith. It is never shaped in a comfortable place. Faith is always tested and shaped in the wilderness.
It is usually formed through our mistakes, stumbling, and failures. In that sense, it is impossible to become a person of faith without going through the wilderness.
No one enjoys being in the wilderness. No one willingly chooses the wilderness.
Even though we may know it in our heads, it is hard for us to see the value of being in it when everything is so difficult and tiring. Like the Israelites, we just want to just go back to the old days – when things were mindless, repetitive, and comfortable.
That is what happens when we are tested in the wilderness. We have those kinds of thoughts and feelings. But that is okay.
The important thing is to not give into the temptation to give up. Learn to be still and wait for God.
God will provide what you need in your wilderness. Even if it is just enough to get through the day. God will sustain you in your every step, if you let him.
The Israelites quarreled with Moses. They resented him. In doing so, they resented God.
But God did not punish them. God did not argue with them on the number of times he helped them in the past, and how they should believe him because of it. Instead, what did he do?
Through Moses, God gave them water. No but’s or if’s. God made sure they had their drink and lived.
This became another event that shaped the faith of the Israelites. Another step in their long and difficult journey of trusting God.
It was significant enough that Moses named the place they were in:
And he called the place Massah [“testing”] and Meribah [“quarreling”] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7)
As I said before, trusting God is an expression of our faith. Faith is ultimately connected to HOPE.
If you are a person of faith, that means you are hopeful person. As God shapes your faith through your challenges, the everlasting power of hope will be born within you.
Listen to what St. Paul said in Romans:
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3, 4)
What do you see here?
Hope doesn’t just come out of nowhere. It is the outcome of a three-step process. It is the spiritual fruit.
Facing our challenges teaches us how to persevere; Learning to persevere builds our character; And as we mature in character, we become hopeful.
In other words, we learn to trust God in all circumstances.
It may have taken the Israelites 40 years, but in the end they got to the Promised Land. And so will you. You will enter into a new chapter in your walk with God. You will enjoy a newer and deeper relationship with God.
Even though the journey of trusting God is long and difficult, keep going. Don’t try to find shortcuts or an easy way out. Don’t give up, no matter how many times you fall.
God will lift you up and set you on your feet again.
Yes, you will fail along the way. But God will never fail you. Your faith will overcome your fears.
Change is always uncomfortable and unpleasant, but it is truly rewarding in the end. The Israelites that arrived at the Promised Land were no longer the slave-minded people from Egypt. They were God’s chosen people, free and bold, with faith as bright as gold.
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