Last week:
Bread From Heaven Exodus 16:4-35
Memory Verse:
John 6:33
For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Exodus 16:4-35
4 Then the LORD said to Moses,
“I will rain down bread from heaven for you.
The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.
In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.” 9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’”
10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud. 11 The LORD said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight, you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” 13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an Omer for each person you have in your tent.’” 17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the Omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. 19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” 20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. 21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’ ”
24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.” 27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’” 33 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come.” 34 As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved. 35 The Israelites ate manna for forty years until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.
Water From The Rock
Exodus 17:1-6
Water From the Rock
1 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?”
MEMORY VERSE
PSALM 114:7-8 “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool of water...”
LESSON TIME!
The children of Israel had some incredible experiences as God took care of them in the wilderness.
They saw the Red Sea part and they walked through it on dry ground.
They saw the Egyptian army covered by the Red Sea, the very sea that they had passed through.
They tasted bitter waters that God made sweet for them,
and they saw the miraculous provision of the manna, the food that would sustain them for the next 40 years.
One would think that such great miracles would build their faith so much that they would never doubt God again. Yet, the Israelites struggled with unbelief time and time again.
We will see, once again, faced with a seeming impossibility, they begin to murmur and complain.
And we will see, once again, the grace and long-suffering of God toward them.
17:1 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.
In this verse, we see the children of Israel journeying in the wilderness from one place to another place, "According to the commandment of the Lord,"
and there was no water for them to drink there.
Did God make a mistake?
It was God who led them into an “impossible” situation.
Surely, their God who led them knew what trials would befall them. Surely, He is prepared to work on their behalf.
Why do you think God would lead them into an impossible situation?
God will sometimes lead us into “impossible” situations in order to accomplish His purposes.
Can We trust that He knows the trials and obstacles we are facing and will face, and He is prepared to work on our behalf?
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.”
The people “fought” with Moses. They challenged Moses to supply them with water.
Moses responded that they were, in reality, fighting with the Lord.
Moses was God’s leader and His representative to the people.
To murmur against Moses was to murmur against the Lord.
As their need grew stronger, and no evidence of water was to be seen, the children of Israel grew angrier.
They accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to let them die of thirst in the wilderness.
They were questioning God’s goodness and faithfulness.
Now, it was no difficulty for God to provide water—He who had parted the Red Sea, buried the army in it, turned bitter water to sweet, and given manna from heaven.
How quickly they forgot all the miracles God had done and became, again, overwhelmed with the circumstances.
Their unbelief had blinded their eyes and, foolishly, they were even ready to stone Moses.
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
As did the children of Israel.
Rather than become angry and attempt to defend himself, Moses brought the problem to the Almighty God—
The source of His strength. He cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do?" He, wisely, sought counsel from the Lord.
We, too, should learn to seek God’s counsel and wisdom when faced with every decision and problem.
How do we seek God’s wisdom?
We can make a greater mess than we started with. It is always wise to seek the counsel of the Lord by praying and reading His word the bible.
Proverbs 3:5,6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Does God take care of His children?
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.
God graciously answered Moses cry. (When we come to God in prayer with our needs, we can be assured that He answers us.)
God told Moses to go before the people, even though they wanted to stone him. Moses knew God was with him and would protect him.
God then told Moses that He would "stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb." What a beautiful promise: God would stand before Moses.
Moses was to "strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
We see a beautiful type of Jesus Christ in this picture (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-4). We see the rock being struck, speaking of the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross.
Moses used his rod to strike the rock—the same rod that had been the symbol of judgment (Exodus 4:3; 7:17) in the hand of Moses.
Jesus took the judgment for our sins that we deserved. It is awesome to consider is the fact that it was the people's sins that led to the smiting of the rock, just as our sins led to the smiting of the Rock of our salvation, Jesus.
God, Himself, stood upon the rock while it was smitten (verse 6). Just as the water flowed out of the rock to meet the need of the people,
So grace flows from our Rock to meet each of our needs.
In John 7:37-38, Jesus said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
The water flowing from the rock is a beautiful type of the Holy Spirit, who fills us and refreshes us as God's children
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?”
Moses named the place Massah, meaning “temptation,” because the people tempted God; and Meribah, meaning "strife." A name was given as a remembrance of their sin;
It would serve as a warning to their children not to commit the same sins as their parents. We truly see God's love for His people; although, they had murmured and complained, accused Moses and God.
Let us not find ourselves complaining when faced with “impossible” circumstances.
Our faithful and an all-powerful God can, if necessary, provide "waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink…"
The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
MEMORY VERSE
PSALM 114:7-8
“Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool of water...”
PRAYER
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