Septuagesima January 31, 2021
Exodus 17:1-7
A Grumbling, Grouchy People
v.3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
Dear friends in Christ, today's text is a difficult one for us to examine. Not because it is so hard to understand, but rather because it reveals a very uncomfortable truth about each of us—about the nature and condition of our hearts—about the fickleness of our faith and trust in God. The context for our text is that the Lord, through Moses, had brought the people of Israel out of their captivity in Egypt through the great Exodus. Remember the Ten Plagues? Remember the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, indicating God's presence among them as they moved from place to place? God had delivered them from the hands of the Egyptian army as they crossed the Red Sea—allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground, while drowning Pharaoh and his soldiers behind them. Just in the previous chapter of Exodus, the Israelites had been blessed by God with a provision of Manna and Quail in the wilderness, that they might eat meat and bread freely during their long journey. So God had graciously demonstrated His loving care and provision for His people time and time again.
And yet, as they camp at Rephidim, it is discovered that there is no water to drink. Immediately, their response is to quarrel with Moses—as if all this were his fault—they are really angry with God. They demand of Moses, "Give us water to drink," like petulant children. How quickly they forgot God's gracious providence toward them—His miraculous power—His steadfast love and devotion! Rather than trust in the One who had brought them so far, against impossible odds, they turn against Him in unbelief. Why, they even ascribe to Moses and God wicked intent in bringing them into the wilderness, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
To be fair, the Israelites were scared. And scared people say and do irrational things. They lash out at anyone and everyone nearby, seeking someone to blame. Sound familiar? It should. This is often our response when things don't go our way—or the way that WE think they should go—meaning for our benefit. We cannot look at this text and sit in judgement over the ancient Israelites, decrying their lack of faith, when we do the same thing today. Now, we might not be willing to go out and stone our pastors (thanks for that, by the way), but we certainly feel free to grumble against God in our hearts.
Let's be honest, there have been many situations this past year where we have looked at the state of the world, the state of our own lives, and shook our fist at God, wondering what in the world He is thinking allowing such things to happen. Whether it be the pandemic, the lost jobs, the riots, the hurricanes, etc., etc. We are very good at complaining, and at directing our anger and frustration against others we believe to be responsible. And if God is God, then He certainly must be the ONE who is ultimately responsible for all our woes.
Of course, we know from Scripture that this simply isn't so. The Bible declares that God made His creation good. It was mankind that broke God's good creation with our rebellion against Him in the Garden. WE are responsible for all the suffering, pain, and death that we see around us, not God.
Yet, what is God's response to His people's grumbling against Him? Does He smite them with some plague? Does He simply wipe them off the face of the earth? No, indeed. In our text, we see the grace and mercy of God on full display. He instructs Moses to take with him some of the elders of Israel that all that would be done could be attested to by many witnesses for the rest of the people. Such is always the case with Christianity. Nothing is done in secret. There is no hidden knowledge or revelation. It is out there, plain as day, for all to see in the pages of Holy Scripture.
Then God directs Moses, "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink." In the sight of the elders of Israel Moses took the staff and struck the rock at Horeb—the rock upon which the Lord stood—and water came out of that rock and all the people drank. Beloved, take note of that. Moses didn't just strike any old rock—he was directed by God to strike the very rock upon which the Lord Himself stood before them. Moses was to strike the Lord, and water flowed—the people were saved.
Just so, the Lord Jesus, the incarnate God, the same One who stood on the rock at Horeb—would later be struck on the cross of Calvary. He would be struck the furious blow of the full wrath of God the Father. Jesus would suffer and die on the cross—and from His dead, broken body would flow blood and water—and the people would be saved. Our great thirst for righteousness would be satisfied.
Rather than strike us down in our sinfulness—our grumbling—our ingratitude—our lack of faith and trust—God acts in mercy. He strikes down His own beloved Son in our place. Jesus endured the agony of the cross so that you and I would never have to. That by His death all our sins would be paid in full. Despite our sinfulness, God acts in grace to save us. Such is His wondrous love for His people—even sinners like you and me.
We are so richly blessed, people loved by God, to have a God who is with us—not in wrath and judgement—but in mercy and peace. Mercy and peace bought with the blood of Jesus. For on the cross, Jesus' body poured out both blood and water. And now we are led by God to drink deeply of the blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar so that our sins may be forgiven—and our faith in God strengthened and renewed. We are bathed in the refreshing water of our Baptism into Christ. For having been washed in the water combined with God's own holy name, all our sins have been forgiven, and we have been granted a place in God's kingdom—His presence—for all eternity—life everlasting!
The people of Israel questioned the loving presence of the Lord among them in the wilderness, asking, "Is the Lord among us or not?" We know the answer to that question, beloved. We know it better than the Israelites who had the presence of God signified by the pillar of cloud and fire. For we have the sure promise of Jesus Christ come in our own flesh to save us from our sin. To grant us faith by trusting in His sacrifice on the cross to pay for all our sins.
And now, we have the certainty of the Word and the Sacraments given by Christ to His church. These gifts of God are the sure presence of God among us. We need not ask, "Is the Lord among us or not?" For we know—we KNOW He is with us in Word and Sacrament. He has promised. The Holy Spirit uses these gifts of God to give us Jesus. To strengthen and sustain our faith when dark is our road.
We have the great joy of knowing that the Lord is with us in our Baptism—that His loving arms enfold us—washing us clean day by day—as we look to the cross of Jesus for forgiveness and peace. We have the added benefit of coming to the Lord's Supper and being served by Jesus Himself—as He graciously gives us His own body and blood in bread and wine for the full forgiveness of all our sins! We have the clarion call of the Word of God—that we hear preached in church—that we read at home with our families—the Word of God that tells us of all God has done to rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil—through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
What reason, therefore, beloved, do we have to grumble? To doubt? To fear? For God is with us in even more powerful ways than He was with the ancient Israelites. Jesus, at His ascension to the right hand of the Father, boldly declared, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age." Truly, Jesus is our Emmanuel—God with us. And so we have no fear of the world, the devil, nor even our own sinful flesh. For Christ Jesus has conquered all—for you and for me—and He continues to give us His victory—shower us with His blessings and presence—by the power of His Word and Holy Sacraments. To which we joyfully respond with faith, hope, and thanksgiving. Truly, thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Exodus 17:1-7
A Grumbling, Grouchy People
v.3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
Dear friends in Christ, today's text is a difficult one for us to examine. Not because it is so hard to understand, but rather because it reveals a very uncomfortable truth about each of us—about the nature and condition of our hearts—about the fickleness of our faith and trust in God. The context for our text is that the Lord, through Moses, had brought the people of Israel out of their captivity in Egypt through the great Exodus. Remember the Ten Plagues? Remember the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, indicating God's presence among them as they moved from place to place? God had delivered them from the hands of the Egyptian army as they crossed the Red Sea—allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground, while drowning Pharaoh and his soldiers behind them. Just in the previous chapter of Exodus, the Israelites had been blessed by God with a provision of Manna and Quail in the wilderness, that they might eat meat and bread freely during their long journey. So God had graciously demonstrated His loving care and provision for His people time and time again.
And yet, as they camp at Rephidim, it is discovered that there is no water to drink. Immediately, their response is to quarrel with Moses—as if all this were his fault—they are really angry with God. They demand of Moses, "Give us water to drink," like petulant children. How quickly they forgot God's gracious providence toward them—His miraculous power—His steadfast love and devotion! Rather than trust in the One who had brought them so far, against impossible odds, they turn against Him in unbelief. Why, they even ascribe to Moses and God wicked intent in bringing them into the wilderness, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
To be fair, the Israelites were scared. And scared people say and do irrational things. They lash out at anyone and everyone nearby, seeking someone to blame. Sound familiar? It should. This is often our response when things don't go our way—or the way that WE think they should go—meaning for our benefit. We cannot look at this text and sit in judgement over the ancient Israelites, decrying their lack of faith, when we do the same thing today. Now, we might not be willing to go out and stone our pastors (thanks for that, by the way), but we certainly feel free to grumble against God in our hearts.
Let's be honest, there have been many situations this past year where we have looked at the state of the world, the state of our own lives, and shook our fist at God, wondering what in the world He is thinking allowing such things to happen. Whether it be the pandemic, the lost jobs, the riots, the hurricanes, etc., etc. We are very good at complaining, and at directing our anger and frustration against others we believe to be responsible. And if God is God, then He certainly must be the ONE who is ultimately responsible for all our woes.
Of course, we know from Scripture that this simply isn't so. The Bible declares that God made His creation good. It was mankind that broke God's good creation with our rebellion against Him in the Garden. WE are responsible for all the suffering, pain, and death that we see around us, not God.
Yet, what is God's response to His people's grumbling against Him? Does He smite them with some plague? Does He simply wipe them off the face of the earth? No, indeed. In our text, we see the grace and mercy of God on full display. He instructs Moses to take with him some of the elders of Israel that all that would be done could be attested to by many witnesses for the rest of the people. Such is always the case with Christianity. Nothing is done in secret. There is no hidden knowledge or revelation. It is out there, plain as day, for all to see in the pages of Holy Scripture.
Then God directs Moses, "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink." In the sight of the elders of Israel Moses took the staff and struck the rock at Horeb—the rock upon which the Lord stood—and water came out of that rock and all the people drank. Beloved, take note of that. Moses didn't just strike any old rock—he was directed by God to strike the very rock upon which the Lord Himself stood before them. Moses was to strike the Lord, and water flowed—the people were saved.
Just so, the Lord Jesus, the incarnate God, the same One who stood on the rock at Horeb—would later be struck on the cross of Calvary. He would be struck the furious blow of the full wrath of God the Father. Jesus would suffer and die on the cross—and from His dead, broken body would flow blood and water—and the people would be saved. Our great thirst for righteousness would be satisfied.
Rather than strike us down in our sinfulness—our grumbling—our ingratitude—our lack of faith and trust—God acts in mercy. He strikes down His own beloved Son in our place. Jesus endured the agony of the cross so that you and I would never have to. That by His death all our sins would be paid in full. Despite our sinfulness, God acts in grace to save us. Such is His wondrous love for His people—even sinners like you and me.
We are so richly blessed, people loved by God, to have a God who is with us—not in wrath and judgement—but in mercy and peace. Mercy and peace bought with the blood of Jesus. For on the cross, Jesus' body poured out both blood and water. And now we are led by God to drink deeply of the blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar so that our sins may be forgiven—and our faith in God strengthened and renewed. We are bathed in the refreshing water of our Baptism into Christ. For having been washed in the water combined with God's own holy name, all our sins have been forgiven, and we have been granted a place in God's kingdom—His presence—for all eternity—life everlasting!
The people of Israel questioned the loving presence of the Lord among them in the wilderness, asking, "Is the Lord among us or not?" We know the answer to that question, beloved. We know it better than the Israelites who had the presence of God signified by the pillar of cloud and fire. For we have the sure promise of Jesus Christ come in our own flesh to save us from our sin. To grant us faith by trusting in His sacrifice on the cross to pay for all our sins.
And now, we have the certainty of the Word and the Sacraments given by Christ to His church. These gifts of God are the sure presence of God among us. We need not ask, "Is the Lord among us or not?" For we know—we KNOW He is with us in Word and Sacrament. He has promised. The Holy Spirit uses these gifts of God to give us Jesus. To strengthen and sustain our faith when dark is our road.
We have the great joy of knowing that the Lord is with us in our Baptism—that His loving arms enfold us—washing us clean day by day—as we look to the cross of Jesus for forgiveness and peace. We have the added benefit of coming to the Lord's Supper and being served by Jesus Himself—as He graciously gives us His own body and blood in bread and wine for the full forgiveness of all our sins! We have the clarion call of the Word of God—that we hear preached in church—that we read at home with our families—the Word of God that tells us of all God has done to rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil—through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
What reason, therefore, beloved, do we have to grumble? To doubt? To fear? For God is with us in even more powerful ways than He was with the ancient Israelites. Jesus, at His ascension to the right hand of the Father, boldly declared, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age." Truly, Jesus is our Emmanuel—God with us. And so we have no fear of the world, the devil, nor even our own sinful flesh. For Christ Jesus has conquered all—for you and for me—and He continues to give us His victory—shower us with His blessings and presence—by the power of His Word and Holy Sacraments. To which we joyfully respond with faith, hope, and thanksgiving. Truly, thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.