Exodus - Living as God’s People: Week 10
Opening Prayer:
Lord God,
Thank you for Your loving provision.
Help us be grateful and appreciative of all You have done for us, and free and generous with all that You have given us.
Shape us into Your kingdom people.
Help us remember Your goodness and faithfulness, regardless of circumstances, for You are always with us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Key Scripture:
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?”
Exodus 17:1-7
Sermon Summary:
After God’s provision for His people in the desert (the manna and quail), the Israelites continue onwards at the Lord’s command, but soon fall to complaining again, this time about the lack of water. With the people grumbling against him, Moses turns to God in his frustration and asks what he should do about these complaining people who, so soon after the miracle of manna, are already doubting God’s faithfulness towards them.
The Israelites were choosing to dwell in their discontent and grumbling, choosing to test God’s faithfulness against their complaints. After all that God had done for them - the miraculous plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, their rescue from Egypt, the provision of food in the desert, and all this in the last six months - the people are wallowing in their complaints, choosing to let their complaint determine their reaction to God’s goodness and even question whether God is even with them.
We have all asked this question at some point. If God is with me, then why are things not going well for me? Why are difficult, uncomfortable things happening to me? Why was that prayer not answered? Why has this situation not gone as I had hoped? Why has the situation gone pear-shaped for me?
The Israelites had a pressing physical need - water. But they also had a spiritual need - a need to press more heavily into the Lord, to remember His faithfulness to them. They needed to trust God more, trust that He would provide for them, that He was with them - and that He was transforming them into His chosen people.
God reminds them of who they are and who He is, and what He has done to rescue them, to set them free. God calls them to remember their redemption; to remember the saving acts He has performed on their behalf.
God answers both Israel and Moses according to their needs. The thirsty Israelites get the water they need. Moses, criticised for poor leadership, gets public, visible vindication of his leadership from God. In front of everyone, God works through Moses to provide the water.
Jesus said anyone who is thirsty can come to Him and receive water. John 7:37-39 says ‘On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”’
Jesus offers us living water. He offers us final, ultimate, perfect proof that God is with us, that He has saved us, that we are His people. We too can look back to see all that Jesus has done for us, and use this past faithfulness shown to us as a reminder of His goodness and the promise that he is always with us.
Grumbling erodes faith. Remembering God’s goodness builds and reinforces faith. We have so much to thank him for, if we will only take the time to remember it all, and thank him for it all.
Questions to Consider:
What stood out to you most from this message — a story, phrase, or verse?
Can you think of a recent moment when you found yourself grumbling or doubting God’s presence?
Amelia described grumbling as “taking up lodging in discontent.”
How can grumbling slowly erode our faith?
Why do you think it’s often easier to complain than to call on God for help or provision?
In what ways do we, like Israel, test God’s faithfulness against our expectations?
Amelia mentioned the antidote to Israel’s grumbling was remembering the story of God’s faithfulness.
What practices help you remember what God has done in your life?
How can remembering change your attitude or posture in the middle of struggle?
What are signs that your soul is “thirsty”?
Where are you tempted to look for satisfaction other than Jesus?
Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
What might that look like practically in your daily life or your community?
Response:
Ask these questions of yourself this week:
Where do I notice a pattern of grumbling in my own thoughts or speech?
What specific act of God’s faithfulness do I need to remember right now?
How is my soul spiritually thirsty — and what might “coming to Jesus to drink” look like this week?
Who in my life could benefit from the “living water” God is producing in me?
What would it look like for me to respond to difficulty with gratitude and remembrance rather than frustration?
Prayer Prompts:
Pray for the people of Gaza.
Pray for the people of the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
Additional Resources:
Further Study Resources:
Bible Project - Exodus Scroll
Bible Project - The Exodus Way
Find the full sermon recording here
For a printable version of this guide click here