1 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and 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?" 4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." 5 The LORD 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. 6 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." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
As the story from Exodus 17 unfolds, the people of Israel have left Egypt and are on the move again. They have passed the wilderness of Sin and they have not yet arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. They have left the oppression of Egypt. They are no longer slaves. They have yet to arrive in the Promised Land where new enemies await. They have a wall of water between themselves and what is left of the Egyptian army so there is no anxiety on that score. There is a mighty mountain that is shrouded in clouds ahead of them, but there are no enemies here in this barren terrain so there is no need to fear an enemy who has not appeared. They are about to meet the God the worker of miracles.
What is blatantly clear as well is that no water is flowing within their field of vision. That may well be why there are no inhabitants in the land. Who can survive in such a place? Who would make such a wasteland their home? As the sun parched earth cracked under their feet, who can blame the people of Israel for wondering where water could be found? Who can save them from a horrible death due to dehydration? When death seems imminent it is hard to trust. Moses had led them to this place. It was Moses who had claimed to hear from God. Aaron may have been the mouthpiece for Moses, but everyone knew it was Moses who had struck the Nile and turned it into a sea as red as blood. They knew that all of the plagues had come to pass as Moses had spoken. They were there when the sea parted and they walked on dry land where the sea should have been. It is hardly a surprise that when they were perishing from lack of water, it was Moses to whom they turned. Yes, it was said that God had heard the cries of the people when Egypt oppressed them with heavy bondage, but he had sent Moses to lead them to liberty. Would it not have been a logical assumption, a simple conclusion, that where Moses was, there water could be if only they cried loud enough! They could cry as well and as loud as any people, but could they trust Moses and his God in all circumstances? Was Moses looking after their best interests? Did Moses need a little help in seeing the situation? Had he missed the urgency of their dilemma? This people had yet to embrace Yaweh as their God. For the moment he was the God of Moses, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but was he their God? They needed someone who could make a stream in the desert. Would they not perish without water? Could that be what Moses and his God wanted? When the Covid 19 pandemic lurks around every corner don’t we look for someone to save us? Don’t we want some scientist to come up with the perfect vaccine that prevents the disease, but does no harm?
I am reminded of a story that is told about a little boy who went to visit his grandparents at their lake home. There were maybe a dozen friends and relatives sitting around on the dock, catching up on all the latest news of the family and splashing their feet in the water. A harness suspended a powerboat, about two feet over the water. One of the toddlers was fascinated by its colorful sides and decided to investigate. He grabbed hold of the side rail and soon discovered that his feet were out of reach of the dock, and dangling a few inches above the water. Several of the grown-ups saw what was happening and stabilized the boat so he wouldn’t be crunched between the dock and the boat. His Dad grabbed his jacket so he wouldn’t drop in the lake. Everyone did their best to control their laughter as the little fellow began to talk to himself.
“Well I can’t see how I got here, so I can’t go back. I can’t see anything but boat in front of me so I can’t go forward. There’s nothing but water below me and Mommy told me not to get wet so I can’t go down. There’s nothing else to grab above me so I’m stuck right here.” After a few more seconds they heard him blurt out:
“Lord, I know you made me with just two hands for a reason, but these two are tired, can you lend me a couple more till I figure out where I’m goin’.
Needless to say, he was lifted from his predicament by his Dad accompanied by much laughter.
There is also an ancient rabbinical story that is a companion passage to this story. It seems that a little boy had grown tired of walking while going to the market place with his father and asked to be carried. His father lifted the boy high into the air and set him down on his shoulders. Soon the lad nodded oft, almost asleep. He suddenly set up straight and looked all around and could not see his father anywhere. He looked around at the see of faces and recognized no one for some while. Suddenly he saw the village Rabbi. “ Raboni, Raboni,” he called with a touch of desperation in his voice, “Have you seen my father?” With a touch of relief in his voice, he asked, “Where is he?”
‘Look down my lad,’ said the Rabbi, ‘You’ve been riding on his shoulders.’
In many respects, aren’t we a bit like that little boy? God has been with us even in our sleepiest moments and we look around the world for Him and we have been riding on his shoulders all along! As we enter this new season, Fall, I pray that all of us will grow closer to the God who has walked with us by day and carried us on His shoulders at night.
Sometimes it takes a long time to discover the great gifts that God has given us since birth. Talents are not always visible until they are cultivated, practiced, and stimulated by persistence. Consider this little piece of research by Alex McGinnis:
“Albert Einstein was four before he could speak and seven before he could read. Isaac Newton was a poor student in Grade School. Walt Disney was fired as a newspaper editor because he didn't have any good ideas. Werner Van Braun failed algebra in the ninth grade. Haydn quit trying to make a musician out of Beethoven because he was too plodding a person and showed no talent.”
Wouldn’t the world be a far more dismal place if these gifted people had only paid attention to the mumblings and grumbling of those around them?
The people of Israel wanted out of their predicament and they expected Moses to talk to God for them and get a helping hand. They had faith in Moses who they could see, call by name, and surround. They had not discovered for themselves the helping hand of God who was always there; but mysteriously out of sight, that worked behind the scenes and made things happen.
Moses is afraid for his life. The demand placed upon him is unrealistic. He cannot find enough water for all these people and their flocks on his own. As far as he could see there was no water to be found and he was looking for something to drink, too! Yet, Moses did what the people had forgotten to do. He cried to the Lord! Moses petitioned God with tears in his eyes and a knot in his throat. He prays to God.
Nevertheless, Moses is imperfect, too! Notice the words of Moses:
"What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
Moses, fears for his own life and he wants out of danger. He assumes that there is something he can do, that the people cannot. He seems to embrace their trust though he is squirming in the face of their demands. They have yet to come face-to-face with the Sovereign God. Notice the word of the Lord 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. 6 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." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
Moses is taking the people to meet their God. The water will flow from the rock like an everlasting stream. What the people need is more then just a quick fix to their momentary thirst. They need the waters that will not cease. They need to drink from the fountains of everlasting life. God would meet their needs for all times and all occasions. God himself is present, but he does not come to micromanage their universe. He comes as the God Creator who has breathed life into all flesh and creates all of nothing and brings order out of chaos. The people have forgotten the story of Genesis. They have been free from Egyptian bondage for only a handbreadth in time and already forgotten it is upon the Lord that all life depends. The Spirit of God will always be with them, giving voice to the Lord before their groans depart from their mouths.
God went before Moses and stood at Horeb waiting for his people. Such patience! Such love! The God of the universe, the God of every generation went before a band of slaves and stood on the rock of their salvation. This is a wonderful story, but it is in some ways just an early chapter in a magnificent saga. God would continue to go before his people from generation to generation. Recall that Jesus Christ goes before the disciples in the New Testament time and again. God in Christ goes before his followers and meets them at the cross. The road to everlasting life passes by that place where the living water of God is given. It was promised to the Samaritan woman at the well. It is promised to the likes of you and me. It is promised to our children and our children’s children until in the fullness of time we all reside in the land of promise, the kingdom where there is no end. The apostle John; in the closing book of the New Testament, as he looks at that consummation of time, writes:
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Reading that passage, I suspect there may yet be a few complaints coming from the multitudes and it might go something like this:
“Wouldn’t you know it? Here we are in the City of God and there’s a river running through the middle of the street. Do you think Moses is going to appear with his staff? Suppose he does. Will we walk across on dry ground or is the river going to gush forth somewhere else. Do you think we ought to eat the fruit? We know what happened to Adam and Eve! Well, I guess we’ll just have to stay right here and wait for further instructions.
Then a booming voice speaks up:
“It‘s about time ya’ll decided to listen. Sit down awhile and let’s catch up on all the things you missed while complaining.
In the Bible, as in life, the trouble with those who grumble and mumble is that they hold up everyone getting to the Promised Land. There have been, are, and will be plenty of miracles to save God’s people.
I can not look into a crystal ball and tell you when terrorism will end. I cannot tell you when a lasting cure for the Covid 19 virus will be found. What I can tell you is that God has heard the cries of his people everywhere and he is going before all of us to the headwaters of an everlasting stream where there will be no more tears or pain and we will be healed in the broken places. Until then let us pray to the God of our Salvation while listening to the best advice of scientists.