We're now going to read from God's Word, so if you can turn to Exodus chapter 15.
We'll start at verse 22, and we'll end at chapter 17, verse 7.
Then the Lord made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur.
They went three days into the wilderness and found no water.
When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter.
Therefore it was named Marah.
And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying,
If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his eyes,
and give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes,
I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians.
For I am the Lord your healer.
Then they came to Elam, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees,
and they encamped there by the water.
They set out from Elam, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin,
which is between Elam and Sinai.
On the fifteenth day of the second month, after they had departed from the land of Egypt.
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
And the people of Israel said to them,
Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt,
where we sat by the meat pots, and ate bread for the full.
For you have brought us out to this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Then the Lord said to Moses,
Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you,
and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day that I may test them,
whether they will walk in the law or not.
On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in,
it will be twice as much as they gather daily.
So Moses and Aaron said to the people of Israel,
At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord,
because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord.
For what are we that you grumble against us?
And Moses said,
When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat,
and in the morning bread to the full,
because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him,
what are we?
Your grumbling is not against us, but against the Lord.
Then Moses said to Aaron,
Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel,
Come near before the Lord,
for he has heard your grumbling.
As soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel,
they looked towards the wilderness,
and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
And the Lord said to Moses,
I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel.
Say to them,
At twilight you shall eat meat,
and in the morning you shall be filled with bread,
and then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.
In the evening quail came up and covered the camp,
and in the morning dew lay around the camp.
And when the dew had gone up,
there was on the face of the wilderness
a fine flake-like thing,
fine as frost on the ground.
And when the people of Israel saw it,
they said to one another,
What is it?
For they did not know what it was.
And Moses said to them,
It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
This is what the Lord has commanded.
Gather of it,
each one of you,
as much as he can eat.
You shall each take an omer,
according to the number of persons
that each of you has in the tent.
And the people of Israel did so.
They gathered,
some more,
some less.
But when they measured it with an omer,
whoever gathered much had nothing left,
whoever gathered little had no lack.
Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.
And Moses said to them,
Let no one leave any of it till the morning.
But they did not listen to Moses.
Some left part of it till the morning,
and it bred worms and stank.
And Moses was angry with them.
Morning by morning they gathered it,
each as much as he could eat,
but when the sun grew hot,
it melted.
On the sixth day,
they gathered twice as much bread,
two omers each.
And when all the leaders of the congregation came
and told Moses,
he said to them,
This is what the Lord has commanded.
Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest,
a holy Sabbath to the Lord.
Bake what you will bake,
and boil what you will boil,
and all that is left over is to be,
all that is left over lay aside
to be kept till the morning.
So they laid it aside till the morning
as Moses commanded them,
and it did not stink,
and there were no worms in it.
Moses said,
Eat it today,
for today is a Sabbath to the Lord.
Today you will not find it in the field.
Six days you shall gather it,
but on the seventh day,
which is a Sabbath,
there will be none.
On the seventh day,
some of the people went out together,
but they found none.
And the Lord said to Moses,
How long will you refuse
to keep my commandments and my laws?
See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath.
Therefore, on the sixth day,
he gives you bread for two days.
Remain each of you in his place.
Let no one go out of his place
on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
Now the house of Israel
called its name Manna.
It was like coriander seed,
white,
and the taste of it
was like wafers made with honey.
And Moses said,
This is what the Lord has commanded.
Let an oma of it be kept
throughout your generations,
so that they may see the bread
which I fed you in the wilderness
when I brought you out
of the land of Egypt.
And Moses said to Aaron,
Take a jar
and put an oma of manna in it
and place it before the Lord
to be kept throughout
your generations.
As the Lord commanded Moses,
so Aaron placed it
before the testimony
to be kept.
The people of Israel
ate the manna
for forty years
till they came
to a habitable land.
They ate the manna
till they came
to the border
of the land of Canaan.
An oma is the tenth part
of an ephah.
All the congregation
of the people of Israel
moved on
from the wilderness
of sin by stages
according to the commandment
of the Lord
and camped at Rephidim.
But there was no water
for the people to drink.
Therefore the people
quarreled with Moses
and said,
Give us water to drink.
And Moses said to them,
Why do you quarrel with me?
Why do you test the Lord?
But the people thirsted
there for the water
and the people grumbled
against Moses
and said,
Why did you bring us
out of Egypt?
To kill us
and our children
and our livestock
with thirst?
So Moses cried to the Lord,
What shall I do
with his people?
They are almost ready
to stone me.
And the Lord said to Moses,
Pass on before the people
taking with you
some of the elders
of Israel
and taking your hand
the staff
with which you struck
the Nile
and go.
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.
And Moses did so
in the sight
of the elders
of Israel
and he called the name
of the place
Massah
and Meribah
because of the quarrelling
of the people
of Israel
and because they
tested the Lord
by saying,
Is the Lord among us
or not?
This is God's word.
May he bless it to us.
Good morning, church.
How are you all doing?
Good morning.
Yeah, so
nice day outside.
Thank you all
to be here
and really appreciate
the opportunity
to be able to share
God's word
with you all
today again.
Yeah, I get a bit
emotional
every time I sing
this song.
I know I actually
asked for the song
and I don't know
why I did it.
Yeah, it reminds me
of a really tough time
that I had
when we were away
in the U.S.
and I was
studying
in a seminary
and
yeah, my wife
was suffering
from a lot of
health issues.
A little bit depressing,
you know,
leaving family
and friends
and everything behind
and
you know,
the Lord has provided
every day
and so if I start
crying during the sermon,
you know why.
Yeah,
why don't we pray
before we start?
Yeah.
Oh Lord,
you're just
so faithful.
Remember when I was young,
I felt like we'd
conquered a world.
Nothing bad
or that bad
really ever happens.
But Lord,
life is hard
that we thank you
that morning
by morning
you show
your mercies
to us.
And today,
Lord,
as we look
into your word,
may that same
mercy be with us
so that our hearts
are not hardened
and that your word
will change
our lives
today
and forevermore.
In Jesus' name
we pray.
Amen.
Right,
so last week
Dave spoke
from Exodus
12 to 15
about how God
with his mighty hands
redeemed
the people of Israel
from slavery
by offering
through the blood
of Passover
the Passover lamb
and God destroyed
all the pursuing enemies,
the Egyptians,
in the Red Sea.
So when you read
chapter 15,
Exodus,
the first three quarters
of the chapter
describes how
the entire Israel,
like a million people,
were singing praises
to the Lord
and Miriam
and all the women
got out their instrument
and started dancing away.
It was like a great party,
the greatest party
the world has ever seen.
It was an amazing time,
happy times,
but great times
don't always last.
In today's reading
we see that
three days into the wilderness
and they ran into
some major,
major issues.
Imagine one million people
out in the desert
somewhere
with no water
and then they ran out of bread
and then they ran out of water again.
It's like, you know,
if some of you
heard of
or seen the images of
or been to
one of those
Taylor Swift concerts
or like a weekend concert
that had happened recently,
it's like 80,000 people
each time,
right?
We have 20 times
that people
but there's no lights,
no Wi-Fi,
no music,
no sound,
no nothing.
It was a disaster.
So what's going on here?
One minute
is celebration
and the next minute
everything is falling apart.
Across
Exodus 15, 22
to 17, 7
there's an account
of God
putting Israel
through a series
of three trials
just before
they got to Mount Sinai
to receive
God's covenant law.
So today
we're going to talk about
the trials
of the redeemed.
I call it
a brief discussion.
Why?
Because it's such
a huge topic.
So given the time
we have
we can only
scratch to service.
So if you believe
that God wants
Christians
to never suffer
but be materially rich
and healthy
and happy
all the time,
that's the prosperity
gospel in a nutshell.
I hope our passage
today
may show you
what the Bible
thinks of that.
and if you are
going through
some trying times
at the moment
whether it's
a difficult job
whether there are
some relational issues
at home
with spouses
or kids
whether there is
suffering
with your loved ones
with physical
and mental health
elderly care needs
and so on
my hope
and prayer
is that today's message
will comfort
and also encourage you.
If you have some
experience of trials
in the past
but everything
is a-okay
at the moment
I also hope
that this Bible
passage today
may help prepare you
for the next big one
because they do
and they tend
to come.
Today's sermon
will have two main sections.
Section one
is on understanding
trials
and then section two
is going to be
on responding
to trials.
Let's go into
section one
understanding trials.
In the Bible
there are different
types of hardships
that are highlighted.
Some hardships
are consequences
of our sins.
For example
David lost his child
born to Bathsheba
after he basically
committed adultery
with her
and had murdered
her husband Uriah.
You see that
in 2 Samuel
chapter 12.
And in 1 Peter 4
when Peter
wrote to the Christians
he said that
fiery trials
are given
to Christians.
Don't treat that
as a surprise.
But at the same time
do not suffer
as a murderer
or thief etc.
I told you
trials come right?
Yeah.
So if you rob
the bank
or drive recklessly
and end up
in jail
that is a consequence
of sin
which is not
our focus today.
And there are
other hardships
too.
We often
call trials
and they are
God ordained
not because of
any specific
wrongdoings.
God gives them
to his people
for a good reason
not to fail
or to break
anyone.
And we see that
in Exodus 15
22 to 23.
If you read
the verses here
it just says
that God
simply led
through Moses
Israel
into the wilderness
where there's
no water
to be found.
And when they
finally come
to some sort
of oasis
and they found
some water
the water
was not drinkable
it was bitter.
At that point
in time
have they done
anything bad
or naughty
or said anything
bad
that deserves
punishment?
In fact
over the last
couple of
verses
like the whole
chapter
before this
they were just
singing and
dancing and
praising God
for his
redemption.
And similarly
in Job 1
they also
record a
conversation
between God
and Satan
on Job
is to go
through some
serious trials
not because
he was sinful
but because
he was righteous.
He ended up
losing
what?
His wealth
his health
his kids
but God
allowed it
all for
good purpose.
Some might
say that God
kept his wife
as a punishment
but let's
not go there
for now.
This is the
kind of trial
or hardship
we will focus
on today.
God giving
trials to
his people
for a good
purpose.
And there
is another
kind of
hardship too
which is
neither of
the above.
Like in
John 9
there was a
blind man
who was born
blind.
Disciples
asked Jesus
why was this
guy blind?
His sins
or his
parents?
And what
did Jesus
say?
He was
neither.
He was
blind simply
to show
the works
of God
to bring
glory to
him.
So this
is not
the type
of hardship
we will
look into
either.
We will
leave that
for another
time.
Okay,
so why
does God
give his
people trials?
Why test
a person
through
hardship?
Well,
for a variety
of reasons.
First,
it's to
reveal,
which is in
your bulletin,
or prove
a person's
nature or
character.
In the
Exodus 15-17 story
today,
Israel proved to
be a rebellious
nation full of
people,
full of
resentment.
Three times they
lacked food and
water,
and what did
they do?
Three times they
grumbled.
Twice they accused
God of wanting to
mass murder them
by withholding food
and water,
despite his
saving grace.
in Exodus 16,
God told them
he would provide
them with manna
daily,
okay,
so do not
keep the manna
until the next
morning.
But what did
they do?
They disobeyed
and kept the
manna,
so it stank
and started
going wormy.
God also told
them to stop
gathering on
the seventh
day,
that is,
keep the
Sabbath to
the Lord,
and they went
out and
gathered.
Now,
keeping
Sabbath,
and in fact,
all of God's
command,
are God's
call to
his people
into sonship,
not into another
form of slavery.
God wants his
people to reflect
his character
and the things
that he does.
So God rested
on the seventh
day,
so he wants
his people,
his sons and
daughters,
to be like him.
Be holy
because I am
holy,
and like Jesus
said,
be perfect
because your
Father in heaven
is perfect.
God's call
to obey
is not
to call
people into
slavery,
put a huge
burden or
yoke on
them,
but to call
them into
sonship,
like father,
like son.
But the people
of Israel
did not get it.
They were
proven to be
a rebellious
people.
And Jesus,
in Matthew 4,
on the other
hand,
was also led
into the
wilderness
to be
tried and
tested.
For 40
days,
he had no
food or
drink,
but he
didn't grumble
a single
time.
In fact,
Satan
tempted him
with all
the tricks
to repeat
Israel's
prior mistakes,
which we saw
in the passage
today.
But Jesus
proved to be
absolutely
obedient to
God as
the Son of
God,
whom God
is well
pleased.
And that
is the
first thing
that God
declared when
Jesus came
out of being
baptized by
John the
Baptist.
With us as
Christians,
God uses
trials to
reveal our
character,
how broken
we are,
and how
much we
need him,
and the
gospel of
Jesus Christ.
The beauty
is that he
does not judge
us by our
character,
because we
are hidden
in Christ,
as Paul
says in
Colossians 3,
chapter 3,
verse 3.
It is like
we are pieces
of silver
jewelry,
and if you're
familiar with
silver,
or have some
silver earrings,
whatever,
they always
go black.
That is us,
that's our
character,
that is how
we're supposed
to be judged.
But what we
need is to be
gold-plated,
and Jesus
is our gold,
he covers us
all the way
through and
through,
so that when
God sees us,
he only sees
Jesus'
character,
which is pure
gold.
God gives
his people
trials to
prove their
nature and
character.
That is the
first reason
God puts
his people
through trials.
The second
reason God
gives his
people trials
is to humble
and teach
his people,
us,
to live
God-dependent
lives.
In Exodus
16, the
Israelites started
to complain
about their
food.
It's been
45 days
since they
left Egypt,
so their
bread had
probably run
out.
God gave
them a few
simple commands
related to
the manna,
how much
to gather
on each
day, and
how long
to keep
and not
to keep
the manna,
etc.
Why?
God says
in Exodus
16, 4,
and you can
take a look
with me,
he says,
that I may
test them
whether or
not they
will walk
in my
instruction.
To walk
in, in
the Hebrews
mind, is
to not go
for a hike,
but to
live with
or live
by.
In
Deuteronomy
8, verse
3, when
Moses was
speaking of
this same
manna
incident to
the Israelites,
he further
explained that
God humbled
you and
let you be
hungry and
fed you
with manna
which you
did not
know, nor
did your
fathers know
that he
might make
you understand
that man
does not
live by
bread alone,
but man
lives by
everything
that proceeds
out of
the mouth
of God.
In other
words, true
living is
not by
what goes
into our
mouth, but
what comes
out of
God's
mouth.
God's put
people through
trials in
order to
humble them
so that they
may experience
how life-giving
and dependable
his every
word is.
American
author
Joni
Erickson
Tata, who
suffered a
diving accident
when she
was a
teenager and
was made
quadripedric,
basically
paralyzed from
the neck
down, one
said that
in a way,
I hope I
can take my
wheelchair to
heaven with
me.
I know that
this is not
biblically
correct, but
if I were
able, I
would have
my wheelchair
up in
heaven right
next to me
when God
gives me my
brand new
glorified body.
and I
will then
turn to
Jesus and
say, Lord,
do you see
the wheelchair
right here?
Well, you
were right
when you
said that
in this
world we
would have
trouble,
because that
wheelchair
was a lot
of trouble.
But Jesus,
the weaker
I was in
that thing,
the harder
I leaned
on you.
And the
harder I
leaned on
you, the
stronger I
discovered you
to be.
What a
prayer.
Instead of
praying for
the Lord
to take
away our
trials,
maybe we
should pray
and ask
God to
make us
better at
leaning on
him through
our trials.
A step
at a time
and a day
at a time.
The third
reason, the
third point I
would like to
share about
the why of
trials, it's
not so much
about the
why of
trials, but
to talk to
others about
the why of
trials.
When people
are going
through actual
trials and
sufferings, a
most natural
question people
tend to ask
is why.
And we
can see that
in Exodus
chapter 17
verse 3.
The Israelites
asked why.
Why?
But what
these people
who are in
pain most
likely don't
need is for
us to give
them a lecture
on how the
Lord is using
trials to
reveal their
character or
to humble
them.
That's not
what they
need.
They also
don't need
us to tell
them in a
personal way
that they are
being punished
because they
did something
wrong, like
Job's friend
did to Job
when he was
suffering his
losses.
And I've
learned from
my spiritual
mentors,
much wiser
men than me
who are in
their 80s,
that the
best we
can do
is what
Paul says
in Romans
12,
chapter 15,
and I
read,
Rejoice
with those
who rejoice
and weep
with those
who weep.
And if
the people
who are
suffering
push us
on why
a good
God would
allow such
a bad
thing to
happen,
like I
was once
asked by
a man in
front of
his whole
family,
why would
God,
if he's
good,
allow my
12-year-old
daughter to
die of a
car accident,
the best
thing to
say is,
I do
not know
why,
but I
know that
God is
good and
that he
is faithful.
So in
explaining the
why of
trials to
people who
are hurting,
it is best
to be a
listener and
not a
lecturer.
This
concludes
section 1,
the understanding
of trials
today,
and so
let's move
on to
section 2.
section 2
is on
responding to
trials,
and I
will share
three
tendencies
and
something
about
overcoming
them.
First
tendency
when facing
trials
is that
people
and us
tend to
bitterly
grumble
against the
Lord.
Once upon
a time,
a middle-aged
monk,
nothing
against
middle-aged
men,
by the
main,
that's me
by the
way,
named
Gabriel,
checked
into a
monastery
in Europe
where monks
are supposed
to practice
the spiritual
discipline of
solitude,
which means
they don't
talk to
anyone,
they'll hide
in their
room for
five years,
and they're
not allowed
to speak
a single
word to
anybody
for the
whole year
until the
end of
the year
when they
will be
summoned
into
this
headmaster's
room,
like the
head monk,
and they
will be
allowed to
share just
two words,
like a
summary of
everything that
they contemplated
for the whole
year.
And so,
the first year
had passed,
and Gabriel
showed up at
this head
monk's office,
and then the
head monk
asked him,
your two
words,
and Gabriel
said,
bad food.
I quit.
grumble.
And the
head monk
said,
Gabriel,
I'm not
surprised,
because all
you did
since your
arrived was
grumble.
In these
three wilderness
incidents where
Israel lacked
water and
food that we
read today,
the word
grumble was
used ten
times.
Don't count
it now,
I actually
counted for
you.
Yeah.
Instead of
keeping up with
praising the
Lord and
rescuing them
through the
ten plagues,
which wasn't
that long
ago,
all they
did was
grumble
since they
got there.
Not a
single word
of gratitude.
The wilderness
had quickly
turned worship
into whinging.
Does God
know what
he's doing?
Is the
Lord really
for us?
How is
this fair?
That's the
heart behind
the grumbling,
a heart of
distrust that
is not
different to
that of
Adam and
Eve in
the Garden
of Eden
when Satan
was testing
them.
Have we
not felt the
same in our
own wilderness
moments,
my friends and
brothers and
sisters?
Do we not
sing praises on
Sundays and
then on Monday
before lunch
when things
don't go as
we planned it,
we already
start whinging?
A way to
overcome the
bitterness that
swells up in
our hearts
whenever we
face our
trials and
suffering is
to remember
the Lord's
past faithfulness.
Where is
that in our
passage today?
In fact,
that's all
over our
passages today.
You see all
this naming
that's going
on in
Exodus 15
to 17.
In Exodus
15 to
1523,
Moses talks
about this
place where
they found
bitter water.
What did he
do?
They named
it Marah.
And then
in verse
17.7,
where Moses
struck the
walk to get
the water,
he named
it Massa
and Meribah.
Marah,
Massa,
Meribah.
And Massa,
Meribah
literally means
test and
strive.
Why all
this naming?
You call
something
something to
help you
recall something.
That's what
it is.
All this
naming is to
help people
remember how
great God's
faithfulness was
towards Israel
despite their
unbelief.
These
were all
done and
all named
so that
people may
remember how
the Lord
graciously
provided and
provided to
an ungrateful
people that
did nothing
but grumble.
And beside
Merah,
Massa,
Meribah,
there's also
one more
name in the
passage.
What is it?
Manna.
Right?
Yeah,
Manna.
I wonder
why all
these M's?
Manna means
what is it?
And in
Exodus 16.32,
the Lord
commanded them
to keep a
jar of
manna,
not for one
day,
not for one
week,
but for
future
generations,
a jar
of manna
like a
two-liter
bottle that
never expires.
Why?
So that
the future
generations
of Israel
may remember
that the
Lord had
faithfully
been feeding
their ancestors
for 40
whole years
in the
wilderness,
every single
day.
To overcome
our distrusting
heart in the
wilderness,
we need to
turn whinging
into worship,
start recounting
his blessings
and how the
Lord has
shown us
undeserved
grace again
and again
and again,
from our
daily bread
to our
everyday breath
to all the
good times we
had and all
the bad times
and trials that
we have
experienced to
date.
And then
somehow they
have magically
dissipated.
The Lord
has been
faithful.
Remember
God's
grace
all the
way to
the cross.
That way,
even in the
midst of a
major trial,
we may pray
what Job
prayed in
Job chapter
1.
The Lord
has given
and the
Lord has
taken away.
Blessed
be the
name of
the Lord.
And also
in Job
19 where
he said,
For I
know that
my
Redeemer
lives and
at last
he will
stand upon
the earth.
that's the
first tendency
when we
face trials,
bitterly
grumble
against the
Lord.
The second
tendency
when we
face trial
is to
lust
after our
old lives.
Life would
have been
better if I
weren't a
Christian,
wouldn't it?
Exodus
16.3,
as we see it,
the sons
of Israel
said,
With
that we
had died
by the
Lord's
hand in
the land
of Egypt
when we
sat by
the pots
of meat
when we
ate bread
to the
full,
for you
have brought
us out
into this
wilderness
to kill
this whole
assembly
with hunger.
Did
Egyptians
really let
the Israelites
have
lamb stew
for dinner
or bread
to the
full?
That's
questionable,
isn't it?
were they
really dying
of hunger
out in
the wilderness?
I don't
think so.
The Israelites
said in
chapter 17
verse 3
that they
needed water
not just
for them
and their
kids,
but their
livestock.
They have
all these
cows and
goats and
probably chicken
as well
running around
needing water.
So how
are they
dying of
hunger?
There's
no way
they're
dying of
hunger.
So what's
going on
with these
folks?
Well,
they were
physically
redeemed
from
slavery,
but their
hearts
still in
Egypt.
Dissatisfied
with their
circumstances,
they began
imagining in
their heads
that life
was better
in Egypt
and that
their future
as promised
under this
Yahweh God
was overrated.
When facing
trials,
have you
ever said
to yourself
that things
used to be
so much
better when
I was
not a
Christian?
I know
I have.
When I
was not
a Christian,
I could
steal,
I could
lie,
I could
cheat in
my tax
returns,
indulge in
food,
alcohol,
gambling,
watch dodgy
shows,
do anything
without feeling
too bad
about it.
Wasn't
life so
much more
fun and
satisfying?
Before I
was Christian?
Absolutely.
So when I
was going
through a
marriage meltdown,
or when I
was having a
bad patch in
my corporate
career,
or when my
kids were
driving me
insane,
checking that
she's there
and listening,
you know,
I was literally
thinking about
these things,
yes,
life was good,
what am I
doing here
as a
Christian?
I've
lusted after
my good old
lives and
my good old
days.
I'm not
proud of it,
but that's
what I've
done,
and I may
do it again
during hard
times.
So how can
we overcome
the lust
of our
old lives?
One of my
mentors,
Dr. John
Hanna,
his name,
once said
that you
can't just
will away
something sweet
unless you
replace it
with something
sweeter.
You can't
just think
and say,
oh,
I'm going
to stop
it,
you know,
you can't
just will
it away.
In
response to
Israel's
lust after
their imaginary
good lives
in Egypt,
the Lord
literally had
provided
something sweeter
to them
as a
replacement.
He rained
down
manna,
which 1631
says,
tasted like
wavers
with honey.
Now,
that's a
whole lot
of sugar
in their
mouths.
And for
Christians,
he didn't
just rain
down
manna,
but sent
his own
beloved son,
the true
manna of
heaven,
to be
broken for
us and
to fill
our thirsty
hearts
to the
full.
Jesus
said in
John 6
35,
and this
is preached
not too
long ago,
I'm the
bread of
life.
Whoever
comes to
me shall
not hunger,
and whoever
believes in
me shall
never thirst.
Notice
here that
Jesus didn't
say in
past tense,
whoever
came to
me and
believed
in me
will never
hunger
or thirst.
Both
actions
comes and
believes
are in
present tense.
to be
fulfilled
by Jesus
is to
come and
to trust
in him
day by
day,
moment by
moment,
savouring
his sweet
amazing grace
that saves
a wretch
like me.
Only
Christ and
what he
has done
is sweet
and satisfying
enough to
overcome the
lust of
our lives
and of our
old lives
in the midst
of our
trials.
So that's
the second
tendency
when we
face
trials,
lusting
after our
old lives.
And the
third tendency,
and this
will be our
last point
today,
when facing
trials,
is we
could be
putting God
on trial
when trials
persist.
When Israel
arrived at
Revedim,
which means
the place
of rest
in Exodus
17,
they had
already
grumbled
about the
water and
about the
food.
And here
again,
they ran
out of
water.
What is
different this
time is
that they
have escalated
the issue
into some
sort of
lawsuit against
Moses and
against God.
They
quarreled or
contended with
Moses in
verse 2,
accused God
of attempting
to murder
them by
thirst in
verse 3,
and they
threatened to
stone Moses
in verse 4.
That's
basically getting
ready to
execute him.
God's
perspective,
they were
testing the
Lord by
questioning
his presence
in verse 7,
chapter 17,
and trying
his patience.
They were
effectively saying
to God,
where are
you?
Show me
the water.
In a
nutshell,
they are
putting his
character and
his existence
on trial
when trials
persisted.
From our
perspective,
we may think
that Israel
are just
being ridiculous,
but now
they have
experienced no
less than
14 plagues,
right?
Ten plagues
in Egypt,
crossing the
Red Sea,
turning bitter
into sweet,
and then
raining down
quail,
raining down
manna,
and there
are more.
How on
earth can
they say,
is the
Lord amongst
us or not,
in verse
7?
The point
here is that
seeing is not
always believing.
God is
merciful and
gracious,
slow to
anger,
and abounding
in steadfast love
and faithfulness.
He told
Moses to take
the same
staff that he
used,
which struck
the water in
Egypt and
turned the
water in
blood,
and then
bring a
group of
elders to
Mount Sinai,
that's Horeb,
struck the
rock,
and miraculously
caused water
to gush
out,
enough to
feed over
a million
people in
the wilderness.
That is
something like
two million
litres of
water a
day.
The
Israelites
were contending
with God
and putting
him to the
rest,
but God,
instead of
giving blood
which they
deserved,
comforted them
with plenty
of water
and gave
them rest.
As
Christians,
let us be
reminded that
we are not
immune to
similar
behaviours to
the Israelites.
When things
don't work out
the way we
want for a
very,
very long
time,
we may be
keeping to
pray and
pray,
but there is
silence.
There seems
to be no
answer.
Don't we
sometimes test
God by
asking him,
God,
show me a
sign?
Or God,
how about
we do a
deal?
If I do
that,
do this,
why don't
you do
that for
me?
Take my
trials away.
That is
actually
testing God
and as we
saw in
Matthew,
that is
exactly what
Satan did
when he
tested Jesus.
Indeed,
the Lord
has been
even more
gracious to
us than
to the
Israelites
in Exodus
in so
many ways.
You know
the rock
that Moses
struck and
the water
came flying
out?
In 1 Corinthians
10,
verse 4,
Paul says
that rock
is Christ.
On the
cross,
Christ took
the trial
that we
deserved
and was
condemned
for our
sins,
not his,
and was
struck not
by a
staff,
but a
spear.
John
19,
33 to
34 tells
us that
both blood
and water
came out
when that
spear went
into Christ's
side,
for you
and for
me.
So what
are the
implications
for us
when we
face trials
and trials
persist?
For those
of us who
are in
Christ,
our trials
are purifications
like gold
being refined
by fire,
and they are
not God's
judgment
because
Jesus
had taken
God's
judgment
for us.
Trials
can be
painful,
but they
are loving
disciplinary
actions
or training,
not
wrathful
abuse.
Think of
a swimming
coach
telling his
team to
do 100
push-ups.
He's not
there to
break them.
He's there
to make
them stronger.
Romans
chapter 8
verse 1
says,
there's now
no condemnation
for those
who are
in Christ
Jesus.
When trials
persist,
let us rest
in the fact
that God
is not
putting us
back onto
the stand
to try us.
His
court is
adjourned,
and for
now,
he is
sanctifying
us,
making us
become more
like Jesus
before he
returns.
When trials
persist,
there can
also be
time when
we feel
like that
God has
abandoned
us or
has turned
his face
away from
us and
has caused
everyone else
to do the
same.
That's just
like the
psalmist in
Psalms 88.
This psalmist
was feeling
totally hopeless
and he did
not even have
the strength
to write
something like,
I still trust
in you,
O Lord,
like most
of the
lament
psalms do.
But God's
actual presence
is not
dependent on
our perceived
feelings.
God will
always accept
rather than
abandon us
because Christ,
bearing our
sins on the
cross,
had already
taken the
abandonment
that we
deserve.
The Bible
also tells
us again
and again
that our
God,
Jesus Christ's
presence and
his works
continue on
earth even
though he's
now gone to
be with the
Father.
His
presence and
his work
continues through
the Holy
Spirit that
now lives
in us.
We can
grieve and
quench the
Holy Spirit
but if we
trust in
Christ,
his Spirit
is in and
among us
every second
of the day
and he will
never leave
us without
condition.
So dear
brothers and
sisters,
when trials
persist,
no matter
how you
feel,
never lose
hope.
And I
conclude as
Paul Tripp
writes in his
book, 40
Days of
Hope.
Our hope
has a name
and his
name is
Jesus.
Let's
pray.
Our
heavenly
Father,
again we
thank you
for your
faithfulness.
When life
gets tough,
Lord,
give us
strength,
no,
give us
weakness
to lean
on you
so that
we can
know you
and your
strength.
Shine
the light
of Christ
and his
death and
his
resurrection
upon us,
Lord,
so that
our hope
can be
loud and
clear
every day
all the
time.
We love
you,
Lord.
In your
son's name
we pray.
Amen.