3-5-15.  Exodus 17:1-4. The Necessity Of Prayer To Complete The Mission-my devotional

Exodus 17:1-4                                                                           Kevin E. Jesmer

Key verse 17:4                                                                           3-5-15

“Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”  (NIV)

Verses 1-4, “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.” (NIV)

Moses and the leaders were trying to obey God by leading the people according to the will of God. Look at verse 1a, “The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded….”  

     Though they were doing as the Lord commanded, they were being led into more arid areas, where there was no water and the people were very, very thirsty. Verse 1b reads, “…They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.”  It might seem strange that God, who declared his love to Israel, should lead them into the desert where they were being pressed to their human limits once again. What is that all about?

There are times, that, even though we are following the Lord according to his commands, we are led into very difficult circumstances. We wonder if the place that we are being led into is just one big mistake. After all, isn’t Jesus supposed to be our Good Shepherd and isn’t he supposed to be leading us into green pastures and quiet waters? Some of the places where we find ourselves are far from that…in fact, they are places that are leaving us very stressed. What could be happening? This is not surprising when we take a survey of the Bible. Think about Abram. He answered God’s call and went to the land that God would show him. But when he got there, there was a famine in the land. He and his whole tribe fled to Egypt to escape the famine. Think about Jesus Christ. When he began his earthly messianic ministry, he was 30 years old. The first place that the Father led him was into the desert where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. It seems that when people answer the call of God in their lives they also are called to embrace a baptism of suffering of sorts. This should not surprise us. God is treating us like his beloved children.

Hebrews 12:5-13 reads, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”

God was treating these ancient Israelites as true children. He was trying to help them know that their hearts were filled with unbelief.  And he was leading them so they could experience his faithfulness. Think about it. It is only in the desert that God could reveal what he can be to those who trust him for everything. Those who have experienced such spiritual lessons can declare that without God there is nothing, but with God there is everything. There is a saying, “You don’t know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you’ve got.” There is something about those who face extreme suffering and yet have held onto Jesus through it all. They can experience the Lord in deep and personal ways.

Though God was treating them as his children, the people did not respond well to God’s training. Look at verse 2 and 3 again, “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?” Once again the people complained about their problem instead of praying. They needed to stop and look around. They were harvesting manna every morning. Convoy, after convoy of quail were flying into the camp every evening. It was happening everyday for them. It was all from God. It was the Lord’s provision. Could they not extrapolate? If God was providing these items for them faithfully, everyday, then he could not provide water for them? They had no concept of the spiritual world. They lived on a material level, not being able to see God. They began to take the bread that fell from heaven for granted. Why get all bent out of shape and stop trusting God when thirst comes upon them? They should remember and apply the truth that they are experiencing to their lives.

There is a limit to grumbling and complaining. At the beginning I mentioned that being able to complain a little was OK. It was necessary to vent a little stream and bounce things off their leaders and get some feedback. That may have been acceptable in the beginning of their journey, but now the people were allowing their complaining to escalate out of control. It was leading to outright rebellion. They doubted God’s love and concern for them, asking, is the Lord among us or not? The people were even contemplating stoning Moses. They were full of a spirit of rebellion. This is what happens when complaints grow and fester, unchecked in peoples’ hearts. We must not allow any bitter root to spring up among the people of God.

There needs to be prayer in any mission. Think about the Exodus as one huge mission. The grumbling of the people, if not properly mediated, could usurp the mission to the Promised Land even before the people set foot there. What were Moses and the leadership to do? The grumbling of the people had grown to become like an uncontainable monster. But when Moses reached his human limits he cried out to the Lord in prayer. Prayer is the key. Look at verse 4, “Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

When difficulties came, Moses always came to God in prayer. (Ex 15:25; 24:15; 32:30; 33:8; Numbers 11:2,11; 12:11; 14:13-19. ) (The Expositors Bible) When it comes to dealing with peoples’ complaints, there are some problems that can be solved by listening with careful thought and the willingness to rearrange some priorities. Some complaints can be solved by discussion and good counsel. But there are some problems can be solved only by prayer. We should pray when we feel that our complaining is escalating out of control. Excessive complaining elevates our level of stress, but prayer quiets our hearts. Prayer prepares our minds and hearts to listen. But keep in mind that the call to prayer does not negate the need for meaningful dialogue either.

I want to learn prayer from Moses. Not only do I have to stop and listen to people, but I need to pray. The mission we are involved in requires much prayer. The mission cannot just be propelled with good management decisions. It must be undergirded with prayer. May God bless the various prayer groups that have sprouted up on both sides of the border.