WHERE IS GOD? a message

This message was preached on Sunday, June 14, 2009, at Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, OH. To hear audio of this message, go to www.gbcwestlake.org
I know, that even for me, as a Christian, and as a pastor, that there are times when it doesn't seem like God is at work. And yet, He is always working to do what needs to be done, in my life, for His glory. May you be strengthened and challenged with God's Word as you read this:


WHERE IS GOD?
Exodus 17

Please open your Bible to the 2nd book of the Bible, the book of Exodus, and find chapter 17. If you are using a Bible in front of you, it is page 59.

We have been making our way through the book of Exodus and tracking the experiences of the people of Israel, as they were released from 430 years in bondage to Egypt and let toward the promised land of God. To summarize what they have experienced since leaving Egypt:

In his book: “Why Christians Sin”, J. Kirk Johnston tells this story:
Roger Simms, hitchhiking his way home, would never forget the date—May 7th. His heavy suitcase made Roger tired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sign to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped. The passenger door opened. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. “Going home for keeps?” “Sure am,” Roger responded. “Well, you’re in luck if you’re going to Chicago.” “Not quite that far. Do you live in Chicago?” “I have a business there. My name is Hanover.”

After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to this fiftyish, apparently successful businessman about Christ. But he kept putting it off, till he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, “Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important.” He then proceeded to explain the way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishment the Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was going to be ejected from the car. But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger. “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”

Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. A receptionist told him it was impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself facing a keen-eyed woman in her fifties. She extended her hand. “You knew my husband?”
Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when hitchhiking home after the war. “Can you tell me when that was?” “It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army.” “Anything special about that day?” Roger hesitated. Should he mention giving his witness? Since he had come so far, he might as well take the plunge. “Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day.” Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, “I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him.” “And,” said Roger, “Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?” “He’s dead,” she wept, struggling with words. “He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see—I thought God had not kept His promise.” Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, “I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!”

That pretty much sums up what has been happening with the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, in the last several chapters we have looked at in Exodus. God had proved Himself faithful, had kept all of His promises and had met their every need…many times through miraculous provision. And yet, whenever they would come into difficulty, whether it was a pursuing army, a dead end, or lack of food and water, they immediately and boldly complained. Yes, they complained against their God given leader; but their complaint was really against God Himself.

Like the woman in the opening story, she perceived that God had not kept His promise and was not at work. That perspective caused her to stop living for and trusting God. We tend to do the same thing. Our tough, challenging circumstances cause us, from our perspective, to think God has abandoned us, or perhaps, is not keeping His promises to us as Christians. This morning, in Exodus 17, we are going to hear Israel, once again, question God’s presence and promises; and once again, we will see the provision of God. Let’s consider what this means for us today. In chapter 16, the people were without food, they complained, and God, despite their complaining, provided quail and a new kind of bread: manna; which means: What is it? God was teaching them that He could always be trusted to meet their daily, basic needs. That brings us to:

Exodus 17:1 – “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.”

The Next Test: No water

Oh, great – here we go again. God had said that he would continue to test His people, concerning their faith and trust in Him. Can anyone take a wild guess as to how the people of God are going to respond to this new challenge, this test…finding no water? You guessed it – just like they did the last time there was no drinking water and what they did when they were hungry, without food:

Exodus 17:2 – “Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, Give us water to drink…

Israel Complained [continue in verse 2]

…And Moses said to them, Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?”

Moses:
· Confronted the people

Moses reminds the people who they are really challenging. Yes, it is natural to complain against a human leader, someone you can see and place the blame on. But, Moses was making it clear: they were complaining against and testing the LORD (Jehovah God) Himself. In Chapter 16, when they complained to Moses about not having food, he said:

Exodus 16:8 – “…your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD.”

So, Moses confronted the people with their heart attitude. They were really testing God, when they complained about not having water. How is it that they were testing God? Well, consider this: In complaining about not having water, this is what they were really saying (according to the Bible):
· Even though God came through before, we are not sure we can trust Him now
· Our immediate needs and desires are more important than what God is trying to teach us
· We want God to do what we want Him to do when we want Him to do it.

Israel did…and we do it. When children complain against the parents that God has given them, they are really complaining against God. And when a spouse complains about the wife or husband God has given them, they are really complaining against God. And when we complain against any authority in any part of our lives, we are complaining against God. You might ask: wait a second Greg – what about those authorities that are making unwise and ungodly decisions?
Well, think about Pharoah in Egypt. God puts up rulers He wants, so that even if that causes His people some pain, it will result in their spiritual growth and God’s glory. You can apply this to any aspect of your life; and any leader God has given you. Israel had seen God do incredible things over and over and over again. So, when they came to the next challenge of no water, it should have been a no-brainer: Trust God. He has promised to meet our daily needs; and we can trust His promises.

Once Moses confronted the people, but they kept complaining:
Exodus 17:3 – “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?”

So, Moses then turned his attention to the only one who could help:

Exodus 17:4 – “So Moses cried to the LORD, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Moses confronted the people, but he also:
· Cried out to God

Many a leader, when faced with grumbling and complaining people under his leadership, has come to God with the same question. What am I supposed to do with these people? In fact, in Moses’ case, he felt they were ready to stone and kill him, because they were unhappy with God not providing the water in their way and in their timing. You probably already know this, but even followers of Jesus Christ can sometimes get angry and complain about things they shouldn’t just because they don’t like the process God is taking them through. We all do it.

But, Moses did the right thing. He turned and cried out to God for an answer. And God gave it to him:

Exodus 17:5,6 – “And the LORD said to Moses, Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in 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.”

We will come back, in your notes to the 3rd thing Moses did; but let’s first consider what God did in response to Moses’ cry for help:

God:
· Gave instructions

This would be a regular thing between God and His leaders and between He and His people. When there was a crisis of some kind, He would give them instructions: this is what I want you to do and how I want you to do it. God told Moses to go up on Horeb with the staff he had and to strike the rock with the staff. Once he did that, the promise was that water would come out of the rock. Unbelievable! All Moses had to do was follow His instructions. And that is exactly what Moses did. Come back up in your notes because we need to recognize this very important step:

Moses:
· Obeyed God’s instructions

And now back down to what God did. He didn’t just give instructions, but He followed through with His promise:

God:
· Provided water

No, they didn’t deserve it. But, God provided, once again, for their physical needs in His way and timing, proving Himself to be faithful and true. This didn’t end the story however, just because they received their water in a miraculous way. And we will see this throughout the experiences of the nation of Israel: they will have things to remind them of what had happened and what God had done. In this case:

SO WHAT? How did Israel, through their leader Moses, remember how they had failed their test?

Exodus 17:7 – “And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, Is the LORD among us or not?”

SO WHAT?
· They named the places (Meribah and Massah) to be reminded of their complaining and testing of God

Massah means to test and Meribah means to have contention. Every time someone would mention those names, it would be a teaching opportunity of how they had failed God’s test in those places; and what they needed to learn from them. SO WHAT for us?

SO WHAT?
· God will meet our physical needs in His time and way – Trust Him

That is a repeated application for us throughout these experiences with Israel. But, there is another one that would be very easy to miss. I want to give you the statement and then I want to explain it:

SO WHAT?
· God will meet our spiritual needs through Jesus Christ – Trust in Him.

Why in the world would I include this as application to the story of the water from the rock? Let me explain. The Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, references this story in this way:

I Corinthians 10:1-4 – “I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea…and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

Did you catch that? Paul said that what happened with Israel in the wilderness was an example of a spiritual truth before Jesus was ever born on this Earth. And there is connection here to the water from the rock. It says “the Rock was Christ.” We, today, are to see a spiritual connection here to Jesus Christ, as the Rock that gives living water.
Susanna Petroysan heard her daughter’s pleas, but there was nothing she could do. She and four-year-old Gayaney were trapped beneath tons of collapsed concrete and steel. Beside them in the darkness lay the body of Susanna’s sister-in-law, Karine, one of the fifty-five thousand victims of the worst earthquake in the history of Armenia.
Susanna had gone to Karine’s house to try on a dress. It was December 7,1988, at 11:30 A.M. The quake hit at 11:41. She had just removed the dress and was clad in stockings and a slip when the fifth-floor apartment began to shake. Susanna grabbed her daughter but had taken only a few steps before the floor opened up and they tumbled in. Susanna, Gayaney, and Karine fell into the basement with the nine-story apartment house crumbling around them.
"Mommy, I need a drink. Please give me something."There was nothing for Susanna to give.She was trapped flat on her back. A concrete panel eighteen inches above her head and a crumpled water pipe above her shoulders kept her from standing. Feeling around in the darkness, she found a twenty-four-once jar of blackberry jam that had fallen into the basement. She gave the entire jar to her daughter to eat. It was gone by the second day.
"Mommy, I’m so thirsty." Susanna knew she would die, but she wanted her daughter to live. She found a dress, perhaps the one she had come to try on, and made a bed for Gayaney. Though it was bitter cold, she took off her stockings and wrapped them around the child to keep her warm.The two were trapped for eight days.Because of the darkness, Susanna lost track of time. Because of the cold, she lost the feeling in her fingers and toes. Because of her inability to move, she lost hope. "I was just waiting for death."
She began to hallucinate. Her thoughts wandered. A merciful sleep occasionally freed her from the horror of her entombment, but the sleep would be brief. Something always awakened her: the cold, the hunger, or most often the voice of her daughter. "Mommy, I’m thirsty."
At some point in that eternal night, Susanna had an idea. She remembered a television program about an explorer in the Arctic who was dying of thirst. His comrade slashed open his hand and gave his friend his blood.Her groping fingers, numb from the cold, found a piece of shattered glass. She sliced open her left index finger and gave it to her daughter to suck.The drops of blood weren’t enough. "Please Mommy, some more. Cut another finger." Susanna has no idea how many times she cut herself. She only knows that if she hadn’t, Gayaney would have died. Her blood was her daughter’s only hope.I know that is not an easy story to hear, but neither is the true story of Jesus Christ. 2,000 years ago, Jesus sacrificed Himself, was tortured and then crucified. He gave of His blood, so that it might become eternal, life sustaining water for those who would believe. It is not an easy story to accept, but it is how God decided to offer eternal life: through the brutal death, and the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Since the Bible connects these stories, I have to tell you: If you are done trying to live life on your own; or have realized that you cannot be good enough to get to God in Heaven on your own, you also can receive the living water through Jesus Christ. Jesus said that we must drink of His blood to be His children. He was speaking figuratively, spiritually, that we must fully accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives and the only way to God, in order to have eternal life. He then becomes our living water. Jesus said this to a woman with whom he was having a conversation about water:
John 4:13,14 – “Jesus said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
If you have any questions about how to receive that living water, please let us know. We would be happy to talk with you about it.
For the people of Israel, there in Exodus 17, there was a lingering question: It is here in your notes:
Question: Is the LORD among us or not?
They had received an answer through the provision of water, but they were about to have a new experience and the answer to this question would, once again, be loud and clear. There is no time, in the text to catch our breath, as we are taken to the very next test the Israelites faced:

Exodus 17:8 – “Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.”

[Brian Enters down center aisle and comes up to platform]

Now, one of the pictures this passage is going to give us is of an important object in battle. In fact, it is going to be very significant. There is something I want you to think about as we look at this passage that has to do with war. We have a soldier here who is carrying a standard, a banner; and we are going to find out why.

[Brian stands on platform to answer questions. Greg uses White mic to give him]

You are obviously a soldier of some kind. Tell us what it is you are holding and what it means:

[Brian explains the banner]

And tell us, as it relates to many of history’s battles, about the importance and use of standards, of banners in battle:

[Brian explains the importance and use of banners]

Thanks soldier.
[Brain exits down center aisle]

In Old Testament times, people often did not have actual cloth flags but would just use a pole, or a staff as their banner, although Numbers 2:2 states that “The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family.” Just like every country today has a flag, so too, the 12 tribes of Israel used banners to identify and rally the troops.

Next Test: Amalek attacks

This is the first time Israel was going to face an army in battle and the first time we meet the leader of Israel’s army, Joshua. And Moses, probably with instructions directly from God, gave the plan:

Exodus 17:9 – “So Moses said to Joshua, Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

The Battle Plan: Fight against Amalek, while Moses holds the staff in the air
Ok. So, they were supposed to go ahead and fight against Amalek, and Moses would go up the hill and hold the staff.

Exodus 17:10 – “So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.”

Moses takes his brother Aaron and then Hur up to the top of the hill with him, while Israel fought against Amalek, who came to battle with them. A few books after Exodus, we have a review of many of the things that happened to Israel over their 40 years in the wilderness, and sometimes we have more details. Look at:

Deuteronomy 25:17,18 – “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.”

So, we find out a little more here. Amalek came up from behind, getting in between some of the 2,000,000 Israelites that had fallen back in their travels and they cut them off. Amalek was on the attack and we are told why: they did not fear God. So, why shouldn’t they attack these people that seemed terribly unarmed and that were headed for their land? So, what happened?

Exodus 17:11 – “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.”

So, get this picture: Israel is fighting, and when Moses had his staff held high, Israel was winning; but if he let it down, Israel would begin losing. This was how God decided this battle would be fought. If Moses held up his staff, Israel would win. But, like with any human leader, Moses got tired:

Exodus 17:12 – “But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

Aaron and Hur gave Moses something to sit on, once he got tired, and placing themselves on either side of him, they held his hands up until the sun went down and the battle was over. And what was the result of the battle?

Exodus 17:13 – “And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.”

The Battle Result: God gave Israel victory and a promise

They followed God’s instructions and He gave them the victory. If they tried to do it in their strength, without following God’s instructions, they would have been defeated. It was God they could rely on and trust in. He also gave them a promise about this enemy of theirs and God: Amalek.
Exodus 17:14 – “Then the LORD said to Moses, Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

God was going to completely wipe out Amalek. We are told, in Deuteronomy, a little more of why and when. Speaking of Amalek:

Deuteronomy 25:18,19 – “…he did not fear God. Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.”

This was to be something the people of Israel would remember. Those groups of people, just like Egypt, who decided to oppose God by opposing them, would be dealt with harshly by God. He would protect His people and fulfill His promises. This great victory, given by God, caused Israel to do something in memory of it.

Exodus 17:15,16 – “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD is my Banner, saying, A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

SO WHAT?
· An altar was built and called: “The LORD is my Banner.”

This brings us back to what we saw earlier. When Moses lifted up his hand with the staff to the throne of God, they had victory over Amalek; and God would give them victory and even use them to wipe out Amalek in the future. So, in building an altar, a place of remembrance, Moses called it: “The LORD is my Banner.” You see, the banner in a war was a very significant thing.

The standard bearer was an important part of the battle before the invention of radios and satellites. He was the one who led the charge. Amazingly, he went into battle unarmed. If the standard bearer was wounded, the nearest man would drop what he was doing to pick up the flag, partly out of respect, but more importantly because it was the focal point of the troops. Without the banner to lead the way, the battle often fell into disarray.

So, for Israel, they were to remember that God was their banner. He was the one they would follow into battle. He was the one they were to keep their eyes on. He was the one they would get their directions from. He was the one they would identify themselves with. We will get back to the final SO WHAT that has to do with us, but first let’s give the answer that Moses gives here, to the question asked earlier: Is the LORD among us or not?

The Answer: The LORD is my banner

During World War II, a passenger ship set sail from Great Britain headed for port in New York City. The Captain of the ship being afraid of enemy vessels, sought the advice and guidance of the British Admiral. The Admiral calmly assured the captain that no matter what happens, he should be sure to sail his ship straight ahead. "Do not take any detours -- sail the ship straight ahead -- continue on-ward, heading straight towards the intended mark;" he said.After several days of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean which was undeniably filled with submarines and enemy vessels of all kinds, the Captain spotted an enemy destroyer off his forward bow. Nervously he grasped the handset and called for assistance. The calm voice replied, "Keep on Straight, Do not Detour, just sail the ship straight ahead. Everything will be just fine. Just keep on going - straight ahead."After a couple more days the ship pulled safely into the great harbor of New York city. Shortly after docking the great British battleship "Man-of-War" pulled into port behind the passenger vessel. The Captain realized that while he did not see the British Battleship, she was there, standing bye. Standing ready to come to his defense should it prove necessary.That is how God is with us. We may not always see Him, but He is there. When we are tempted to ask: Is the LORD among us or not, we can be assured that He is there, at work, to do what needs to be done in our lives, for His glory. The LORD is our banner just like He was Israel’s. That means for us things like:
· We need to keep our focus on Him instead of our enemy or difficult circumstances
· We need to follow His instructions even if they do not always make sense. There are some things in the Bible that just don’t make sense to me; but that is not the most important thing – to understand it all and agree with it all. The important thing is that God is my banner, and I will do what He says, regardless of my feelings toward it.

SO WHAT?
· Follow God, wherever He leads, keeping your eyes on Him.
This is what they did in battle, following the standard, the banner, for a sense of purpose and unity. They would be fighting under a particular flag and for country. In our case, we are to set aside our fleshly desires for control, and rally around our banner, the LORD Jesus Christ, who will guide us in our daily battles.