What has happened in your life in the last ten weeks? Ten weeks ago from today, it was December 17th. Since December 17th, what have you experienced? Ten weeks ago. Has your life changed drastically within the last ten weeks?
We are picking up with the history of Israel, about ten weeks after they leave Egypt, after they cross the Red Sea and experience the most remarkable series of events in the entire Old Testament.
WE NEED TO BE REPLENISHED – 17:1:
First, I want us to observe that Israel ends up at Rephidim, by the guidance of Jehovah God. Will Israel not recognize how powerful God is and how He will provide for them?
At the wilderness of Sin, there was no water for the people to drink. No doubt, God is: 1.) testing Israel to see if they will trust Him; 2.) giving Israel reason to trust Him in the future. He will answer their prayer!
MAN CANNOT REPLENISH US – 17:2-3:
So Israel “quarrels” with Moses. But Moses responds that he’s not the one who can answer their prayer!
God is the one who led them there. But, Moses says they are “testing” the Lord. To “test” is to challenge. To challenge God means that we are trying to force God to respond the way we want Him to respond! That is idolatry; worshiping a god who is under our control.
Sin, by its nature, is irrational.
SEEK REPLENISHMENT FROM GOD – 17:4:
Now, Moses does what Israel should have done at the beginning. He talks to God.
GOD WILL REPLENISH YOU – 17:5-6:
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God answers Moses’ prayer and God responds to the people. We knew He would. God led them to Rephidim Himself (vs 1). So we knew God was going to provide for their needs. Is God really the type of God to lead His people into the wilderness and then abandon them to hunger and thirst? Where is our faith?
TESTING AND QUARRELING – 17:7:
At the same time, God wanted them to remember in the future what He had done for them at Rephidm, so Moses called this event and this location by two names in the Hebrew language: “Massah,” which means “testing” because they tested the Lord and “Meribah” which means “quarrel,” because they quarreled with Moses, the spokesman for God.
Testing and quarreling: when we need to be replenished.
THE SPIRITUAL ROCK IS CHRIST – 1 Corinthians 10:4:
1 Corinthians 10 is a passage in the context of individual Christians’ relationships with one another. This passage / context is similar to Paul’s teachings in Romans 14-15. We go back to 1 Corinthians 8:1…
Here in 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is talking about the relationship between Christians that he introduced in 8:1. All Christians, strong and weak, drink from the rock, who is Christ. We all are replenished from Jesus Christ. He is the source of all help, all strength, all patience, all hope, all love.
Yes, we are replenished by Jesus Christ Himself. He is the “living waters.” But, we are also replenished when we worship God through Jesus. Paul is going to bring up worship in the very next chapter. We are replenished by our fellow Christians when we are in worship! In fact, here in chapter 10, Paul brings up the Lord’s Supper in verses 16-17.
Back in chapter 8, Paul said we need to have unity because there is only one God, one Father and there is only one Savior, Jesus Christ (8:6). Here, Paul says we have to have unity because we eat only one bread in communion and we drink only one cup in communion. Why? Because only one Savior replenishes us with living water – Jesus Christ.
What do the events at Rephidim teach us, as Christians? Only God can replenish the thirst that our soul feels. The rock that satisfies our thirsty soul is Jesus Christ. He does so when we pray. He replenishes us when we spend time in His word. He does so when we spend time with fellow Christians in fellowship. But He also does so when we worship Him in corporate worship.
Paul Holland
