Why did this happen? Exodus 17:1-7 There are specific stopping points from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim that we read about in Numbers 33. The Israelites moved into the mountains of Sinai, where the Egyptians had copper mines. The slave labor used to work these mines may have been experienced in the past by some of those people. The water supply was left behind as they moved further into those valleys. Rephidim means "resting places," and they may have hoped this would be a good place to stop.
This event is recorded to remind the Israelites once again to learn how to pray to God as a living God – a real Person. He had already shown that He could provide good water and plenty of food. He had the power to meet all of their real needs. The Israelites' true problem was still their attitude toward God. They seemed to think He was their servant, there to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Instead of speaking of their needs in a reverent, respectful way, with faith that He would provide, they challenged God through His servant Moses.
Now, as then, hope and reality are quite different. We have experienced some very special times of blessing, and God has generously met our needs. With hopeful expectations, we move forward, believing the bad times are behind us, only to face a challenge greater than those we've already endured. Lack of food affects our stomachs and gradually impacts us in other ways. Lack of water exhausts us, forcing us to stop everything until our thirst is quenched. Thirst overtakes every thought and action.
Why does God allow people to thirst? Why does God permit suffering, war, pollution, and evil today, people ask? Many assume that when God doesn’t do what they want, it means there is no God at all. When our expectations aren't met, we tend to doubt God's guidance or question His awareness of our situation. Does God really care? Is there any value in prayer? When faith begins to weaken, instead of trusting in God Himself, we place our faith in our own thoughts or methods. A lack of trust in God can lead to conflicts among His people.
United by faith in God, we can endure difficulties and opposition from enemies. God does whatever it takes to draw us back to Him. Life often presents challenges and pressures that seem overwhelming, unless our faith is strong and focused solely on God. Then, we pause to remember what God has been to us in the past. When facing hardship, we may find ourselves reflecting on how God has guided us right from the beginning of our faith journey.
Did God reveal Himself to me as He unfolded the way of salvation? Was He not present when I had to make life-changing decisions? Remember how faithful He was when we did not know what to do next. He was with me then—why should I doubt that He is with me now in this present time of distress? God was with me during the good times. Why should I doubt that He is with me in the bad times? He was with me when I was full. Surely, He is with me when I am empty. If I can trust Him when I am full, how much more should I trust Him when I am empty?
Many people today seem to view God as nothing more than a waiter standing back from us, just waiting for us to snap our fingers and demand He gives us gravy for our potatoes or a relief pitcher in a ballgame called upon to help us win when we realize we are losers. When people are in danger, they want God to destroy their enemies and supply their daily needs, but they never bow their hearts and heads to give Him thanks for all His blessings to us.
There was nothing wrong with wanting water, but there is a big difference between making a humble request to the One we know can supply what we need and being contentious against God because He doesn’t have what we want, ready and waiting for us at our whim or beck and call. God allows His people to go through difficulty and suffering so we can learn what we are really like. Through this means, He can teach us the value of self-discipline by intentionally disciplining us until our only option is to turn to Him in prayer and faith.
The attitude of the Israelites toward Moses suggested that he was intentionally trying to harm them, making him responsible for the lack of water. Moses genuinely believed his life was in danger. When God told Moses to take the elders with him to the rock in Horeb, He intended to reveal more than just a water source. He wanted to show the people of God, through their leadership, evidence of the power and authority they were under. The elders had not stepped forward to stop the murmuring and complaints before. However, when water gushed out of that rock, they would have learned their responsibility to speak to the people and guide them in the ways of the Lord. More than just water was needed that day. They needed to be aware of God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.
It is important for us to take seriously the difficulties of life as a time of teaching and training given by God to help us grow. It is appropriate for God to test our obedience, but it is clearly wrong for us to test the Lord's faithfulness. That would suggest that God is less than perfect, or that we see ourselves as judges to decide whether God is doing right or wrong. Some people even claim that there is no God because He does not do what they think He should do.
We do not have the right to assume that God should do what we think He should. Our wisdom and foresight are so limited that our own sinful flesh and humanity often deceive us. We only know what we have experienced unless we trust in God to do whatever His sovereign will chooses, even if it is not acceptable to us.
Untested faith might only be words until it has been tried in the fires of temptation and stress beyond our control. "When I am afraid, I will trust Him." When I don't know what to do next, I must pray in faith and wait with hope in God alone. When others' complaints and criticisms come, and I am tempted to listen or even heed them, I will call upon Him, who answered nine times, and trust Him to answer according to His divine will and purpose the tenth time.
When Moses struck the rock with the rod, the Lord was there by the rock, unseen by the people but ready and willing to supply their needs. The complaining people who asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?” had their question answered clearly once again. Throughout the book of Exodus, we see how the Lord lived among His people and provided unmistakable evidence of His presence without being visibly seen in His glory.
Our Lord is present among His people today as we gather in His presence through the authority of His name. He exists in His glorified body, and we are not yet able to see Him physically. We will see Him when He transforms our bodies to be like His glorious body, and we will be like Him. We can partake of the spiritual provisions He offers us now. Such blessings from the Lord Jesus Christ nourish us spiritually, and “of His fullness have we received.”