Moses: Part 13 When You’re in the Wilderness

Moses

Part 13 – When You’re in the Wilderness

Exodus 15-17:7

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 1 Corinthians 10:1

5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 1 Corinthians 10:5.

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did…10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 1 Corinthians 10:6;10-11

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver. he has hurled into the sea. 2 “The Lord is my strength and my defensehe has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him,… Exodus 15:1-2a

is a natural expression of our heart’s desire to praise God for what He has done in our lives!

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. Exodus 15:22

God takes us through the wilderness in life to and to us.

2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. Deuteronomy 8:2

5-Part Cycle of Spiritual Growth

Cycle One is

Cycle Two is

Cycle Three is

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea (abundance) and they went into the Desert of Shur (expectation). For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. (disappointment). Exodus 15:22 (Parentheses added)

23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.

– 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” Exodus 15:24

Cycle Five is – 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. Exodus 15:25.

26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” Exodus 15:26

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. Exodus 15:27

Three Illustrations of the Spiritual Growth Cycle (Exodus 16-17:7)

Test of

The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:1-3

When we focus on the , aren’t far behind!

Test of

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. Exodus 16:4

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” Exodus 16:6-8

Wherever you find yourself in life, remember the Lord .

13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Exodus 16:13-15

35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan. Exodus 16:35

5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” Numbers 11:5-6

Test of

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.” Exodus 17:1-2a

2 …Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” Exodus 17:2b

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?” Exodus 17:3

4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” Exodus 17:4.

5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Exodus 17:5-7

Grumbling and quarreling often stem from that God is really with you!

God doesn’t want us to just endure tests, He wants us to from them!

Today’s Worship Set:

That’s Who I Praise 

Egypt 

Gratitude  

Forever YHWH