"Speak To That Rock"

(Part 1)

“The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped in Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.”

                                                                                                                                    Exodus 17:1

Shortly after their Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites found themselves in the Desert of Sin near Mt. Sinai. The place was called Rephidim, which means resting place. However, there was no water there for them to drink, so the people began to complain:

“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

Moses cried out to the Lord for direction and God gave Moses an instruction. God told Moses to take his staff and go to the rock at Horeb, strike the rock and water will come out for the people to drink. Moses did as God commanded and water poured from the rock. This was a significant teaching moment for the nation of Israel, pointing them towards God as their all sufficient source. In fact, time and again God demonstrated His faithfulness towards Israel in an effort to move them toward greater spiritual maturity.

Fast forward thirty nine years:

“In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. Now there was no water for the community, and the community gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.”

                                                                                                                        Numbers 20:1-2

This begins Israel’s 40^th year in the desert. And after nearly 40 years, the Israelites, when faced with the exact same situation react the exact same way!

“They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, or grapevines or pomegranates. An there is no water to drink!”

                                                                                                                        Numbers 20:3-5

As I read this in my devotions, I thought to myself, “Where am I at spiritually?  Because, unlike Israel, I do not want to still be here 40 years from now”!

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