This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The God Of Our Trouble", Exodus 17:1-7, 9/13/2020

 

THE GOD OF OUR TROUBLES

 

Ex 17:1-7

 

GOD DESIGNS TEST FOR OUR LIVES

V:1. 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."

Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?"

A. God’s divine plan grew Israel into a nation through 400 years of slavery  

     in Egypt.

    1. He took them from slavery to freedom.

    2. He took them from Egypt to the promised land.

    3. The distance from Egypt to the promised land is 526 miles

    4. At 25 miles per day on foot, it should have taken 21 days.

B. To get Israel from a slave mentality to a free mentality, God

     allowed Israel to wander in the desert for 40 years.

    1. Life is a series of tests.

    2. God put Israel through a series of tests to get them out of their

        slave mentality.

    3. It was God himself that guided them to places in the desert without

       food and without water.

    4. It was God’s way of getting Israel from looking back at what they

        had in slavery to see the opportunities of being free under Him.

    5. God designs tests for our lives to get us to trust Him.

C. There was no water in Rephidim, the place God brought Israel too.

    1. Israel looked at their circumstance and complained.

    2. The moment you start complaining is the moment

        you blind yourself to God blessings.

    3. During the three months out of slavery, they had been in

        situations where God had provided for their needs.

    4. The moment you start complaining, you shut down your prayer

        life.

    5. The moment you start complaining, you shut down your memory

        of what God has done and what God is doing.

    6. Your  “lack of” is God’s opportunity to be glorified.

D. When you need something you should ask for it in a grateful manner.

    1. Moses was the intercessor between God and Israel.

    2. Israel talked to Moses as if he was the cause of their lack of water.

    3. They could not see God as being in control and that their complaints

        was against Him.

    4. We cannot demand anything from God, but we can request anything.

    5. Jesus is our intercessor.

 

GOD SETS THE CONDITIONS FOR OUR TESTS

V: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?"

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

A. God does not allow trials in our lives to destroy us, but to strengthen us.

     1. Trials are designed to make us see our weakness and areas of

          improvement

     2. Trials will make you face your fears.

         a. Israel was afraid to die.

         b. Israel was afraid to take responsibility for their lives as free people.

         c. They complained because they had no plan to be free.

     3. The leaders of Israel didn’t council together on how they would get

          to the promised land.

     4. They did council together to complain.

B. Notice the extreme pressure Moses experienced. God’s chosen leader was

     attacked for doing his duty.

    1. Moses was the leader of a people that could not be satisfied.

    2. They placed all their problems on Moses.

    3. They were like newborn babes; cry until you get what you want,

    4. Leaders have to be grounded in the Lord.

    5. The head of every household has to lead the charge to prayer.

    6. The head of every household has to comfort their family with

         the assurance of God's presence.

 

GOD IS THE SOLUTION TO OUR TEST

V:5 The Lord answered Moses, "Walk on ahead 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 Massaha and Meribahb because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord  saying, "Is the Lord  among us or not?"

A. Above all, leaders have to follow the directions of the Lord.

    1. You and I must stay in tune with the Lord so we can hear His voice.

    2. We are most effective when we let God order our steps.

    3. The complaint leaders were taken to a rock at Horeb which

          Moses struck with his rod.

          a. They witness water coming out of a rock in abundance

               for the people to drink.

          b. The best way to calm those who complain is to allow them

               to see God working through you.

    4. A picture is worth 1000 words.

         a. Since the elders saw the work of God, they could take that news    

             back to the people.

         b. Knowing that God is with you, give you the ability to see

             God working in all areas of your life.

        c. Perhaps they looked to the sky and saw the cloud that covered

            them by day and fire that lighted their way at night.

     5. We cannot take the everyday blessing of God for granted.

         They are all miracles,

 

   B. The burden of daily living should be shared with the Lord in prayer

       1. God instructed Moses to get a council of elders to take with Him

            to witness His glory.

       2. There will always be people who are gifted with leadership abilities

            who can cause trouble or promote peace and unity.

       3. Moses under God's directions chose the complaint leaders

           to accompany him to the site of the miracle.

        4. It is God’s design that we see Him at work in our lives.

 

THANK GOD FOR HIS TEST

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Park Way North

Houston, Texas 77041

 

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