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Thirst in the Wilderness: Testing Faith at Rephidim 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning as our journey continues. We're in Exodus chapter 17 through 19 verse 20 of chapter 18. And you shall teach them the statutes0:22 and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Now we're gonna find some great truths in these chapters this morning. First in chapter 17, less than 3 months into the0:34 journey, we have more complaints. Then there is their first battle with Amalek. Chapter 18 provides important principles for government. We're gonna look at that in more detail. Then in chapter0:45 19, the covenant is proposed by God and is accepted by the people. Verse 1, chapter 17. Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the wilderness0:57 of sin according to the commandment of the Lord, encamped in Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore, the people contended with Moses and said, give us water1:09 that we may drink. So Moses said to them, why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses and said, why is it you have brought us up1:21 out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? Now this is the third recorded gripe session in just the first 3 months. Unfortunately, it will not be the last. We're1:33 gonna hear this chorus of, it had been better in Egypt many more times. So God told Moses to strike a rock and water would come out. He did, and they had water. Verse 7.1:45 So he called the name of the place, Massa, meaning testing, and Meribah quarreling because of the contention of the children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord saying, is the1:56 Lord among us or not? Now let's look at this incident just a little bit closer because water is essential for life. The people had a legitimate need. This, however, was2:08 another test of their faith. Would they trust God to provide for them? They failed because they quarreled and they grumbled. They tempted the Lord saying, where is the Lord? What2:20 should they have done if they had wanted to pass this test? Number 1, remember what the lord had already done for them. The the amazing things that he had already done is like they completely forgot2:32 what had happened. They had amnesia. And then they should have went to him and asked, Lord, we need water. Moses appealed to God for us for water, not accusing him2:44 of abandoning them. This has application to us. I mean, we we face difficulties and challenges in life, and we shouldn't be asking the the question, where are you, lord? He's there. We2:55 just need to go to him and ask him to meet our needs. Verse 8. Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim, and Amalek wasVictory over Amalek: The Power of Intercession 3:07 a a tribe that was descended from Esau. Okay? Verse 9. And Moses said to Joshua, choose us some men and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow, I will stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in3:19 my hand. Now this is Israel's first battle, and this is also the first mention of Joshua, who was probably around 45 years old at the time according to scholars.3:31 Verse 10, so Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the mountain. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel3:43 prevailed, and when he let it down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses's hands became heavy. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands,3:55 1 on 1 side and the other on the other side, and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. Now there there is a lot of imagery and types in the Old Testament. What we see here4:07 is Moses was interceding for the children of Israel in this battle, and notice what won the battle. The fighting was important, but it was the intercession that prevailed. Now this is a a4:18 tremendous revelation for us in the kingdom of God who battled not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers. If intercession with god won physical battles in the Old4:30 Testament, where should we be placing our emphasis today? Prayer. Intercession is important. Prayer is is critical. It's a strategic weapon that4:42 we have in this spiritual battle. So, Joshua, verse 13. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said to Moses, write this for a memorial in the book4:54 and recount it in the hearing of Joshua that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar and called his name, the Lord is my banner. For he said, because the Lord has5:06 sworn, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Now notice that last sentence from generation to generation, the conflict would continue, but they were to look back on the5:17 victory won as encouragement to continue into the future. What God has done in the past, he will do again. On to chapter 18, verse 1. And Jethro, the priest ofJethro's Counsel: Principles of Godly Governance 5:29 Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Then Jethro, Moses's father-in-law,5:41 took Zipporah, Moses's wife, after he had sent her back. Verse 7. So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him, and they asked each other about their5:53 well-being, and they went into the tent. And Moses told his father-in-law all that the lord had done to pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that had come upon them on the way, and how the6:04 lord had delivered them. Verse 10. And Jethro said, blessed be the lord who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the6:16 hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the lord is greater than all the gods, for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, he was above them. Was that6:28 not the purpose that god stated with this protract that protracted encounter with pharaoh that the world would know? Verse 12, then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and6:40 other sacrifices to offer to God, and Aaron came and all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law. Now Jethro was a follower of God and a the patriarch, and so at this time, he acted as the6:52 priest. Verse 13, and so it was on the next day that Moses set to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. So when Moses's father-in-law saw all that he did for the7:04 people, he said, what is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening? Verse 17. So Moses's father-in-law7:15 said to him, the thing that you do is not good. Both you and this these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you. You are not able to7:27 perform it by yourself. Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God will be with you. Stand before God for the people so that they may bring7:39 the difficulties to God. So Moses was chosen by God to lead the people out of Israel and into the promised land. However, however, he still needed counsel, and7:51 god used that counsel. But notice in verse 23, Jethro told Moses to submit it to god, which is exactly what we should do when we receive counsel. We we should take that8:03 counsel, but then submit it to God. Is this what God would have us to do? Verse 23. If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will also8:15 go to their place in peace. Now, this is extremely important, what we're about to read. This is a, a principle of government that goes back to8:26 the Tower of Babel, the decentralization of government. It's critical in God's structure of government. Verse 20, and you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the8:38 way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Moreover, you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to8:50 be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of 10, and let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but9:02 every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. There are 3 critical components9:14 of decentralized governments. Without them, it simply doesn't work. Alright? So let's look at those 3. Number 1, teach the people the word and the ways of God. That was that was the first step9:26 Moses had to take. Even before the formal law had been given, God had given man direction, which we've we've seen since this our journey began. Now9:38 this is the foundation of self government. Without self government, there can be no system of government that upholds freedom and justice. Now you can have forms of government tyranny. I mean, you9:50 can have communism. You can have socialism. You can have repressive government. But to have freedom and true justice, it requires self government. John Adams, president of the10:02 United States, said our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. There was an understanding that we would govern ourselves according to the word10:14 of God. That's the only way our form of government will last. You know, on this 200 and fiftieth anniversary of our nation, this is a principle we've got to rediscover because10:26 our system is teetering. You know, unlike the founding of this nation during that time, we're not teaching the word in the ways of God. In fact, we've rejected it to a large10:37 degree, and as a result, there's very little self government in our nation today. Number 2, we've got to select the right leaders. Able. Able. Alright? Now being a Christian is not10:49 enough. Alright? I know a lot of times, you know, Christians step into the arena, but they've not prepared. They've not equipped themselves with the skill and the ability to lead. That's what God said11:01 first being able, but then fear God. So I do believe we should have Christians who know God, love God, and fear God in positions of elected leadership.11:13 Truthful, not seeking to gain fame or fortune. They're honest. And this is structured, number 3, the structure is for accountability, And11:25 it it the the this is critical because if you if you get a bad decision at 1 place or a bad leader, it doesn't throw the whole system into chaos. Right?11:37 This is the way our government was structured, decentralized and layered for accountability. However, we've witnessed that the federal government, especially the executive branch, trying to dominate the other branches11:48 and the other layers of government, and that's a dangerous place. Doesn't matter the philosophy. Doesn't matter if it's a Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal. The principles of government, this this this12:02 the decentralization and the structure is very important. Alright. Chapter 19, goes into the covenant of between god and12:14 the people preparing the way for the law, which we will look at next time. Father, thank you for your word, and thank you, Lord, for the the the the truths that are contained here that12:26 have application to us today, and that our founders in this nation actually look to for guidance in structuring our country and our government. And, lord, we have the12:38 the longest, existing constitution in the, in in the history of, of the world, and it's built upon your principles and your teachings. And12:50 so father, I pray that in this year that we would rediscover the foundation of what made our government work, because lord, it is we can see it's being tested, and it is13:01 teetering. Lord, may we return to your ways, to your word, and may we govern ourselves according to that, and may we choose leaders who who know13:13 you, who fear you, and will lead according to your word. Lord, be with us. Use us for your kingdom and glory. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks13:25 for joining me this morning, and until next time, keep standing on the word.13:33 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan, available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you13:45 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Thirst in the Wilderness: Testing Faith at Rephidim3:05 Victory over Amalek: The Power of Intercession5:25 Jethro's Counsel: Principles of Godly Governance93.9K followers
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