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Faith Tested at Rephidim: Water and the Battle with Amalek 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 statutes and0:22 the laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Now we've 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. So1:45 he called the name of the place, Masa, meaning testing, and Meribah quarreling because of the contention of the children of Israel and because they tempted the lord saying, is the lord among us1:57 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, was another test of2:09 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? What should they have2:21 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 forgot what had happened. They2:33 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 him of abandoning2:45 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. We just need to go to him and2:57 ask him to meet our needs. Verse 8. Now Amalek came and fought with Israel and Rephidim, and Amalek was a a tribe that was3:09 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 in my hand.3:20 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. First and so Joshua3:32 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 Israel prevailed, and when he let it3:44 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, 1 on 1 side3:56 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 here is Moses was4:08 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 a tremendous revelation4:20 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 Old Testament,4:31 where should we be placing our emphasis today? Prayer. Intercession is important. Prayer is is critical. So it's a strategic weapon that we have in this4:43 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 book and recount it4:55 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 has sworn, the Lord5:07 will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. And notice that last sentence from generation to generation, the conflict would continue, but they were to look back on the victory won5:19 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 of Midian, Moses' father-in-law,Jethro's Counsel: Principles of Godly Government 5:31 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, took Zipporah, Moses's5:43 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 their well-being, and they went into the5:55 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 the lord had delivered them. Verse6:07 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 the hand of the Egyptians.6:18 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 that not the purpose that god stated6:31 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 and other sacrifices to offer to God, and Aaron came and all6:43 the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law. Now Jethro was a follower of God and the patriarch, and so at this time, he acted as the priest. Verse 13. And so it was on the6:55 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 the people, he said, what is this thing that you are7:06 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-law said to him, the thing that you do is not7:18 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 to perform it by yourself. Listen now to7:30 my voice. I will give you counsel, and God will be with you. Stand before God for the people so that they may bring the difficulties to God. So Moses7:42 was chosen by God to lead the people out of Israel and into the promised land. However, however, he still needed counsel, and God used that counsel. But notice in verse7:54 23, Jethro told Moses to submit it to God, which is exactly what we should do when we receive counsel. We we should take that counsel, but then submit it to God. Is this what8:05 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 also go to their place in8:17 peace. Now, this is extremely important what we're about to read. This is a, a principle of government that goes back to the Tower of Babel, the decentralization8:30 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 the way in which they must walk in the work they must do.8:42 Moreover, you shall select from all the people able men such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and8:54 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, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So9:06 it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. There are 3 critical components of decentralized governments. Without them, it it9:18 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 step Moses had to take. Even before the formal law had been9:30 given, God had given man direction, which we've we've seen since this our journey began. Now this is the foundation of self government. Without self government,9:41 there can be no system of government that upholds freedom and justice. Now you can have forms of government tyranny. I mean, you can have communism. You can have socialism. You can have repressive government.9:53 But to have freedom and true justice, it requires self government. John Adams, president of the United States said, our constitution was made for10:05 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 word of God. That's the only way our form of government10:17 will last. You know, on this 200 and fiftieth anniversary of our nation, this is a principle we've got to rediscover because our system is teetering. You know, unlike the founding10:30 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 large degree. And as a result, there's very little self government in our10:42 nation today. Number 2, we've got to select the right leaders. Able. Abel. Alright. Now being a Christian is not enough. Alright? I know a lot of times, you know, Christians step into10:54 the arena, but they've not prepared. They've not equipped themselves with the skill and the ability to lead. That's what God said first being able, but then fear God. So I do believe we should11:05 have Christians who know God, love God, and fear God in positions of elected leadership. Truthful, not seeking to gain fame or fortune.11:17 They're honest. And this is structured number 3, the structure is for accountability. And it it the the this is critical because if you if you11:29 get a bad decision at 1 place or a bad leader, it doesn't throw the whole system into chaos. Right? This is the way our government was structured, decentralized and layered for11:41 accountability. However, we've witnessed that the federal government, especially the executive branch, trying to dominate the other branches and the other layers of government, and that's a dangerous place. Doesn't11:52 matter the philosophy. Doesn't matter if it's a Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal. The principles of government, this this this the the decentralization and12:04 the structure is very important. Alright. Chapter 19, goes into the covenant of, between God and the people preparing the way for theThe Covenant and Prayer for National Renewal 12:16 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 that have application to us12:27 today, and that our founders in this nation actually look to for guidance in structuring our country and our government. And, Lord, we have the the longest,12:40 existing constitution in the, in in the history of, of the world, and it's built upon your principles and your teachings. And so, Father, I pray that in12:51 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 is teetering. Lord, may we13:03 return to your ways, to your word, and may we govern ourselves according to that. And may we choose leaders who who know you, who fear you, and13:15 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. Thanks for joining me this morning, and13:27 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 f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you13:45 can read through the entire 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 Faith Tested at Rephidim: Water and the Battle with Amalek5:25 Jethro's Counsel: Principles of Godly Government12:08 The Covenant and Prayer for National Renewal
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