Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

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Sydney Cross
5 years ago
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1 Text: Exodus 17:8 Series: Life of Moses FIGHT IN REPHIDIM EXODUS 17:1-16 Exodus 17:8 8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. Introduction: As we have looked over the last several weeks it seems that Israel was on a merry-go-round. It seems that they continued to make the same mistakes. They continued to murmur because they doubted God s ability to take care of them though God had proven time and time again that He would take care of them. Such was the case again in our text. Note: - 1 -

2 1. PROBLEM OF THE PEOPLE (VS. 1-3) Exodus 17:1-3 1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? When the children of Israel arrived at Rephidim they begin to again complain, not like they did earlier in chapter 15. Exodus 15:23 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. In chapter 15 they complained that the water was not drinkable because it was bitter. In Rephidim however they complained that there was no water at all

3 The people became volatile and were ready to stone Moses who they felt had brought them to this of difficulty. Their murmuring caused Moses to: 2. PRAY OF MOSES (VS. 4) Exodus 17:4 4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. The desire of the children of Israel and their doubting of God s ability to provide for their needs led to their desire to stone Moses. Remember: It s easy to blame others for our problems. Anger often causes us to attack even those we love. Note the words of Moses prayer: What shall I do unto this people? Moses didn t know what to do but he knew where to go with his problem he went to the Lord

4 We must remember in our darkest day God makes a way. We like Moses need to take our crises to the Lord. Hebrews 4: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Not only do we see The Problem of the People and the Prayer of Moses but note 3. PROVISION OF GOD (VS. 5-6) Exodus 17:5-6 5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Moses was instructed to lead the people to the rock in Horeb

5 He was to take with him the rod and was to strike the rock with the rod and water would then be provided. This rock certainly represented the strength and stability and God ability to provide for all that is needed. The smitten rock pictured Christ on the cross. Christ was smitten for us. Isaiah 53:3-5 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Water flowed from the smitten rock. We see not only The Problem of the People; the Prayer of Moses and the Provision of God but note also: - 5 -

6 4. PLACE OF THE FIGHT Exodus 17:8 8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. The Bible tells us that Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. The name Rephidim means beds or places of rest. The children of Israel had grown complacent after they had consumed the water from the rock. We must remember it s often when we grow complacent that the attack from the enemy comes. Note: Complacency Grows Out of a False Security in Our Own Spiritual Life God had just supplied what they desired and what they needed and no doubt they felt as if they were the recipients of God s blessings they must be quiet spiritual. Complacency Is Evidence of Spiritual Laziness - 6 -

7 Remember it wasn t the children of Israel that prayed, all they did was murmur. We should never want someone to do for us what we are not willing to do for ourselves. Complacency Creates a Lukewarm Faith Revelation 3: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Complacency Brings God s Discipline God say that he would spue them out of His mouth. Again it s when we find ourselves comfortable and complacent that the enemy attacks. Close: Do we have the tendency to murmur? Do we doubt God s ability to provide for all that we need? Have we grown complacent? - 7 -

I want to start off by asking a question. If you could summarize the debate about the Holy Spirit in a single sentence, what would that be?

I want to start off by asking a question. If you could summarize the debate about the Holy Spirit in a single sentence, what would that be? For me it would be this. Is Jesus personally present with us