Water in the Wilderness
Psalm 78:12-20
Our text this morning is from the remarkable 78th Psalm.
This Psalm is a history lesson for the nation of Israel.
It rehearses many of the events of The Exodus and the Wilderness Wanderings of Israel.
I would highly recommend keeping it handy when you read those historical accounts.
It acts like a commentary on them, and you can gain fresh insight and additional details from it.
The portion of it that we read a few moments ago is about the time period I want to discuss today.
We are reminded of the mighty displays of God’s power as He brought His people out of Egypt.
We see the Red Sea divided and Israel’s escape through it.
We see His presence and direction for them with the pillars of cloud and fire that went before them.
Then we are reminded of something God did on three separate occasions that we know about.
He gave the people water in the wilderness.
You do not have to be geography expert to know that that part of the world is an arid wilderness.
The Israelites had left the fertile delta of the Nile River, overflowing with abundant, life-giving water.
Now they are in some of the driest places you will find.
Now, you may be able to find a lonely stream or spring in places, but remember we have a few million people travelling with Moses.
Ask any doctor and they will tell you that if you must withhold water or food from someone, you can go a lot longer without food than water.
We need water to survive.
I want us to look at these three occasions where the Israelites found themselves without water.
I want us to learn from the circumstances and details from each.
I. The Demand for Water
Here you will need to turn to Exodus 17 to follow with me.
This is shortly after they crossed the Red Sea.
I think that is important to remember.
They had just witnessed the Ten Plagues, the Red Sea Parting, and the Daily provision of Manna.
They are near to Sinai, camped at Rephidim.
Here is what the Scripture says in Exodus 17:1 – “and there was no water for the people to drink.”
What do the people do?
Do they sit down and wait for God to provide just like He has been doing with the manna?
No, they go to Moses and made a demand.
Exo 17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink….
Moses tries to warn them, tries to tell them not to try the Lord’s patience.
Continuing…
Exo 17:3 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?
There are two things they are short of there: memory and faith.
The God that sent the Plagues and parted the Sea would have no trouble at all supplying water.
Think about it – did God do all of that just to watch them die of thirst?
No!
Are we not the same if we are not careful?
We lose sight of the goodness of God
We forget His benefits that he loads us with every day.
We feel that He does not care for us.
We turn to God and make demands of Him.
“God, You had better heal my loved one!”
“God, You need to treat me better!”
It is an act of pride and rebellion to do so.
We refuse to humble ourselves to His will and His way, demanding that He jump at our command.
Yes, things may get dry and we may thirst for things we do not have at the present.
But rein in your heart in that day.
Humble yourself before the Lord.
If you keep reading God will threaten to wipe out the people of Israel many times, but He acts in mercy here.
Moses goes up to the rock of Horeb, smites it with his staff, and waters gush forth.
It is a picture of Christ, who was smitten for us so that His salvation could flow to all.
Did we deserve that? No!
Did the Israelites deserve water?
I don’t think so.
It is like arguing with a toddler – my one rule is I will win.
Aren’t you thankful this morning that God is good to us even when we do not deserve it?
Next, we are going to turn to Numbers 20 and see another similar event that was around a year later.
II. The Despair for Water
This event takes place after Isreal heard the report of the twelve spies and refused to follow God into the Promised Land.
That’s in chapters 13 and 14.
In chapter 16 a man named Korah leads a revolt against Moses and Aaron.
God destroys these rebels and makes His choice of leadership and direction very clear.
In chapter 17 God reasserts His choice of Aaron and the tribe of Levi when they place their walking sticks in the Tabernacle and Aaron’s budded.
There is a time jump of 38 years as we get to Chapter 20, glossing over the wilderne4ss
Chapter 20 opens with the death of Miriam, who God had to strike with leprosy in chapter 12 for speaking out against her brother Moses.
Once again, Israel is camped in a place where there was no water.
This is a different place than we saw in Exodus 17 – somewhere around Kadesh-Barnea I think but it is not very clear.
The people react differently than they did before.
Now, many of those present the last time have passed on by this point.
They do not open with a demand – they open with despair!
Num 20:2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
Num 20:3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
Num 20:4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
Num 20:5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.
I wonder if they sang that classic song some of you will remember:
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
They have no heart and no hope!
They do not expect God or Moses to do anything!
Have you ever been there?
Have you lost heart and hope?
Maybe you are more spiritual than they were, and sung out like David instead of HeeHaw:
Psa 13:1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Psa 13:2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Psa 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Psa 13:4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that that hard times do not mean that God has forsaken us.
That is what David did:
Psa 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
Psa 13:6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
There is no need for a child of God to ever give in to despair.
But isn’t our God good in that when we lose faith He does not forsake us?
It is not about how we feel or how we perceive things that matter.
God is good, He cannot be anything but good, and He will always be good.
In spite of the despair of the people, God still moved to meet their need.
He told Moses to go to the rock and SPEAK to the rock.
Why speak?
It is again a picture of Christ.
Christ had only to smitten once for our sins.
He does not need to be crucified anew.
We need only reach out in prayer because Christ has already won.
Moses and Aaron go up, and Moses is mad.
Psalm 106 is another historical Psalm that shed light on past events:
Psa 106:32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
Psa 106:33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
Moses smites the rock instead of speaking to it.
For that failure, God did nor allow Him to enter the Promised Land.
But I am glad to say that God’s anger did not stop the water from flowing.
He still met the people’s need.
We come now to the third and final event we will look at, it is in Numbers 21.
III. The Digging for Water
This one is easy to miss as it is crammed into a section that lists the places Israel camped as they neared the Promised Land.
Num 21:16 And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
Wait a minute.
They needed water, right?
I mean, why else would God need to provide it.
But where is the demand for it?
Where is the despair over it?
It is not there at all!
God simply sees the need and meets.
The event is recorded in a song:
Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
The princes digged the well,
the nobles of the people digged it,
by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves.
Moses must have directed the leaders of the tribes to come together.
The gathered and Moses said, “Alright, we are going to dig a well with our walking sticks”
That is what is says!
If you think that is crazy, need I remind you of the other times God does things that make no logical sense?
Moses tossed a tree into bitter water to make it sweet.
Naaman dipped seven times in Jordan to be cured of leprosy.
Jesus put mud in a blind man’s eyes and told him to go wash it out to be healed.
Can you see them lined up and looking at each other.
“Ok, Moses, whatever you say.”
They all scrape the ground with their staffs.
I would like to think as soon as they made contact the ground parted and water came rushing out.
God provided once again.
It is likely a picture of the multitude of blessings that flow to us through Christ.
Perhaps it is even specific to the outpouring of the Spirit.
CONCLUSION
In these three object lessons, God provided the necessary water each time.
Which is the way we would want it to be handled? The last one.
Which is the way it ought to be handled? The last one.
Which is the way that reflects how we interact with God?
Too often, it is the first two.
My challenge for you is to strive to trust God and His provision.
Even when times are lean and the skies are gloomy, He can and will provide.
If you are here and do not know you are saved, you do not know for sure that your sins are forgiven and washed in the Blood of Christ – I refer you to what Christ told the Samaritan woman at the well:
Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
You can find peace and forgiveness, filling that emptiness and brokenness within us, if you will but run to the Savior.