New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-14

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” (1 Corinthians 10:1–14, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 17:1-7

“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ And Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?’ But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried to the LORD, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.’ And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, ‘Is the LORD among us or not?’” (Exodus 17:1–7, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

You know, as we consider this text I think it is right for us to sympathize with Israel a little. Obviously, we will eventually come to critique them for their grumbling and for their lack of faith, for the text does certainly draw our attention to their failings. The Apostle Paul does the same thing in his letter to the Corinthians. The failings of Israel are emphasized there and we are exhorted by the Apostle to not do as they did when they grumbled against the LORD. 

When I say that we should sympathize with Israel I mean, we should acknowledge the difficulty of their situation. Life in Egypt was all they had known. They were slaves there, and now they were free. Everything was new to them. And when the LORD led them out of Egypt, he led them into a very challenging place. They did not go immediately into a land flowing with milk and honey. No, the LORD  led them into the wilderness to be tested and trained there. 

By the way, this was the mercy of God. That might sound like a strange thing to say, but it is true. God, in grace, led Israel into the wilderness to test them and to train them there. No testing is pleasant in the moment, but as you look back upon it, you can see the blessing in it, can’t you? You can see the grace of God in the trial. You can see the growth that came from it. You can see the refinement that took place. I’ve experienced this, and I trust that you have too. 

Israel was tested by God in the wilderness, and I think it is right for us to acknowledge the severity of the test. They were sojourning in a desolate, dry, and thirsty land. Now, their claim in the previous passage that they were about to starve to death was a bit overblown. I addressed that in the previous sermon. They still had flocks. Really, they grumbled against God there, being driven by their cravings. It was not so much about needs but wants. But here we are told that Israel ran out of water again. I’m sure they carried water with them when they left the springs of Marah, but it was about gone, and there were no water sources in sight. That would be a terrifying experience, don’t you agree? A person can live without food for weeks. A person can go without water for only a short time – a couple of days, especially in a harsh environment such as the one the Israelites were in. And we should remember that there were not one or two men sojourning in the wilderness, but a great multitude of men, women, and children, along with their flocks. If water was not found quickly, there would be a tremendous loss of life. I don’t think we should not minimize the severity of their situation. This was a true test of Israel’s faith, and I think it is right for us to put ourselves there in their shoes, and even to attempt to think and to feel what they thought and felt. 

Their error was not that they were deeply concerned, anxious about their situation, perplexed or afraid. No, their error was in their response. They grumbled and complained against God as they panicked. The people were so worked up about their situation that Moses felt as if they were about to stone him to death. So I am saying that their concerns were understandable. And rational human being would be concerned and even worried about the lack of water in a situation like that. The trouble was in the way they responded. 

 And they should have known better, don’t you agree? They should have known better, for the LORD had given these people his word. Promises were made to their forefathers, and more recently the LORD spoke to them through Moses. The declared will of the LORD was to bring them out of Egyot and to the land that was promised to them. More than this, the LORD had proven himself faithful. He proved himself faithful in the days of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Joseph. He proved himself faithful during Israel’s stay in Egypt. And very recently had proven his faithfulness in the outpouring of the plagues on the Egyptians and by the deliverance of the Hebrews through the Red Sea. 

So yes, the trial was severe. The situation seemed very dire. But Israel was called by the LORD to walk by faith. They were called to trust him. The LORD had proven himself faithful and able. And here Israel is found failing a test yet again. They were tested concerning the provision of water, food, and now water again. God supplied them with what they needed in the first two instances. But here they are grumbling again. Sometimes we are slow learners, wouldn’t you agree? But God is patient with his people.  

What can we learn from this story that is before us today?

*****

Christian Sojourners Must Walk By Faith Not By Sight 

First of all, we must see that Christian sojourners must learn to walk by faith and not by sight. 

You’ve heard that expression before, haven’t you? It comes from 2 Corinthians 5:7 where Paul says, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6–8, ESV)

When Paul speaks of walking he speaks metaphorically of the way in which a person lives their life. In particular, in this passage he is concerned to address the guiding force of one’s life. All who live do walk. The question is, what will inform our walking? What will motivate us to walk in the way that we do. Paul states that he and his Christian companions walk as they do because they walk by faith and not by sight. 

To walk by sight is to have our thoughts, words, and actions, motivated only, or ultimalty, by what we see with your natural eyes and perceive with your natural reason. This is what Israel did when they were about out of water in the wilderness. The people looked at their empty water vessels. They looked out upon the barren landscape. And when they saw no green thing, their hearts were filled with terror. And so they looked at Moses with anger in their hearts, and they thought to do him harm as they began to grumble and complain with their lips. The people of Israel thought, spoke, and prepared to act being driven by what they saw with their natural eyes only. 

To walk by faith does not mean that we must ignore what we see with our natural eyes and perceive with our natural reason. What we see with our eyes certainly does matter. God’s people must live in this world with eyes wide open. We, like all people, must perceive the world around us. We must then think and feel, speak, and act based upon what we see. If you are human, this experience of perceiving the world, processing what you see, and responding inwardly and outwardly cannot be avoided. But to walk by faith means that we take something else into consideration – something that cannot be perceived by our natural eyes or our natural reason alone – and we give that thing priority. And what is that thing? It is faith in God and his word.  

The Hebrews perceived that they were in danger in the wilderness. Their water vessels were about empty and there was no water source in sight. All of that was true, and it was a big and serious problem that needed to be addressed. Where did they go wrong, then? They failed to bring God and his word into the equation. As I have already said, the LORD had spoken to them. He spoke to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He entrusted them with precious and very great promises. More than this, he recently spoke to them through Moses and he proved himself to be powerfully present with them through the plagues and by working their deliverance. Israel’s error was that they thought, felt, spoke and acted based only upon what they saw with their natural eyes. They walked by sight and not by faith. 

Christian sojourners must walk by faith not by sight. 

Brothers and sisters, are you walking by faith? Are you being driven to think, feel, speak and act, not only by what you see with your natural eyes, but by what you know to be true because God has spoken? 

If we wish to walk faithfully in this world in a way that will count for all eternity and in a way that be to glory of God, then we must learn to walk by faith. We must learn to bring God’s word into the equation as we perceive and interpret the world around us. And when I say that we are to bring God’s word into the equation I do not mean that we are to set it alongside our natural perception and natural reason as if it were of equal weight and worth. No, God’s word is to permeate and inform our perception of the world around us and our lives in it. 

I can hear the voices of our critics now. They say, if these Christains do what this man is saying then they will not live according to reality. They will be living in a fantasy land. If they do in fact perceive the world through the lenses of God’s revelation, then everything  that they see in the world will be perceived as having an unnatural hue. Can you hear the voices of our critics, brothers and sisters?

And in response we say, no. God’s word – God’s revelation – does not distort our perception of reality, but enables us to see reality with greater vividness and clarity than can be enjoyed without it. Friends, in our natural and fallen state we are blind to the truth. In our natural and fallen state, our perception of reality is dim and distorted. When the Lord regenerates his people by his word and Spirit, he gives them eyes to see. To perceive the world through the lense of God’s word does not require the Chrisian to ignore or detach from reality. No, it enables us to see God, the world that he has made, and our lives in it, as they truly are.

Brothers and sisters, we must walk by faith not by sight. This is a choice that we must make.  It will not happen automatically, nor will it also come easily. So how do we do it?

You know, it is not uncommon to hear pastors exhort Christians to be in church on the Lord’s Day, to pay careful attention to the reading and preaching of the word of God, and to read the scriptures for themselves to meditate upon them day by day. There is a reason for this. To live a life of faith one must hear, receive, and believe God’s word. You cannot walk by faith without it. Without God’s word the only thing you have to live by is sight – natural sight, and natural reason. But God’s word illuminates the reality of things. God’s allows us to see the world and our circumstances as they truly are. 

For the Hebrews, they perceived with their natural eyes that their situation was dire. But they failed to perceive their situation with eyes of faith. They forgot God’s promises to them. They forgot God’s word. They lost sight of the reality of his presence, his power, and his faithfulness. And so they responded to their situation as they did with grumbling, complaining, and even rebelliousness. 

How will it be for us, brothers and sisters? How will we do in the heat of the moment when faced with the trials and tribulations of life? How will we fair when tested? If we hope to walk by faith and not by sight, we better know God’s word and have treasured up in our hearts. We better learn to see the world and our lives in it through the lense of God’s revelation.

*****

Christian Sojourners Must Be Driven By The Word Of God And Spirit Of God, Not By Their Passions And Cravings

Christian sojourners must walk by faith not by sight. And somewhat connected to this, Christian sojourners must be driven by the Word  of God and the Spirit of God, not by their passions and cravings.   

I’ll spend less time  developing this second point because it truly is a subset of the first. To walk by faith and not by sight requires that we learn to be moved, not by our worldly passions and cravings, but by God’s word and by God’s Spirit. 

Passion is celebrated in our culture.  And if by “passion” we mean that someone cares deeply about something, is devoted to that thing, works hard at that thing, and noticeably excited about that thing, I do not necessarily have a problem with that. In this sense, it is not wrong to “passionate” about your work, or “passionate” about your family.

But taken in another sense, “passion” can be a big problem. The word may also be used to describe a person who is driven by their cravings and emotions. Used in this way, passionate people lack self control. They are impetuous. They think little before speaking and acting. They may think of themself as being most free, for they will not allow their words or behavior to be constrained by the opinions of others or by the expectations of society – they are who they are, and everyone can take it or leave it! But in reality, passionate people are not free. They are slaves to their own emotions. They are driven this way and that by their cravings. The man who is given to the passion of anger is not free, but a slave, etc. 

Using the word in this way, I say that Christian sojourners must not celebrate passion as if it were a virtue, but rather self control. The one who has self control will not be driven to think, speak and do by their appetites or by what they experience in the world around them. No, they will be drive instead by what they know to be right and true in their mind and heart.   

Listen to what the scriptures have to say about self control. 

Proverbs 25:28: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Think about that imagery for a moment. Again, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” In other words, a man without self control is constantly overrun, defeated, and exposed to danger. By what? By the enemy without and within. 

Listen to Peter. He wrote to Christian sojourners, saying, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5–8, ESV)

Peter urges us to make every effort to add these qualities to the faith that we have. In other words, do you have sincere faith in Christ? Great! Indeed, that is the main thing. Indeed, that is the means by which we come to have the forgiveness of sins and the hope of life eternal. It is through faith in Christ that we come to be saved. But do not stop there. No, you must grow from there. You must now mature in the fath. Add to your faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. We do not earn our salvation by obtaining these qualities. No, salvation is a gift from God. It is received by the grace of God alone, through faith in Christ alone. To quote Peter again, “if these qualities are [ours] and are increasing, they keep [us] from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5–8, ESV). 

Self-control, Biblically speaking, is not only the ability to be calm, cool, and collected under pressure. Instead, it is the ability to think, speak, and act carefully according to the word of God, being led by the Spirit of God. In other words, we are not merely pursuing a calm and docile disposition. No, we are seeking to be governed – driven – by God’s word and by God’s Spirit in every circumstance. 

Listen to Paul in Galations 5:19-24: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:19–24, ESV). 

So then, you can see that to be self-controlled is not to be self-governed. Instead, to be self-controlled is to be governed, led, driven, not by the flesh, and the passions of the flesh, but by God’s word and Spirit. 

You say, Ok , that’s all well and good. But what does this have to do with Exodus 17? Well, as we consider Israel in the wilderness we see that this people, generally speaking, was driven, not by faith, not by the word of God or the Spirit of God, but by their passions. They were moved to thing, speak, and act by their cravings, and by their emotions. I’ve already acknowledged that fear and anxiety was a very natural emotion for the Hebrews to experience. I’m not critiquing them for that! No, the problem was that they allowed themselves to be driven by those emotions. In other words, they lacked self-control. 

I’d like to read a little portion from Psalm 106 to show you that this was the case. The Psalmist was reflecting on the history of Israel when he wrote, “Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed his words; they sang his praise [a reference to the Song of Moses in Exodus 15]. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them” (Psalm 106:6–15, ESV).

So you can see that this is the divinely inspired interpretation of the Exodus narrative. The people of Israel rebelled against God and against his servant Moses because they forgot the LORD’s steadfast love, his wondrous works, and word – they did not wait for his counsel – they were driven by their wanton or unholy cravings. 

Brothers and sisters, this is the way of the natural man. What else will men and women be driven by if they are not born of God’s word and Spirit?  The only thing that can drive them is their natural desire. And this would not be a problem if the desires of man were pure, but they are not, for we have fallen into sin. Instead of desiring the glory of God and obedience to his moral law, men and women do by nature seek their own glory and are drawn to that which is unholy and profane. 

But those who have faith in Christ have been born of God’s word and Spirit. We are to be governed – driven – to think, feel, say, and do, not by our natural and sinful passion, but by the word of God and the Spirit of God. 

Here’s the trouble. Those of faith who have been born again by God’s word and Spirit sojourn in a fallen and sinful world. There are temptations all around us. And though it is true that we have been born, it is also true that corruptions remain in us. The flesh wars against the Spirit. We are often tempted, even by the desires within us, to think, feel, say and do that which is evil. So it is a battle, then – a daily and momentary battle.  

This is why Paul exhorts Christians, saying, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light…  [Let us] put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:12–14, ESV)    

*****

Christian Sojourners Must Find Their Satisfaction In God And In Christ

The third and final point of the sermon is this: Christian sojourners must find their satisfaction in God and in Christ. I have not left myself much time to develop this point – it deserves more, for it is key. Again I say, Christian sojourners must find their satisfaction in God and in Christ.

It is quite natural, and not at all evil, for humans to long for satisfaction. God made us this way in the beginning. We long to be satisfied, to be comforted, to be filled. The question is, where will we find this satisfaction?  I suppose we may speak of man’s fall into sin in these terms. Adam was to find his satisfaction in God, in giving glory to God, and in obedience to God’s commands. But he listened to a lie. He listened to the voice of the Evil One who claimed that he would be more satisfied if he would live for his own glory and decide for himself what is right and wrong, good and evil. The Serpent is a liar. He was a liar in the beginning, and he is a liar to this present day. The lie that he tells is the same. Satisfaction is found, not in God, but in this world and in the things of this world. Pay no attention to what God has said. He’s a killjoy. Live for yourself. Live for your own glory. Decide for yourself what is right and wrong, good and evil. Indulge the passions of your flesh. That is where true satisfaction is found. And those who listen to  will learn the same lesson that Adam learned. Truly, the wages of sin is death.  

This impulse that we have within us to be satisfied is not evil. In fact, it is good, for it is meant to drive us to our Creator, and now to our Redeemer, in whom true satisfaction is found. 

Pay careful attention to the lessons that the LORD taught to Israel in the wilderness. These lessons were for them, and they are also for us. There is a theme developing. Many within Israel had their eyes fixed only on the earth and on the things of this earth. They craved water and they craved food. And the LORD provided these things for them, for he is faithful. But notice that he provided these necessities of life for them in such a way so as to communicate to them that true satisfaction is to be found in him. 

Are you following me, friends? Pay attention to the way in which the LORD provided for the natural needs of the Hebrews. He could have led them anywhere, and yet he led them into to the wilderness to test them and to teach them. And could have provided their needs in very natural ways. He could have led from spring to spring. He could have moved the surrounding nations to show kindness to them. But he led them into these situations where no natural solution was found. The LORD then provided for them supernatural so that it was abundantly clear that he, the LORD God of Israel, was the source of their life and of their satisfaction. 

The bread that they ate in the wilderness was supernaturally from the LORD. It satisfied their physical hunger. But the LORD was also calling Israel (many of who disbelieve) to trust in him and be satisfied in him in the soul. 

And so too the water that Israel drank was supernaturally from the LORD. Moses struck a rock with his staff at the command of the LORD and water gushed forth! The water satisfied their physical thirst. But the LORD was also calling Israel to trust in him and be satisfied in him in the soul. 

More than this, the LORD was also communicating to Israel that he would provide for all of their needs – not only their immediate and physical needs, but also their eternal and spiritual needs – by sending the Christ.

This may sound far fetched, but you must remember the word of God and the promises of God that had been given to the Heberew. When the bread fell from heaven, and the water gushed from the rock, it came from the LORD who had spoken to the Hebrews previously. These were entrusted with the word of God. They knew what is now recorded for us in the pages of Genesis. They knew about creation, the fall, and God’s plan of redemption. They knew of the promises that were made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob concerning a land, and nation. They also knew about the promises concerning the Christ. One would arise from amongst them who would bless the nations, who would deal with the problem of sin and death that came into the world through Adam. This word that we now have in writing in the pages of Genesis was entrusted to them. They knew this story (or at least they should have).  They understood these promises (or at least some of them did). So they had at their disposal the information they needed to understand that the bread from heaven was not just to meet the need of their physical hunger, and the water from the rock was not just to meet their physical thirst. No, they were being called to run to God, their Creator and Redeemer, to trust in him for all things temporal and eternal, and to find their satisfaction in him now and for all eternity. They were called, as are we, to feast and to drink of God and of his Christ by faith.

Not all in Israel understood this. In fact, many must have remained ignorant. Look at how they responded! But some knew. The LORD always has a remnant. And when Christ and his Apostles looked back upon these Exodus event and the wilderness wanderings, they knew that this was their true meaning. 

Listen to the interpretation that Jesus Christ gave of this passage. Jesus spoke to those who had followed him into the wilderness, who had eaten of the bread that was multiplied. “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” (John 6:32–35, ESV)

And listen again to Paul in 1 Corinathians 10. “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

Israel was being called by these external means to walk by faith and not by sight, to be driven, not by their passions and cravings, but by the word of God and by his Spirit, and to find their satisfaction, not in the things of this earth, but in God and the Christ who was promised to them. “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” 

*****

Conclusion

Let us bow for prayer. 

Father in heaven, help us to walk worthy before you in this world. Strengthen us to walk by faith and not by sight. Change us inwardly so that we are driven, not by sinful passions, but by your word and Spirit. Sanctify us further so that we find our satisfaction, not in earthly and temporal things, but in you, O God, and in Christ who has redeemed us by his shed blood. Amen.  

New Testament Reading: Revelation 21:1–8

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’” (Revelation 21:1–8, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 15:22-27

“Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.’ Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.” (Exodus 15:22–27, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

In this sermon series, I have tried to convince you that the Exodus event along with the wilderness wandering that followed it and the eventual conquest of Cannan by the Hebrews is to be viewed in a multidimensional way. 

One, we must view this story as historical. The book of Exodus is a historical book. It tells us about what God did for the Hebrews in the days of Moses to deliver them. It tells us about how the LORD went with his people to provide for them and to guide them in the wilderness. These things happened, that is my point. We must approach the book of Exodus as history. 

Two, we must see that the person of Christ and the work of Christ were revealed ahead of time in the Exodus event. In other words, the redemption that the LORD accomplished for the Hebrews was a type or a foretaste of the greater act of redemption that the Messiah would accomplish. The Hebrews were delivered from Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb. They passed through the waters of divine judgment and emerged safely on the other side of the sea. The LORD was present with them, and he would continue to be. In fact, he would dwell in the midst of his people as he led them towards the promised land. And I am saying that person of Christ and the work of Christ was pictured or prefigured in an earthly way in these historical events. Remember that Jesus the Christ was introduced as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He was hidden in Egypt for a time and was brought out as an infant. Just as the LORD demonstrated his power over nature and the so-called gods of Egypt, so too the Christ demonstrated his power over the same through the working of mighty deeds. Christ also passed through the waters of divine judgment – not the waters of the sea, but the waters of death – and he was brought safely through to the other side in his resurrection (Christian baptism is a  picture of this, among other things). After rising from the dead and after ascending Christ gave the Spirit to indwell his people as they sojourn towards the promised land. Here I am simply reminding you of what I have said before. The Exodus was not just another common event in a long succession of events in the history of the world. No, it was special, for in it something of the person and work of Christ was revealed. This truth may be observed in the Exodus story itself, but it is made especially clear by the teaching of the New Testament. 

Three, we must see that there is a correlation between the experience of Israel in the Exodus event and the experience of all who have faith in Christ. When I say that there is a correlation I mean that in some ways Old Covenant Israel’s experience matches the experience of all who have faith in the Messiah even to this present day. Of course, in many ways, the experience of the Hebrews who lived in the days of Moses was utterly unique. Only they were brought out of Egypt. Only they were led into the wilderness toward Sinai, etc. But at the same time, their experiences established a kind of pattern – a pattern familiar to all of God’s faithful. Think of it. In Christ, we too have been redeemed from bondage. In Christ, we too are sojourners (we live in this world, but this is not our home). In Christ, we too will enter the promised land – not Canaan, but the new heavens and earth, the heavenly and eternal city of Jerusalem. I’m saying that Israel’s experience in the Exodus mirrors ours. Theirs was earthly, ours is spiritual. So there is much for us to learn. I’ll remind you of what Paul the Apostle wrote regarding this correlation between Israel’s experience and ours. Speaking of Exodus events he wrote, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11, ESV). Stated simply, things that happened to Old Covenant Israel are meant to instruct even those of us who live now under the New Covenant. 

So let us consider our passage for today with these things in mind. 

*****

Those Who Are Redeemed Must Sojourn

We have come now to the portion of the book of Exodus that is about Israel’s sojourning in the wilderness. To sojourn is to dwell temporarily in a place that is not your home. We may refer to the Hebrew’s stay in Egypt as a time of sojourning. In fact, the scriptures do this. In Deuteronomy 10:19 we find this law given to Israel: “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” So yes, Israel sojourned in Egypt. They lived there for a long time, but they were strangers there. And after the LORD delivered Israel from bondage, he led them, not immediately into  Canaan, which was the land that was promised to them, but into the wilderness to sojourn there for a time.

In Exodus 15:22 we read, “Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur…” (Exodus 15:22, ESV). The wilderness of Shur is to the East of Egypt in the northern part of the Sinai in what is today northern Saudi Arabia. This wilderness is vast, rugged, and in the days of Moses, it was very sparsely populated. From there Israel would go south. Canaan was to the north! But the LORD led Israel to the south to wander in the wilderness for a time. 

And this is the first thing that I wish to draw your attention to this morning regarding our text. The LORD did not immediately lead his people into the promised land of Canaan, but into the wilderness. Israel would sojourn in that thirsty land. In fact, we know they would remain there for 40 years because of their disbelief. But even before that, it was the will of the LORD to lead them, not directly to Canaan, but into the wilderness to sojourn there. We are to see that Israel went into the wilderness, not because they were lost, but because the LORD led them there in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. 

So here a pattern is established for us: those who are redeemed must sojourn. Stated negatively, the pattern is not from redemption to glory, but from redemption to sojourning to glory. 

Here is how Old Covenant Israel experienced this pattern: they were redeemed from Egypt, they sojourned in the wilderness for a time, and then they entered Canaan, which was the land that was promised to them. 

And here is how New Covenant Israel experiences this pattern: we have been redeemed by the shed blood of the Messiah from the domain of darkness, bondage to sin, and the fear of death. The new heavens and earth is our home. Our inheritance is the heavenly city of Jerusalem. But we are not there yet, are we? We are sojourners. We live here in this world, but we confess that this is not our home. We long for the world to come. We must view ourselves as sojourners, brothers and sisters. The pattern is this: from redemption to sojourning to glory. We are sojourners now.

This is what Peter calls us. He writes to Christians saying, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11–12, ESV).

The writer to the Hebrews speaks of our sojourning when he says, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14, ESV).

So just as Israel was to be ever mindful of the fact that they were not at home while in the wilderness, but were sojourners, so too we must be ever mindful of the fact that we are not at home, but are sojourners in this world. We are just passing through. 

Does it sound strange for me to talk this way? After all, this is our hometown, isn’t it? After corporate worship, we will all go home. It must have been obvious to Israel in the wilderness that they were sojourners. There was nothing permanent about their situation. But you and I live relatively settled lives. In fact, we enjoy a great deal of stability and comfort. But there is a danger in these blessings. We may forget that we are sojourners. The homes we live in are not our homes. This city is not a lasting city. This world is not the world that will be for all eternity, for when Christ returns he will make all things new. This world will be renewed, filled with the glory of God, and established in glory forever and ever. If you are in Christ united to him by faith, that is your home. Presently, you are a sojourner. 

Tell me brothers and sisters, do you have the mindset of a sojourner? Sojourners must still be concerned with the details of their day-to-day life. They must eat and drink, raise their children, and seek to serve the Lord in the land that they find themselves in. But the sojourner will also live with a degree of detachment from the land of their sojourning. As the sojourner goes about their business they will be ever mindful of the fact that this is not home. This will affect their priorities and investments. Though they may love and appreciate the land of their sojourning, their longing will be for home. This is why Jesus speaks to sojourners saying, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV)

Those who are redeemed must sojourn, and we are sojourners now. 

*****

One Purpose Of Our Sojourning Is Sanctification

The second thing that I wish to draw your attention to is that one of the purposes of our sojourning is sanctification. 

Perhaps the question has already come to your mind: why didn’t the LORD lead Israel straight to Cannan? Why the wilderness wanderings? That’s a good question, isn’t it? Why did the LORD permit Israel to experience so much trouble in that desolate and dry land? And perhaps you have wondered the same thing concerning the Christian life. Why this life? Why the sufferings of this life? Why not immediate glory for the one who has faith in Christ? Many things can be said about this, but the truth that I wish to emphasize this morning is that one purpose for sojourning is sanctification. 

By sanctification, I mean growth in faith and in godliness. Sanctification is that process wherein God renews us “in the whole man after the image of God, and… [enables us] more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness” (Baptist Catechism 38). And I am saying that one of the primary purposes for sojourning, both for Old Covenant Israel and for us, is sanctification.

God sanctifies his people as they sojourn. And how does he do this?  It is often through testing. You know this to be true. Growth comes when we are tested. This is true of our muscles. This is true of our minds. And it is also true of our faith, hope, and love. Spiritual growth comes through testing. 

In verse 22 we learn that Israel “went three days in the wilderness and found no water.” This was no minor inconvenience, but a serious problem. The Israelites had certainly carried water with them, but now they were about out. This great multitude would soon perish without a substantial source. The people must have felt great anxiety about this. It would be terrifying to be caught in the wilderness with no water.  

In verse 23 we read, “When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah”, which means bitterness. When they found this pool of water they must have felt great relief. But as they tested the water they found that it was undrinkable. Their hope quickly turned to great despair. 

We must see this as a test of faith, brothers and sisters. In fact, verse 25 says that it was. “There he tested them”, the passage says. What would the people do? How would they respond? Would they trust in God? Would they remember what the LORD has done for them not long before? Remember, the LORD had demonstrated his power over nature in the outpouring of the ten plagues. He turned the water of the Nile to blood. And after the plagues, he parted the water of the Red Sea. Now the LORD tested them at Marah. Would the people remember the promises of God? Would they remember his past faithfulness? Would they trust in his sovereign power? Or would they lose it when faced with the threat of thirst in the wilderness? Verse 24 tells us: “And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’”

Notice that the word “grumbled” appears three times in a short span in the Exodus narrative. It appears here in 15:24. It will appear again in 16:2. There the people are hungry and “the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness…”  And the word appears again 17:3 where we read, “But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’” 

You are probably noticing a theme. This story that we are considering today along with the next two are about testing. After Israel was redeemed from Egypt they began to sojourn in the wilderness. And as they sojourned the LORD tested them three times concerning the provision of water, bread, and water again. By the way, can you think of someone else who was tested in the wilderness three times over? Christ was! He overcame the temptation, didn’t he? But what did Israel do when they were tested? They doubted and they grumbled against the LORD. I take this to mean that most grumbled, but I trust that the faithful ones among them were sanctified as the LORD proved himself over and over and over again. Soon we will see that the LORD provided water from a rock and manna from heaven. Here in the text that is before us today, we learn that the LORD made the bitter waters of Marah sweet.  

Verse 25: “And [Moses] cried to the LORD [notice, he cried, he did not grumble] and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” You can search for a scientific explanation for this if you’d like. I don’t think you’ll find one. Nor do I believe one is necessary. This entire Exodus story is punctuated by the miraculous works of God. And it is has been common in this story for the LORD to instruct Moses to use a physical item through which he works his miracles – a staff, dust thrown into the air, now a log. 

Here is what we know. The LORD demonstrated his power over the waters of Marah through Moses. He proved himself to be faithful once more. He provided for the thirst of his people. He turned that which was bitter, sweet. This he did for Old Covenant Israel through Moses, and this has done in an even greater way for all of his elect through Christ.  

Christ satisfies the thirst of all who trust in him. Everyone who drank the sweetened water of Marah was thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that Christ gives will never be thirsty again. The water that Christ gives becomes in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life  (see John 4:13–14).

And in Christ, all of the bitterness of life is turned sweet. For “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Even the bitterness of death is turned sweet for the believer, for Christ has removed the sting of death. For the believer, death is the gateway to glory.  

Brothers and sisters, it is imperative for Christian sojourners to remember these things as we are tested by the trials of life. 

Sometimes it feels as if we are sojourning in a dry and desolate place. The circumstances of life may lead us to think, there is no hope! There is no way out! But we must remember that the LORD is faithful. He has been faithful to us in the past, and he will be faithful to us in the future, for he has promised. He will preserve those who are his in Christ Jesus. He will bring his elect safely home. Between now and then, we must be full of faith. 

And at times it may seem as if the LORD has led us to bitter waters. That which we thought would bring satisfaction and refreshment in this life brings disappointment. Will we trust the LORD in our disappointments and despair? Will we believe that the LORD is able to make the bitter waters of this life sweet in Christ Jesus as he brings good from that which is evil and leads us through the waters into life eternal? Brothers and sisters, we must. 

Verses 25 and 26 are important. Starting in the second half of verse 25 we read, “There [at Marah] the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer” (Exodus 15:25–26, ESV).

Notice a few things about this portion of the passage. 

One, here we learn that the LORD sanctified his people not only through the trial of the lack of fresh water in the wilderness but also through his word. Yes, he tested them through a difficult life experience but he also spoke to them. And this is how the LORD sanctifies us. Through experiences and by his word. 

Two, the lesson that he taught them was really quite simple. If Israel would diligently listen to the voice of the LORD their God, and do that which is right in his eyes, they would be blessed. None of the diseases that the LORD put on the Egyptians would be put on them. This implies that if Israel failed to listen to God’s word and to keep his commandments, they, like the Egyptians, would be cursed. Note this principle well. We will return to it in just a moment.  

Three, the LORD reveals himself to Israel here as their “healer”. The word healer can also be translated, “to make fresh”. It refers to the process of being restored to health or being made fertile. When the LORD said, “for I am the LORD, your healer”, he was saying, I am the one who has the power to make you healthy, fruitful, and prosperous. 

So then, here is the lesson that the LORD taught to Israel at Marah as he spoke to them after satisfying their thirst. I am here to bless you, to make you fruitful and prosperous as a people. But here is the condition: you must listen to my voice and keep my commandments. 

As you probably know, this little simple lesson would end up being central to Israel’s existence under the Old Mosaic Covenant. This principle – obey God and be blessed in the land, disobey and be cursed – would be the core element of the covenant that God made with that nation through Moses. If Israel was to be blessed and prosperous they needed to obey the law of God. This work’s principle was stated at Marah and it would prove to be foundational to the Old Mosaic Covenant. 

Christians living under the New Covenant who’ve had it ingrained in them that we are saved from our sins, not by works or through the keeping of God’s law, but by God’s grace alone through faith in Christ alone, might be troubled by the works principle found here. Listen again to the conditional nature of this arrangement: ‘If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer” (Exodus 15:25–26, ESV). The arrangement is certainly conditional. It is an if/then arrangement. But pay very careful attention to what is going on here. The offer is not forgiveness of sins, nor is it life eternal in the new heavens and earth, but blessings and fruitfulness on earth. 

What I have just said is key to understanding the works principle that is clearly present in the Mosaic Covenant. Was the Mosaic Covenant a covenant of works? In other words, did the blessings offered by God to Israel in that Covenant depend upon the obedience of the people of Israel? Yes, certainly! But the blessings offered were earthly blessings. If Israel obeyed the LORD, they would be blessed by the LORD in the land. If they disobeyed, they would be cursed and even vomited out of the land. How then could an Israelite be saved from their sins for all eternity? How could an Israelite inherit blessed eternal life in the new heavens and earth? In the way that you and I receive it! Not by good works. Not by law-keeping (for we have all violated God’s law in thought word and deed). But only by trusting in the promises made to Adam and later to Abraham concerning the Messiah. Do not forget that those same promises were entrusted to Israel in the days of Moses too. Those promises were not annulled or taken away when God entered into that Covenant of works with them through Moses. No, the promises of God remained. And salvation was obtained by the grace of God and through faith in the promised Messiah. But as it pertained to blessings on earth, the nation of Israel would enjoy them only if they were obedient. This is what Paul the Apostle says so clearly in the books of Romans and Galatians (see especially Galatians 3:17ff.)

Though you and I do not live under this works principle that was imposed upon Israel at Marah and later expanded under the Mosaic Covenant at Sinai, we may still learn from it and apply it. Think of it. What was Israel called to do as they sojourned in the wilderness? They were to trust the LORD and they were to obey him.   

Trust and obey… It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Christian sojourners are to trust and obey, trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey! It is simple, but it can also be very difficult for us given our frailty. We are so prone to forget God’s faithfulness, to doubt, to panic, and to even grumble against God as Israel did at Marah. And sometimes we struggle to obey his voice. But truly, this is where abundant life is found. We are blessed in Christ when we trust him and obey his word. As Christ said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:9–11, ESV)

Those who are redeemed must sojourn. One purpose for sojourning is sanctification. The LORD sanctifies us by his word and by testing us through the trials of life. And in this way, the people of God will learn to trust him and obey him with ever-increasing sincerity. 

*****

Those Who Sojourn Must Know The LORD Will Bring Them Safely Home

The final observation that I wish to make from our passage today is that those who sojourn must know for certain that the LORD will bring them safely home.

I draw this principle from verse 27 which says, “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water” (Exodus 15:27, ESV). If Marah signifies the trials and the testings of this life, Elim seems to be paradise by contrast. There was an abundance of water there – one spring for each tribe of Israel. And there was an abundance of trees too so that Israel might rest in their shade. After Israel was tried and tested in a dry and thirsty land, they were comforted and refreshed. And so it will be for all who are in Christ Jesus. 

After the sojourning of God’s people is complete Christ will return to make all things new. And all who are in Christ will be refreshed by “ the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, [they will eat of] the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree [will be] for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:1–5, ESV).