Exodus 17. What a passage. Exodus 17. I hope you read it
in preparation for this. I often say this, that this is
not just a Bible study. This is a worship service like
the next. Why do I stand down here? Well,
I wish there really wasn't a pulpit up there. I'll be as close to
you as I can get. The story of Israel and Egypt
is told from Genesis to Deuteronomy, and then it's rehearsed throughout
the Old Testament. And then again in Luke. And this story of Israel being
brought out of Egypt and wandering through the wilderness, as you
now know, is our story. It's the story of every one of
God's true Israel. And it's more relevant, more
pertinent now, more urgent now than ever before, upon whom 1
Corinthians 10 says, and I keep telling you to read that, And
the more I read it, the more amazed I am of what all is in
there. I just sent a scripture from that to someone and not
realizing it was in that chapter. So many warnings and promises
there to those who have been in the wilderness for 40 years. And that's this church. This
church is well over 40 years old, 40 to 50 years old. God, with many, God was not pleased,
and they fell in the rivers. So that's, the Bible said, I
hope this is our salvation, to hear this about the smitten rock,
and drink from it like we've never drank it before. Exodus 16, the last part of chapter
16, verse 35, says that the children of Israel did eat manna forty
years. Oh, the goodness, the tender mercies of our God to
send us bread from heaven for forty years. The gospel. That's what we have. The gospel.
We're eating angels' food. Christ, the bread from heaven.
Psalm 104 talks about our Lord providing for everything. It
talks about the birds in the sky received from Him, man and
beasts on earth, and the fish in the sea. And Psalm 107 says,
Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, His wonderful
goodness, His works to the children of men. Forty years the Lord
rained bread from heaven upon these sinners, and forty years
a rock followed them through the wilderness and just flowed
and flowed and kept. For those that were thirsty,
that water just kept gushing out of that rock. A bunch of
no-good sinners. And that's us. That's us. Christ, the bread
of life, and I ask you, after all these years, what thank you
of Christ. What does this gospel mean to
you? In Numbers 21, near the end of their journey, right before
they went in, Numbers 21, many of them said, we're tired of this light bread. And that's what 1 Corinthians
10 says. These things were written for
our admonition, our learning. Upon whom the ends of the world
is almost over. For some of us, it really is. We're in our 60s and 70s and
even 80s. It's almost over. We're on the brink of Jordan. We're on the brink. Oh, let us never grow weary of
hearing this gospel. And may we hear it now more earnestly
than when we first heard it. That's what Hebrews 4 said. Let's
give them more earnest heed to the things we've heard, lest
at any time we let them slip. The gospel was preached to them,
he said, as well as unto us. In Deuteronomy 8, he said, Deuteronomy
8 at the end, that whole book is a rehearsal of everything
that went on. It reminds them of all the Lord
did for them. Deuteronomy. And he said, the
Lord sent this bread to prove you, to humble you. They didn't
deserve that. They didn't deserve that rock. When did he give them that water? When they were complaining. He said, this bread is to prove
you, to humble you. We ought to be more grateful
for the gospel now than when we first heard it. We ought to
be more humble now, more broken, more appreciative, more thankful
now than when God first revealed himself to us. We're greater
sinners now than we were then. The children of Israel, after
40 years, were still complaining. And that made them worse sinners. But the water kept flowing. And
here you are, here I am, about to hear this blessed story that
we don't deserve to hear. How many times have we heard
this, the manna? How many times have we heard this, the smitten
rock? Nothing new, you know, it's an old, old story. This
has been preached by preachers from Abel to Zerubbabel. And yet to those who have life,
really, it's a savor of life to life. To those who have the
Son, it's new, it's good news, it's new every morning. The message
is still good news. To those who receive the Word
as little children, it's new, it's fresh. To those who desire
the sincere milk of the Word, it's like the milk that they
so crave. You heard Brother Obey's message,
didn't you, on he gave himself? How many times have you heard
that? How many times have I heard that and preached that? But I
listened to it. Men, you listen to it. I listened to it. Nothing
new. He didn't say anything we haven't
heard. But wasn't it wonderful? Consider, and he's not a pastor. Who cares? Like Philip. He wasn't a pastor. Oh, he preached it. Nothing new,
yet it's wonderful. Verse 1. Chapter 17, verse 1. All the congregations of children
of Israel journeyed. Every one of us were on a journey,
aren't we? All of God's people are journeyed.
We're strangers and pilgrims. We're so journeyed. This is not our home. And that's what That's how people
were overthrown. They wanted to stay there. They
wanted to go back to Egypt, and they were going through these
trials. We like it here. This is not your home. We're on a journey. Where are
we going? To the promised land. Let's not forget. And on a journey,
according to the commandment of the Lord, according to the
will of the Lord, according to the mercy of the Lord, according
to the goodness of the Lord. Oh, I'm so thankful that he revealed
to me, this is not, you have here no continuing sin. Most
people, their secret thought is they're going to live forever.
Most people, they like it here in Egypt. They like it just fine.
They're driving their stakes deep. This is where I'm going
to live and die. And old Jacob said, don't bury
me in Egypt. Didn't he? Joseph said the same. Don't leave my bones in Egypt. When you go to the promised land,
come get my bones and take me with you. Is that your desire? Lord, come get my bones. Take me with you. Take me with
you. We're on a journey. Traveling
through. Passing through. They pitched
in Rephidim. We're living in tents, aren't
we? There's no water for the people to drink. You remember
that? There is no water here. In this world. This world. There's nothing here that satisfies
us. Do you consider this world a dry and a thirsty land? You
read that. Study one night. Psalm 63. Do
you? O Lord God, my soul thirsteth
for Thee as in a dry and thirsty land. Where are you going to
come from? That's what David said. One thing I desire and
that will I seek after. I want to dwell in the house
of the Lord. Is that your desire? I hope so.
I believe it is, or many of you. But the people, verse 2, began
to chide with Moses. The longer they were with Moses,
the more they realized he's just a man like us. At first, they
were so thankful and thought, this is the man that God sent
to lead us out. They were so grateful. But the
longer they were with him, the more they realized he was just
a man. He revealed his flaws. He revealed that he's a sinner
just like them. But he's the man that God used to bring them
out. They began to chide with him.
They began to blame him for everything. They said, give us water that
we may drink. Moses said unto them, why are you chiding with
me? You're tempting the Lord is what you do. I'm just telling
you what he told me to tell you. I'm just doing what he told me
to do. And you're tempting the Lord.
The people thirsted, verse 3, for water. The people murmured
against Moses. And they said, wherefore, for
what? Why is it that she brought us up out of Egypt to kill us
and our children and our cattle and our You know, if the Lord were pleased
to kill us, he'd leave us in Egypt. You know that? If the Lord was going to destroy
us, he'd have never told us this thing. He'd have never showed
us this thing, like Manoah and his wife. He'd have never showed
us the sacrifice. He would have never revealed
himself to you if the Lord were pleased to kill you. If he were
pleased to kill you, he wouldn't bring you out of Egypt. He'd
leave you right there with the rest of them. But since the Lord loves you,
purpose to save you. He's bringing you out. And yes,
you're going to thirst. Yes, you're going to go through
troubles and trials. And that's the goodness of God.
That is the goodness of God. That's the great mercy and grace
of God to bring you through a world of trouble that you might seek
another world, another place. Seek Him. Seek Him. And Moses cried unto the Lord. Moses cried unto the Lord. Now,
Moses is God's man. Moses, it represents not only
his preacher, he was just a man, but he represents Jesus Christ. The man of God, sent of God to
bring the people out. Christ, the God-man, sent one.
Our Lord and our God sent his Son into this world to save us
out of, Scripture calls this present, what? Evil world. You know that's what the world
is. And it's a blessing if you do.
And that's what God calls it. Unlike modern man thinks and
modern false preachers say. It's an evil place. And God has
come to save us from the evil to come upon Him. Isn't that
good? And the way He does this is bring
us through trouble. Lord willing, we're going to
look at Jeremiah 31, 30 and 31, Wednesday night. I began to read
that. I'm going to read it this morning. And I thought I'd make a few
comments. I thought, no, I'll just preach it Wednesday because
it's such a blessing. It begins by talking about the
Lord bringing Israel, Jacob, through trouble. He said, this
is the time of Jacob's trouble. I'm going to put him, I'm going
to put him through troubles. And we'll save him in it. It's
God's great mercy to send us trouble. It really is. Now, what modern preachers say
that? Moses, God's man of sense, our
Lord said this. He said, you must, through much
tribulation, enter the kingdom of heaven. Didn't he? Didn't
he say, in this world ye, who's he talking to? His disciples.
It was an intimate message to his disciples. In this world,
he said, you shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I will
come to her." So Moses represents our Lord
Jesus Christ. Our Lord came to save us out
of this present evil world, to save us from our sins, and our
Lord cried on our behalf. Our Lord prayed to the Father
on our behalf, like Moses did. The people didn't appreciate
Moses. The people turned on Moses. The people chided with Moses. But Moses prayed and interceded
for them, didn't he? He was the mediator. He was the
intercessor between them and God. They needed one, didn't
they? Several times we'll see as we
go through Exodus that God said, I want to kill them. I'm tired
of their complaining. And Moses said, don't do that.
Didn't he? Don't do that. What will the
world think if you kill them all? He interceded for them. He prayed for them. Our Lord hanging on the cross. And all his disciples ran from
him. Peter denied him. His close friend
betrayed him. He's hanging on the cross. And
the first words out of his mouth, Father, forgive them. They don't
know what they're doing. They don't know what they're
doing. Lord, have mercy on him and her. Have mercy on them,
Lord. Spare them for my sake. Moses cried. Verse 4, he said,
they'd be ready to stone me. That was what they did to our
Lord, didn't it? And here's what the Lord said. Moses, you go
on, verse 5, you go on before the people. You go out in front
of these people. Oh, Exodus. Hebrews. I'm tired
of reading so much of Hebrews. We had a forerunner who went
in the forest, didn't he, John? Through the veil. Our Lord Jesus
Christ, he was always going out before his disciples, wasn't
he? He met everything and everyone. He met Satan first before them.
He went out in the garden before all those lynch models out to
get him and them. And he went out before them.
He said, you seek me, let them go. Our Lord faced death for us.
Our Lord faced the law. Our Lord went to the cross for
us. You go out before them, and He went for us in the veil, within
the veil, into the Holy of Holy, that we might be accepted in
the Beloved. What did He take there that we
might be accepted? His own precious blood. Father,
forgive them. Forgive their sins. The penalty
has been paid. Father, forgive them. The price
has been paid. The law has been kept. Their
sins have been punished. Lord, forgive them for my sake. God says, I will. I will. You go on before them, Moses.
Christ went before. Take with thee the elders of
Israel. Verse 5. Take the elders of Israel.
You know, you remember the story, oh my, when our Lord chose three
of his disciples, Peter, James, and John. And right before he
went to the cross, right before that rock was cleft for us, he
took Peter, James, and John, three chosen disciples, up on
a mountain to show them his glory. Peel back that robe of flesh
that they might know who He really is. That they might hear, once
again, something you've been telling them for three years.
And hear it from the Law and the Prophets that Christ must
suffer. And on that mouth of transfiguration,
Moses and Elijah, the Law and the Prophets, the elders came.
And they spake. What did they speak of? The decease
that he should accomplish. That is, the death by which he
should accomplish the salvation of God's people. The death of
death. The removal of the sting. He
took the elders with him, and the rod of God. The elders and the rod. What's
that rod? That's the law. That's the word. You know what the rod, what the
law says? Smite the sinner. The law says the soul that sinneth
will surely die. The law says without the sin
of blood there is no remission of sin. The law says God must
have loved me with all I had in mind, heart, soul, and strength,
and none of these Israelites did. So the law has to come down. The law is a curse. A rod of God. A rod by which God rules his
Word. A rod by which God reigns. The
rod by which God decrees all things, purposed all things.
The rod. You remember this rod? It started
out with the rod. The whole story of Exodus started
with the rod. That's the Word of God. That's the Law of God.
The Law is a schoolmaster. Bring us to Christ. Show us Christ crucified. He
said, Take the rod, verse 5, wherewith thou smotest the river. Take it in thy hand and go. Take
that. This amazing, isn't it, amazing
story. There's nothing new. This is
the story throughout, this is the story, all the stories. You
remember Abraham in Genesis 22? You remember him taking his son,
his only son whom he loved, up on that mount? He took in his
hand a knife and fire and laid that wood on his son's shoulders. Just the two of them went up
there. They had that knife in his hand with which he was going
to slay his son. Take the rod, take it, and go
up before the people, the sight of all the people. He says in verse 6, Behold, I
will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb. Behold, I will stand there before
thee on the rock. What rock? What rock? Where'd this rock come from?
It says in Horeb. They left Horeb. Well, this rock followed them.
Where'd this rock come from? It just appeared out of nowhere.
That's right. That rock is Christ. Was that
rock always here? Yes. It was there in horror. And it's going to be there in
the end. Water flowing out of that thing.
Yes, this is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and forever. That rock is Christ. He's the
stone. He's the foundation stone. He's
the rock of ages. The eternal one upon whom everything
stands, upon whom God the Father has placed all things. I'm going
to stand before you on that rock in Exodus 33 and 34. Do you remember? Do you remember? There was a rock there, and God
said, I'm going to come down, I'm going to make my goodness
pass before you, I'm going to claim the name of the Lord before
you, and there's a rock there, and I'm going to come down and
stand right there on that rock with you. Is it a different rock?
No, it's the same rock. It's one rock. That rock is Christ. Upon which everything depends,
everything stands. Other foundation can no man lay
than that which is laid, which is Christ the Lord. All things depend upon him. And
God said, I'm going to stand right there upon that rock in
Horeb. And thou shalt take that rod and smite the rock. Smite the rock. Go to Isaiah
53 with me. Isaiah 53. We have it. We must. Look at this. Isaiah 53. Our Lord said, Thou shalt smite
the rock, and there shall come water out of it that the people
may drink. Smite the rock. Take that rod
and smite that rock, and there shall come water out of it. Isaiah
53. By the word of God, the law of
God, the will of God, God said, the soul that sinneth must surely
die, and so Christ came to make his soul an offering for sin,
that God might make him to be sin, to be smitten by the law,
cursed by the law, become a curse for us, for cursed is everyone
that hangeth on a tree. And here in Isaiah 53 is the
story. It says, beginning with verse
2, He shall grow up before God as a tender plant, as a root
out of a dry ground. He hath no form or outward beauty
or comeliness that men, that mankind, when they see him, shall
desire. No beauty that we should desire.
He's despised. He's rejected of man. Oh, but
not of God. He's accepted of God and well-pleasing. A man of sorrows, acquainted
with grief. We hid, as it were, our faces
from him. You know, there was a long time
that I didn't care about Christ. And I didn't want to hear his
gospel. I didn't come to hear the gospel. Right? We hid, as it were, our
faces. I didn't want to hear it. Nope, nope, I don't want to hear
that. Oh, my. May I face answer today still? He doesn't wear faces from me.
He was despised. We esteemed him not. It was a
long time I esteemed the gospel. Nothing to me. I just passed
on by. Didn't behold the sorrow wherewith
the Lord afflicted him. Nothing to me. How about you? Wasn't it a challenge
or nothing to you? You cannot preach the gospel
without saying, now that's you. But God, it's going to be something
to you. It's going to be everything to
you. We hear our faces crying. We're
standing there stricken and what? Verse 4, stricken and smitten
of God. He was. I didn't realize it at
the time. He took my weapon, the rod which
God should have taken to smoke me. He smoked his son, smitten and
afflicted. stricken and smitten, stricken
and afflicted of our God, smitten of God, but God. Verse 4, 5 says,
he was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquity. The twipping that the law must
bring upon our backs for our peace was upon him, and with
his stripes we are healed. Oh, we like sheep have gone astray.
We've turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord laid on
him iniquity of the soul. How many times have you heard
that? How many times have you read that? What does that mean to you? You know what flowed from his
wounds? Over in John chapter 19, it says
a soldier came by Our Lord was hanging on the cross. A soldier
came by and took a spear and ripped his insides open. How would you like to see that
happen to your little one? He did it. God says, you take
that sword and you plunge it into the body of my beloved son
and you rip him open. Like he did to that lamb in the
garden and skinned it for them and covered them with that righteousness
and shed that innocent victim's blood for their sin and rebel
against God. You take that sword, soldier,
and you rip him open and you know what came out of his side?
Blood. And our Lord said, except you
eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no part in that. And
this is what God's people now, from now on, this is what they
feast on, the body and the blood, the water of life, Christ, the
bread of life. God forbid that we should ever
tire of it. God forbid that we should ever
grow weary of hearing of him who hung on that tree of us. And God smoked that we might
have the water of life, the blood for our justification, the water
for our sanctification. That's what came out of his sack.
He's the rock of ages. Pray for me. May we never quit
singing from the top of our lungs to the bottom of our hearts.
Bread from heaven, bread from heaven, feed me till I want no
more. We will never quit singing from
the top of our lungs to the bottom of our heart. Rock of ages, cleft
for me, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the devil
cure, save from wrath and make me pure. You've been singing
that a long time, haven't you? That's Christ, the Rock of Ages. And he called the name of that
place Massah and Meribah. Temptation and strife. That's
why Christ was crucified. That's why. Because of the chiding
of the children of Israel. Why would he do that? Because
they tempted the Lord and said, is the Lord among us or not?
Is he? Does Christ love you? Does God
love you? Why? How do you know? There's only one way you can
possibly know. There's nothing you do, because all we do, seem
to do, is chide to you. But here's how we know. If you
keep hearing this blessed story of Christ and Him crucified,
and it still touches you, and it still makes you thirsty and
sorry for your sin, And we still thank you for that blood and
that water which flowed from that. Amen.