THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST: GENESIS AND EXODUS (22)

ISRAEL’S JOURNEY to MOUNT SINAI

Key Passage: Exodus 16:1 – 77

CHAPTER 16	CHAPTER 17	CHAPTER 18
Famine in the Wilderness	Thirst at Rephidim	Exhaustion in Moses’ Office
Israel’s	Complaints	Moses’ Coworkers

OVERVIEW Only days after the miracle of the Red Sea, grumbling and discontent begin to surface among the people on the march. The nation God delivered by faith must now learn to walk by faith, and they have much to learn. Of prime concern is finding sufficient water and food to sustain a caravan of three million people in the desolate wilderness. A month into the journey, when food and water supplies are exhausted, the people cry out anxiously to Moses. Miraculously, God provides manna, quail, and water in abundance to remind them that He is the source of their supply. Even Moses must learn this lesson. Exhausted from attempting to administer the nation single-handedly, Moses follows the advice of his father-in-law and selects assistants to help him with the work.

Jesus is not only the Bread of Life

but also living water.

OUR DAILY WALK Have you found that your blessings are also your biggest problems? The things you thought would bring you the greatest joy are in fact the things that cause you the most headaches. For instance: the new car (which spends more time in the shop than on the road), the long-awaited child (who now has the hose in a state of siege), the unexpected promotion (which produced those equally unexpected ulcers).

Israel learned the hard way that blessings bring responsibility. Daily manna was a wonderful provision from God, but it had to be collected and eaten in a particular way. God’s presence in the pillar of cloud and fire was comforting, but it meant unquestioned obedience. When the pillar moved, Israel moved.

Make a list of some of God’s recent blessings to you, including the ones that seem to give you grief. Next to each, put an obligation that is yours if you enjoy the blessings as God intended.

INSIGHT A Subtle Prophecy

The water from the rock at Rephidim beautifully symbolizes Christ, our life-giver (John 7:37-39). The smitten rock illustrates the death of Christ, resulting in an outpouring of life, through the Holy Spirit, because of accomplished redemption.