Series: Exodus (The God Who Redeems) Sermon: God’s Provision in the Wilderness Speaker: Andrew Tate Scripture: Exodus 15-16 Exodus 15:22-27 ESV 22 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. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 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, 26 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.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. 1. FROM TRIUMPH TO TESTING •God often brings his people out of times of triumph & victory into times of trial & testing.
Exodus 15:25b-26 -God is going to give them very specific instructions: What he’s providing, How much to gather, When to gather it, The sixth day
-The test: Will you follow my instructions precisely? Will you trust me to provide for you each day? Exodus 16:19-20, 26-29
QUOTE: “The instructions concerning the manna both measure their faith in God and train them to trust him more.” -T. Desmond Alexander 2. FROM SINGING TO GRUMBLING Singing (song of Moses): To rejoice, praise the Lord; an expression of gratitude. -15:1-2, 11-13
Grumbling: To murmur, complain; an expression of discontent or dissatisfaction. -15:24, 16:1-12
3. FROM POVERTY TO PROVISION •THIRST. -15:25a, 15:27
•HUNGER. God’s provision was: -Constant -16:8
-Satisfying -16:3
-Sufficient -16:18
-Gracious
-Enduring -16:35
•REST. -16:22-24, 29-30
GOSPEL CONNECTION: Jesus is God’s provision for us in the wilderness! John 6:31-35 ESV 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “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. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 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.
HOW DO WE LIVE IN LIGHT OF THIS? •TESTING. God isn’t trying to fail you, he’s trying to deepen your dependence on him. 1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
•GRUMBLING. Our grumbling is always against the Lord.
-Replace grumbling w/ gratitude.
Philippians 4:4 ESV Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. -Don’t curse the wilderness! The wilderness is the context of our discipleship.
•PROVISION. God has given us all we need in Christ. -He is the Word of God. He is our daily bread. He is our provision. His Word is: Constant, Satisfying, Sufficient, Gracious, Enduring. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 ESV 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
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