Saturday, September 28, 2019

Exodus 17:1-4 They contended with him instead of contending with Him!

1Then the entire congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.”
“Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
3But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”

“Thirst is the more eager appetite, so they are more eager and earnest for water than they were for bread.” (Trapp)

Cole on to kill our livestock with thirst...... “Who but a cattleman would have worried about his stock dying of thirst, if he were already dying of thirst himself? Here speaks the true Israelite farmer.” Get it?

“In Numbers 33:12-14it is said, that when the Israelites came from Sinthey encamped in Dophkah, and next in Alush, after which they came to Rephidim. Here, therefore, two stationsare omitted, probably because nothing of moment took place at either.” (Clarke)

“One of Moses’ most characteristic and praiseworthy traits was that he took his difficulties to the Lord.” (Kaiser)

Kaiser hit the nail on the head! The problem Moses had with the people was they contended with him instead of taking the problem to the Lord!
Said differently but with the same meaning, they contended with him instead of contending with Him!
We fall into the same trap, we take our problems to man instead of God! 
Lift them up to Him and He will direct your ways!

Isaiah 48:17 Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go.

Does He direct you or do you direct yourself?

Blessings, David 

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