March 2, 2025
Exodus 17:1-7
“From Complaint to Confidence”
Service Overview: Once again, the Israelites grumble in their thirst, doubting God’s presence and Moses His mouthpiece. Yet, God responds with grace, providing water from a rock. Through this, we see once again how God meets the needs of his people, the dangers of testing His faithfulness, and are ultimately drawn to reflect on and trust in the true Rock, Christ Jesus.
Memory Verse for the Week:
But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:14)
Background & Technical Insights:
- This section of Exodus describes two separate incidents that arise during the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai. Both reflect the challenge of journeying through a hostile environment that lacks easily accessible supplies of food and water and provides opportunities for ruthless raiders to enrich themselves by attacking vulnerable travelers. Once again the Israelites’ reliance on God is tested. In challenging circumstances the people need to learn that God is always with them. Through these incidents God continues to train the Israelites, preparing them for their future settlement in the land of Canaan. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 142)
- This was now the fourth time that God’s people were guilty of grumbling (see Ex. 14:11, 12; 15:24; 16:2). Once again they found fault with Moses. They “quarreled” with him, a strong word suggesting that they had reached a new level of hostility. They were striving against Moses, revolting against his authority. Imperiously they demanded the prophet to provide water. Then they charged him — not for the first time (or the last) — with attempted homicide: “But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?’” (Exod. 17:3). (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 448)
- When they arrived in Rephidim, in the wilderness of Sinai, they again found themselves without water. They had failed this test once before, so God had to test them again. He had proved that He was able to provide water and food for them, so why were they quarreling with Moses? Because their hearts were still in Egypt! They were guilty of ingratitude and unbelief, wanting to go back to the old life, and as a result, they again failed to pass the test. (Warren Wiersbe, Exodus, 104)
- Both Massah and Meribah are legal terms. Massah means “to test.” Meribah means “to strive, to argue, to dispute, or to contend.” It is a participle derived from the Hebrew word rib, the technical term for a covenant lawsuit. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 451)
In what ways did Israel fail their test in the wilderness?
- They demanded God’s provision.
(v. 2 | Num. 14:22; Deut. 6:16; Psalm 78:18; 106:14; Matthew 4:7; 1 Corinthians 10:9)
They were telling God that he had to give them what they wanted or else there was no telling what they might do. In our rebellion we often do the same thing. We insist on having our own way. When God does not do for us what we think he ought to do, in the way we think he ought to do it, we complain about it. At home, at work, and in the church, we demand God’s provision on our own terms. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 449)
- They questioned God’s protection.
(v. 3 | Deut. 29:29; Job 38:2-3; 40:2; Ecc. 5:2; Is. 45:9; 55:8-9; Hab. 2:20; Romans 9:20)
[God] knew there was no water there, and yet He directed them to this very place! Well for us to remember this. Ofttimes when we reach some particularly hard place, when the streams of creature-comfort are dried up, we blame ourselves, our friends, our brethren, or the Devil perhaps. But the first thing to realize in every circumstance and situation where faith is tested, is, that the Lord Himself has brought us there! If this be apprehended, it will not be so difficult for us to trust Him to sustain us while we remain there. (Arthur Pink, Gleanings in Exodus, Location 4529)
- They doubted God’s presence.
(v. 7 | Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)
In fewer than six months the Israelites have witnessed ten plagues, the pillar of cloud and fire, the opening and shutting of the Red Sea, the miraculous sweetening of the water, and the sending of food and meat from heaven; yet their real question came down to this: “Is the LORD among us or not?” (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Exodus, Location 5251)
- They put God on trial for their troubles.
(v. 2, 7 | Job 40:2; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Isaiah 45:9; Romans 9:20; James 1:13)
How can we tell that Israel was bringing God to trial? First, because twice this episode is called a “test” (Exod. 17:2, 7), meaning a trial by ordeal. As Moses later reminded God’s people, “You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah” (Deut. 33:8). The Hebrew word used in these verses (rib) is the term for a covenant lawsuit. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 450)
‘Testing’ God involves putting him on probation, withholding trust pending evidence. For the Israelites it meant doubting whether he who had proved sufficient in the past was still sufficient now that things had taken a different turn (17:2–3). (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 173)
Conclusion… How can we pass the test Israel failed?
- Realize that all grumbling, yes, even yours, is toxic.
(Lamentations 3:37-38; 1 Corinthians 10:10; Philippians 2:14-15; James 5:9; Jude 1:16)
[Grumbling is] toxic for two reasons: First, grumbling grows because it spreads to others. It’s infectious. Think how those grumbling conversations unfold. We spread discontent. We reinforce one another’s grumbles. This is why it’s so important to cut it off at the root. … None of us are immune to the contagion—someone else’s grumbling gives us all the excuse our hearts need to indulge in it ourselves. … Second, grumbling grows because it hardens our hearts. Grumbling presumes to put God to the test. It scrutinizes God. It questions his goodness. We become the judge and God is in the dock. Grumbling puts God on trial and finds him guilty. “He has failed to deliver the life I want … I deserve more than this … I need better than this.” Think about that for a moment. When you grumble, you are judging God. Is that really what you want to be doing? (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 120)
Every difficulty God permits us to encounter will become either a test that can make us better or a temptation that can make us worse, and it’s our own attitude that determines which it will be. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 104)
- Trust in God’s providence for your needs.
(Ps. 23:1; Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 6:31-33; Luke 12:24; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:19)
God’s people tempt or test their Lord when they distrust his kindness and providential care of them and grumble against him and/or his leaders…according to 16:8b, rebellion against God’s leader is the same thing as rebellion against God! To hold Moses responsible for the exodus and all that has occurred since is equal to a denial of the work of God, who is the real leader in the exodus and all that has transpired (16:6-8). (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Exodus, Location 5222)
All our dissatisfaction shows that we are disappointed with God. To put it another way, all our complaints go straight to the top, where God rules the universe by his sovereign power. Whatever the reason for our discontent, what it really shows is that we are not satisfied with what God has given us. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 448)
- Remember what God has done for you in Christ.
(Psalm 77:11-12; Psalm 103:2-5; Lamentations 3:21-23; Romans 6:11; Ephesians 2:12-13; Colossians 3:1-2; Hebrews 12:3)
One obvious remedy to our own discontent and unbelief is to remember what God has done for us in Christ. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 100)
The cross is the measure of his generosity. Jesus has given everything for us. He left heaven for us. He knew hunger and thirst so we could be satisfied. He sweated blood in Gethsemane for us. He was betrayed, mocked, beaten and ultimately crucified. This is how generous he is. He gave up his life for his people. Do we really think the One who gave everything he had for us would not give everything we need to us? (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 124)
Gospel Connection…
Jesus is the rock of our salvation who was struck on our behalf, from whom the water of life flows.
(Deut. 32:4; Is. 53:4-5; John 4:14; 7:37-39; Rom. 5:9; 1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Peter 2:4-6; Rev. 21:6)
In 1 Corinthians 10:4 Paul says, “For [the Israelites] drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ”. What happened at Massah was a picture of, and a pointer to, the cross. At the cross, the great court case between God and humanity came to its climax. On one side was guilty humanity deserving condemnation. On the other side was the perfect, sinless Son of God, Christ the Rock. And God the Father said, “Strike the rock”. The rod of his judgment fell on Jesus. Jesus is both the Bread who satisfies our needs and the Rock who bears our judgment. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 127)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- Why do you think Israel struggled to trust God’s provision, despite all He had done for them?
- When do you grumble, and why? What does it say about your view of, and faith in, God?
- How does grumbling affect our relationship with God and with others? Why do you think the Bible warns against it so strongly?
- In what way are grumbling and anxiety symptoms of ingratitude and weak faith? How did God respond to the grumbling and anxiety of Israel?
- Can you think of a time in your life when God was faithful to you even though you questioned Him and grumbled against Him?
Quotes to note…
The path of faith is a path of trial. Those who are led by God must expect to encounter that which is displeasing to the flesh, and also a constant and real testing of faith itself. God’s design is to wean us from everything down here, to bring us to the place where we have no reliance upon material and human resources, to cast us completely upon Himself. (Arthur Pink, Gleanings in Exodus, Location 4518)
People often claim the right to reach their own verdict about God. They demand some answers before they will even think about becoming Christians. Some of the questions are legitimate, such as “If God is good, then why does he allow evil?” or “If God is love, then why did he come up with such a narrow way of salvation?” It is not wrong to ask, but our motivation for asking makes all the difference. Are we asking from a genuine desire to know God, or are we raising objections that are really based on a refusal to believe in him? God loves to answer the questions of an honest seeker, but for those who expect God to meet their demands, his ways will forever remain a mystery. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Exodus, 452)
Here it is Israel putting God to the test. The story clearly implies that this was something wrong and inappropriate for them to do, which means that it was not just an innocent desire to prove God’s faithfulness in experience. Rather, it was “seeking a way in which God can be coerced to act or show himself. It is to set God up, to try to force God’s hand. . . . It is to make one’s belief in God contingent upon such a demonstration. (Christopher J.H. Wright, Exodus, 310)
Moses was in a position of divinely-appointed spiritual authority. He had led Israel to Rephidim not because he knew where the water was, but because that is where God told him to go. Therefore, the people could not reject him without also rebelling against God. What they were really doing was putting God to the test. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 448)
[God] uses the difficult experiences of life to strengthen our faith and mature our character. But Israel’s faith in God was very weak, for they thought their God had led them to a place where He couldn’t care for them! The trouble with the Israelites was that they had hard hearts that wouldn’t submit to the Lord, so they rebelled against His will. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 106)
The people are quick to blame Moses for the absence of water. Once again they accuse him of leading them out of Egypt in order to bring about their death (cf. 16:3). The Hebrew term rib (NIV: “quarreled”), used to describe their accusation, implies that Moses has intentionally sought to harm them and so must bear full responsibility. Moses obviously considers his life under threat (cf. 17:4). (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 143)
When God ‘tests’ us, however, it is a different matter. He does so by bringing us into situations which call for trust and the endurance and obedience that prove our trust is real, so that, by the exercise of faith in the face of new challenges, our trust in him can develop and mature until we come to see that everything that happens to us is under divine supervision and is brimful of divine purposes for good. (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 173)