Part 6: The Road to Sinai

Meditations in Exodus: 49. Desert & Promised Land

Ex 15:22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur . For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.

And so we move into a new phase in the life of Israel . They have been delivered from Egypt and Pharaoh has been dealt with so he will not come after them again. Now, as we have already seen, Israel are being led by the presence of God in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moves they move, when the cloud stands still, they stand still. It is, if you like, a picture of the life of the Christian being led by the Spirit.

Now the moment we say that, we need to introduce the subject of ‘types' in the Old Testament. Types in the Old Testament mean pictures from the Old Testament history that reveal something of the truths and reality of New Testament experience . R om 15:4 tells us that the Old Testament writing were written for our instruction and encouragement. In the New Testament, we find it constantly refers to the Old Testament and often indicates that the Old Testament showed pictures that speak of things to come in the New. Wherever possible we should look for Types where the Bible expressly indicates one, but sometimes we may assume a Type where it is so clear that one can be considered. So, before we rush on to observe Israel 's journey through the wilderness, it might be helpful to see these ‘types' or analogies in the bigger picture.

Egypt is seen as a picture of the world and of our life before Christ. "World" in Scripture has three different meanings:   i) the planet on which we live,  ii) the people on the earth, iii) the system of godless attitudes held by the majority of people. It is this last meaning that we consider here. Egypt or our unsaved lives is where the people are in slavery, ruled by a tyrant (1:8,9 / 1 Jn5:19) where the people want to be free but are unable to deliver themselves .  

The Desert or the Wilderness is seen as the start of the redeemed life. It is entered through the Passover, a picture of Jesus dying for us. It is a place of learning to trust God and that is what all the immediate studies wil l be about. It is a place where God guides but we have to learn to trust Him to overcome every difficulty. It was supposed to be a limited experience and they were supposed to pass through it and enter the land. We too are called to go on to maturity (see Heb 6:11-14/ Eph 4:13-15) .

The Promised Land is, if you like, the second phase of the Christian life where we now trust God and see that it is a place of receiving our inheritance from Him. It was God's promised inheritance for Israel (see Gal 4:7 / 2 Pet I :4 / Mt 25:34) and it was to be a place of natural abundant provision (see Eph 1:7,18). It was also a place of battles to take the inheritance from the unbelieving, godless, occupiers of the land (see Eph 6:12 ) but the victory was assured for them in accordance with God's promise Josh 1:3-5 (see 1 Cor 15:57 / Rom 8:37 / Rom 16:20 / 1 Cor 15:25) and that was obtained as they obeyed his instructions (see Jn 15:5/ Jn 14:12.15)

Before we leave these particular ‘analogies' can we emphasise the difference between the Wilderness and the Promised Land, for they often confuse Christians. They are both places of learning and obedience and they are both places of God's provision. The Wilderness experience, we will see, takes God's people through a number of trials or testings all to do with daily provision and the key lesson to be learnt is to TRUST this loving God that H e is for us and WILL provide for us everything we need. There are no exams for this and there is no set time for this; it is simply a learning process that we have to go through, and sadly many Christians never seem to leave the wilderness and get to the place of simply RECEIVING all the go od ness of God that He has for us that just has to be taken.

So, w e have been delivered out of the ‘world ' (Egypt) and are transiting to the Promised Land through a world that is not always comfortable. This phase begins, “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur.” (v.22a) The fact that Moses is mentioned as the leader doesn't detract from the fact that it is God leading them as we noted above, but Moses is still simply His figurehead at the head of this people. At first sight this might seem bad news that God (and Moses) is leading this people into the desert on the Sinai Peninsular, a distinctly inhospitable part of the world but there are two reasons for this.

First, as we saw in Study no,45, God did not want them to go due north because that would have meant war with the belligerent Philistines and Israel were not yet ready for war. Second, the desert affords Israel the opportunity to learn many thing about their deliverer. So far they have only seen God as the bringer of judgments; now they need to learn that He is also the provider of their daily needs. He is not just a warrior but a loving father who looks after His children.

So they are led into the desert. What does that remind you of? “ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert ” (Mt 4:1) God's training and, yes, God's victories, are often won in the desert, the dry and arid place, the place where you feel all alone. There is nothing romantic about the desert: “For three days the y traveled in the desert without finding water.” (v. 22b) It is a place of shortages, a place of limitations, a hostile place – but God is still there with us and in that dry, arid, hostile place, He will reveal Himself as our provider, our carer, the One who not only delivered us out of Egypt but the One who will walk every step of this life with us, being there for us all the time.

So if you feel like you are in a desert – you probably are, but it is a place of learning and a place of trusting and a place of God providing. It is also a place where our limitations are revealed, our imperfections shown up and we realise afresh that we are here by God 's grace and mercy, not because of our endeavours, our cleverness, our brightness, but because a lamb was slain for us. Do you feel excited by all the lessons that are about to come? If not, let me reassure you that God IS love and everything He allows in this de sert experience is for your good and for your maturing and for the blessing of His world. Are we ready? Then let us begin.

Meditations in Exodus: 50. Bitterness in the desert – Marah

Ex 15: 23    When they came to Marah , they could not drink its water because it was bitter.

In the previous meditation we noted that, “ Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur . For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.” (v.22) Remember we are talking about possibly over a million people (or two million even) with their flocks and herds. No doubt they had some water with them but as the days pass this must surely be getting used up. They are experiencing a new environment. They had no doubt been in desert conditions before but not as their own masters in control of their own destiny – except they are not that now for it is the Lord who is leading them. That is very significant for if anything appears to be going wrong, He is going to be the focus of their ‘why' questions .

Again, to be fair to them, it is well to remember their only knowl edge of the Lord is what has been passed down through the generations about how He dealt with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That story ended in Egypt and for over four hundred years the story had gone silent. It was only when Moses arrived back after a forty year absence that they hear through him of His encounter with Moses, and then the leaders see the miracle of the staff and the leprous arm. From then on they are observers of the plagues, largely as bystanders. The stories of Moses ' encounters with Pharaoh filter back but mostly, as far as experience goes, they have been bystanders watching God from a distance as He deals with Pharaoh and his people. But now He is ahead of them lead i ng them through the desert and water is running out – and then they come to Marah.

It is thought that Marah was probably a waddi, which is a valley or ravine that is dry except in the rainy season. In other words it was not a natural source but was a collection source; the water ran into it from the surrounding land and hills. Now I am told that in the present day waddi that is believed to be the site of Marah, it is in fact a water collection laced with calcium and magnesium, again possibly washed in the re from the surrounding area and so the high mineral content makes the water almost impossible to drink. Moreover this water has a very high purging or laxative affect so any of the fir s t people arriving and trying it would very shortly be having severe stomach problems – and we'll leave it there for the moment!

As our verse at the top records, “When they came to Marah , they could not drink its water because it was bitter. ” (v.23) They have a problem, and as we noted above, God is their guide and so, “ the people grumble d against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink? ” (v.24) Moses is God's mouthpiece so he is the one to whom they complain. Now, as I said, to be fair to them, they are in a learning situation and all that is going on is about that. What follows is amazing: “ Then Moses cried out to the LORD , and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the wat er, and the water became sweet. ” (v.25 a )

Now whether this is a straight forward miracle or whether something in the wood, it s sap maybe, or maybe the bark, affected the water and suddenly it is clear and sweet to drink. I am less supposed to accept the idea of a natural outworking because this one ‘piece of wood' seems to affect all the water which appears sufficient to meet the needs of all the people and their flocks and herds.

The key words that stand out to me in that verse are “the Lord showed him”. Was there something special about this particular piece of wood or was it just that it was a piece of wood? We don't know but the important understanding is that here naturally was polluted water and the Lord showed Moses a way (possibly miraculously) to cleanse it so that the people could drink. i.e. God provided for them what they needed from the limited natural supply. A fundamental lesson for God 's people. He is a miraculous provider.

Now there are a number of lessons that flow on from this and we 'll consider them more fully in the next meditation. However we might start that exercise by asking ourselves how we cope in such circumstances. How might we have responded if we had been part of Israel at that time. I suspect the truth, if we may dare be honest, is that we too would have grumbled. I say that as a grumbler. I am not very good when things go wrong and God seems at a distance. Yes, I will pray for help, which is a good start but I think my life is a bit like that water – polluted with the ‘ chemicals ' of modern life, like the desire for instant responses. Why doesn't God answer straight away? Or the complaint of ‘why had God let this happen?' I know God tests and trains and is in the process of changing me but although I have known Him over forty years, I still don't find it easy when things go wrong . You may be a highly sanctified individual who copes well when things start going pear - shaped but the majority of us, I am fairly sure , don't do terribly well!

Now this is not to get morbid and guilt-laden, it is simply to recognize our frailty and humanness while at the same time rejoicing in the fact that the Lord loves and understands us as we are. It is not an excuse to sit back and be complacent but it is a cry for honesty which then in turns reveals God's grace even more. The story of these wanderings to Sinai are a story of God's grace as H e patiently seeks to teach these people that not on ly is He there, but He is there for them and when things are too difficult for us, they are never too difficult for Him.

After Sinai, it is different but for the moment, this is Junior School for Israel . I think, looking back, I may often have struggled with the trials but He has never failed me and always been there in them, even if I have only realised it afterwards. That is what this Christian life is about; it 's not that we have arrived, but that we have begun the biggest learning course going. It is all about , initially at least, learning that God IS our provider, but more of that in the next study.

Ah, just one thing to pick up that the most studious will have noticed and wondered about. A piece of wood was thrown into the water and changed it. Two pieces of wood provided the means for the Son of God to die in our place and open the door for our blessing. H e re 's a thought: the Cross is the answer to EVERY difficulty. Jesus' work on the Cross deals with every moral issue and his work on the Cross opens the way up for heaven to bring changes in our lives that otherwise could not happen. Jesus' work on the Cross opens the way for my life to be purified of those ‘chemicals' of modern life I referred to. His work on the Cross opens the way for a supply of living water to be made available to me, clean and pure and sweet. And for you too. Hallelujah.

Meditations in Exodus: 51. The Bigger Lessons of the desert

Ex 15: 2 5b “There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them.”

Our thoughts i n the previous meditation s have been about the picture of ‘wilderness wanderings' and how Israel had been led three days into the desert and when their water was running low they came to Marah where the water was polluted. The Lord led Moses to throw a piece of wood into the water and it was transformed into sweet , drinkable water for all the people. We concluded it with the suggestion that the fundamental lesson for God 's people had been that God is a miraculous provider.

But then we read, “There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. ” (v.25b) In this context a ‘decree' is a divine declaration of order which becomes part of their laws. It follows in the next verse. But note also, “he tested them.” Throughout these wilderness wanderings things are going to go wrong and the Lord is testing His people to see how much they know of Him and how much they trust Him. Spiritual maturity starts with trust but trust only becomes obvious in our responses to adverse circumstances. A test simply reveals the state of knowledge etc.

We need to ponder on this matter of ‘testing'. Satan ‘tempts' in an effort to bring us down. The Lord ‘tests' through ‘trials' to lift us up. The test simply shows us what is lacking, what we need to work on to grow and to mature. Israel are going to go through a number of these ‘trials' or ‘ testings' on their way to Sinai, times when they are going to be challenged on one fundamental issue – do I trust God? Within that are such questions as, do I believe God truly is a God of love (1 Jn 4:8,16), do I believe God is truly ‘for' me (Rom 8: 31), do I believe He is genuinely working for my good in this? (Rom 8:28) And you and I will continue to go through such trials until it is no longer an issue.

I have love-hate feelings about what James said about this: “ Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (Jas 1:2-4) Count it “pure joy” when things get difficult? The human side of me struggles with that! And yet, would I like to be known as a person who persever e s? (Many years ago when I was still a teenager someone described me to a friend , after we had both been on an army cadet course with the Royal Marine Commandos , as ‘someone who looks like he was about to give up all the time but never did '. That has stuck with me and provoked me!) We learn to persevere by going through tough times that seem to drag on and on.

Bu then the decree follows: “He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD , who heals you. ” (v.26) It is of conditional blessing. They will have freedom from the diseases they have seen in Egypt as long as they continue to obey the Lord. If you walk with the Lord in obedience you may know a different experience from that which the rest of the world experiences. If we rejoice over this thought then go to Deut 28 and read, “ All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.” (Deut 28:2) and see the list of things the Lord promises to His people who will be obedient to His ways.

But all this requires faith and faith we have said many times is simply responding positively to what God says. That is another aspect of what is going on here in the desert with Israel : the Lord wants them to learn to be a people of faith, who learn to trust Him and then be obedient to what He says, and of course to the human mind that seems crazy when things seem to be going wrong.

So what is the basic lesson here? It is to turn to the Lord and talk to Him when things seem to be going badly and , as James says immediately after those verses about trials, “ If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (Jas 1:5) Wisdom here is knowing what to do to cope with the problems surrounding us. How many of us, I wonder, go down under difficulties because we simply don't ask God for wisdom – and then believe what we hear and act on it?

Jesus said we would have tribulation in this world (see Jn 16:33 ) but we could learn to handle it ( Acts 14:22 ), and if the opposition is a temptation from the enemy, then r e member, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor 10:13) Satan will whisper to you, “You are alone, no one cares, God doesn't care, give up, ” but the truth is that the Lord IS there , He DOES care , and He IS there for you to give you everything you need to come through this! It may be wisdom, it may be strength , it may be perseverance, it may be a whole load of things covered by that one word, ‘grace'.

The apostle Peter was on this same wavelength when he wrote, “ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ” (1 Pet 6,7) We focus on how bad the world is and how things seem to be going wrong; Peter says get a new perspective, see it all as an opportunity to grow in Christ! He continued, “ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pet 1:8,9) Faith is not ‘seeing' God but believing nevertheless and as we believe so our declarations of the truth as we speak it out in prayer or testimony, blesses the Holy Spirit within us who always rejoices in the truth, and His joy is released in us.

This is what is going on in the desert with Israel but sadly they were slow to learn. May we not be so slow as we travel though the desert that is the modern world in which we live.

Meditations in Exodus: 52. Transient Blessing – Elim

Ex 15: 27 Then they came to Elim , where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

What a contrast. One moment it seems they are in the desert that is dry and barren and for three days there was no sign of water and then when the water came, at a place that became called Marah, the water was polluted. And then we find those incredibly understated words, “Then they came to…” One minute polluted water, the next, abundance of water. What is going on?

Look at the provision here – first of all, twelve springs. Not just one, but twelve. At the previous place we believe it to have been a waddi, a place where water collected but here there are deep underground springs, twelve of them, which speaks of constant supply. Seeing the number twelve we immediately think of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of Jesus. There are lots of other twelves in the Bible but those two alon e suggest completeness in God 's plans or God's will, just the right number. There is an implied suggestion here, therefore, that this is the perfect supply of water for Israel, it is God's perfect gift for them.

But then there are seventy palm trees. Palm trees provide fruit and shelter. The number seventy, some suggest, is brought about by seven which represents perfection (Seven days to a week), and ten representing completeness and God's law (Ten Commandments), and so seventy thus represents perfect order and power of God. These trees thus further suggest for those with eyes to see, God 's perfect provision for His people.

Too much water results in drowning, too little water results in dehydration and even death. The right amount of water is essential for balanced, healthy life. These twelve springs suggest God's perfect provision to enable life to continue. Water is vital for life. Spiritual water is vital for spiritual life. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “ If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. ” (Jn 4:10) A little later in Jerusalem he declared, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” (Jn 7:38,39)

Perhaps one of the greatest prophetic illustrations involving water was Ezekiel's river flowing out of the temple and bringing life wherever it went. (see Ezek 47). Water and life are inextricably linked in Scripture, both materially and spiritually. But life isn't only about the bare basics, the world we have been given provides for all our needs and so food, rest, protection are all elements of life, and these seventy palm trees provide just such things for weary desert travelers.

Before we try to summarise the meaning here, let's note that these are springs of water and not wells or cisterns. Springs are a natural supply but wells and cisterns tend to be the result of hard human work. Well-digging was a vital part of life in those parts in those days – see Gen 26: 15-33. Indeed these pictures were brought together in prophecy by Jeremiah: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. ” (Jer 2:13) God is THE source of life, a ‘spring of living water' and we try to produce substitutes at our o wn peril.

So what have we got here? An abundance of water after a dry time and a time of polluted water. It is as if the Lord says, you may go through dry times, and you may go through difficult times but I WILL bring you through to a place of great abundance of life, of fruitfulness and of rest. It is almost as if the Lord is picking up the spirits of His people after they have been through the dry time and the difficult time. There are such times but they always come to an end and when they do, so often they are followed by an abundance of goodness it seems.

But this ISN'T the Promised Land, it is merely a glimpse of it. Our verse above concludes with, “they camped there near the water” but it was to be a temporary camp, a transient or temporary resting place, a place to recharge the batteries we might say. But we are not to stay there, we need to move on because God will move on and merely because this present moment is full of blessing there is still somewhere to go. He has plans and purposes for us which are greater than that which we have at the present.

In a previous meditation I contrasted desert wanderings with entering the Land using the words trust ing and receiving. As I watch and listen my conclusion is that many if not most churches in the UK, and those I have seen in the U SA and heard of elsewhere in the ‘Western' world have more of a W ilderness experience rather than a Promised L and experience. This is not to be condemnatory but simply to state facts. Churches that ‘organise' their life rather than being led by the Spirit into their ‘life' are still in the desert and although blessings come, they tend to be sporadic like a stop off at Elim.

There is a difference between ‘taking the land' – which is about claiming ownership of it through battle – and walking through the land (desert) which is simply a passing through to get somewhere else. When we are simply ‘passing through' experiences will be transitory and we have testimonies of God's provision (we testify because they are unusual) but when we ‘take the land' we enter into a continuous ongoing experience which is a combination of removing the enemy and receiving the fruit of the land. So, Elim is a blessing but it is only temporary. Israel have to get recharged and then move on. Let's not settle in the desert.

Meditations in Exodus: 53. The Desert of Sin - contrasts

Ex 16 :1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin , which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt .

There is a temptation here to jump to a wrong conclusion and try to make something of the name but the Sin that makes up the bigger name Sin-ai is not the sin we know about. Centuries before, a warlord from the north by the name of Naram-Sin came south to conquer this land. He headed a cult that worshipped the moon-god Sin (pronounced sign). Over the years his descendants continued to worship the moon-god Sin and thus the region along the Gulf of Suez became known as the wilderness of Sin and entire peninsular named Sinai .

The Sinai that is mentioned in verse 2 is likely to be the mountain that they eventually reach where they encounter the Lord. They don't know it yet, but this was the place where Moses had encountered the burning bush and been commissioned , and where Aaron had met Moses (Ex 4:27). It is clear (and Moses would know this) that the Pillar of Cloud is leading them in that direction. Moses might well wonder if the Lord has some purpose behind this that has not yet become clear.

For the purposes of meditation there are some interesting things in this verse 1. First, “The whole Israelite community set out.” Just catch the reality of this, because is it significant in the things that follow. It has been suggested that there may well have been a million or even over two million people – men, women and children – in this group. It is a massive group of people making their way slowly through the desert. So large a crowd was it that they no doubt stretched out over miles of track or dunes.

The point I would make is that the further you were from the front, the less sense you had of being led by this incredible pillar of cloud. It was no doubt sufficiently big that it could be seen from a distance but when you are a distance from the presence of God it is easy to feel that distance and feel separated from His wonder. I think this when every now and then reports come in of the Lord moving powerfully in this area or that area but in my area of the desert all is quiet. The fact is that the Lord does move in different geographical locations and it takes faith to believe what others are experiencing. It is important if you are ‘further back' not to let the enemy sow negatives.

But then we read, “The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai.” Elim was the place of God 's blessing and abundant provision and Sinai was the place of encounter and law-giving (though they don't know that yet). They are part way between these places of provision but this present place is just desert, a desert with a murky history of moon-worship, a place of nothingness. If only the Christian life was a smooth even ride, we might think, but it isn't. The word that describes it is ‘change' and many of us don't like change, but change is the name of the game in the world at large and it is the same in the Christian life. Yesterday may have been a day of abundant blessing but today seems quiet, and so we are left wondering.

If you were Moses you would be anticipating the arrival at Mount Sinai but that is some way off yet. Often we live with anticipation of something we know is coming – we look forward to birthdays, anniversaries, even Christmas perhaps, Thanksgiving, or other memorable and happy times. Because we are post-modern people there is a tendency to be living in an ‘experience-orientated' life and so are either living on the memories of the last big experience (the last holiday perhaps) or in the anticipation of what we see coming. The danger in that is that we miss out on the significance of TODAY.   

Ah, but ‘today' is simply a desert experience for many of us, the same old thing, the same routine but it is never just the same for we live in a fallen world and things go wrong – at work, at school, at home even – and so the desert keeps on. The ‘same old' can give a sense of being dry and arid and one of my biggest concerns to do with local church is that so often we do the same thing week in, week out, and so it becomes routine and we lose any sense of anticipation of God turning up. He may turn up in the place of the news but back home here, it is another thing altogether. Be honest, is your church life more like a desert, does little change, does little happen? The life of the Spirit surely should be full of ‘life' and life brings change in people, change in circumstances; isn't this what our church life should be?

But then we read this was, “the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.” A month has passed, (Passover was the 14th /15th of the first month) they have been traveling for a month and a lot has happened. When you are plodding on through the desert, time drags. Add that to the difficulties of desert life and it is not su r prising when, “ In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.” (v.2)

So here is the crunch lesson: when life feels like a desert, and the last great blessing is some way behind you, and any anticipated f u rther good time is some way ahead, how will we act? Jesus said, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Lk 18:8) H e was, of course, referring to his Second Coming , but it is a valid question for us every day. In this desert will we remain a people of faith or will we become grumblers? Yes, I have previously confessed to naturally being a grumbler but that is the natural side of me and by God's grace I am slowly (very slowly) learning not to grumble in the desert but to praise Him, turn to Him for His daily resources, and look with anticipation to what He might do if I am available.

Don 't let the ‘desert' get to you. His grace IS sufficient, but we do have to pause up and draw on it on a daily basis. If you are feeling dry, is it because you haven't paused today to draw from the springs of living water that are there for you that Jesus spoke about? Don't let the dry feeling continue; His resources ARE there for you right now.

Meditations in Exodus: 54. Complaining about Food

Ex 16:2,3 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD 's hand in Egypt ! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out int o this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

Memory is a strange thing. I often think it is distorted by time , but it is also distorted by present circumstances which make us have memories of what we wished it had been like. Israel are back in the desert and now “the whole community” it seems “grumbled against Moses and Aaron.” The cause of their grumbling was two fold: first, they lack food and, second, they have these memories of better days back in Egypt .

Consider the first of those: they have no food. Pardon? Excuse me! They have large flocks and herds, they have a walking larder, they just don't want to start using them up. But then the memory: they had been slaves, slaves who “sat around pots of meat and ate all the food they wanted ”. A different sort of slavery with abundant provisions from the sort of slavery history usually shows us!

The truth is that they are fearful. They don't know where they are going and how long it will take and they foresee their food resources being depleted and depleted until they are left with none. That hasn't happened yet but it will do if we carry on like this. It is a fear grounded in their uncertainty about God. They haven't realised that all that is happening is to teach them to trust Him.

So the Lord shares with Moses His intentions: “Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days." (v.4,5) Now that is interesting! He doesn't say what the provision will be but He does use again that word ‘test'. There is going to be a testing element to what is going to happen. The Lord seeks to get Israel to trust Him and that trust will be shown by obedience. There are two instructions for Israel here: first, they are to go out daily collecting this provision and, second, on the sixth day of the week they are to collect twice as much as usual with the inference that on the seventh day there would be no provision. Interesting!

Now what is more interesting is the way Moses now teaches Israel: “So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD , because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us? ” (v.6,7) He doesn't start with the news that the Lord will provide food for them, but he confronts them with what they are doing in grumbling against Moses and Aaron is actually grumbling against God. He reiterates this: “Moses also said, "You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling ag ainst us, but against the LORD.” (v.8) Yes, the Lord will provide food for them in such a way that there will be no doubt about where it came from.

To back this up, the Lord (implied) calls for the people to face Him: “Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, `Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.' " While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.” (v.9,10) Moses calls for the people to face God and, bearing in mind it is still daytime, the Lord's fire appears in the pillar of cloud. The Lord reiterates He will provide for the people: “The LORD said to Moses, "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, `At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.' ” (v.11,12)

There is a simple but important lesson in this passage. The Lord takes note of our grumbling and in what follows He shows that He does not want us to grumble and that He will deal with us accordingly. Now I have sought to be honest in the past meditations, confessing I am a grumbler but what I now need to do is tell you that the Lord disciplines me with more of the same thing! There is good news and good news about this. The first bit of good news is that the Lord does understand why we are like we are and He still loves us. The second bit of good news is that He will keep on and on with our training (disciplining) until we come to the point of trusting Him. He doesn't give up. I am sure if it was us in His position we would give up very early on in the game, with comments like, “Oh, for goodness sake, let's give up on this blind bunch, let's go and find some more receptive people and start over again.”

I suspect that most church leaders feel like this at some time or other. God's people really are like sheep sometimes, getting themselves into all kinds of difficulties of belief and behaviour. The temptation after you have been preaching about something for weeks on end and it still seems to be falling on deaf ears, is to want to give up and go and find some more receptive people. The lesson of these passages is that the Lord keeps on with them even though they appear to be slow to learn. The Lord doesn't call us to change people – only He can do that – but to pray, to teach and preach and love and care and leave the rest to Him. Yes, the Lord may discipline His people but unless it is a sin against the community, let's just keep on doing what we are called to do and preach and teach and leave the conviction to Him, until maybe the point will arrive when people come to us and confess they want to talk about their lives because they need our counsel.

This also applies even if we are not a leader. You see slow growing young Christians? Love them, pray for them, be there for them until they feel sufficiently secure in your love that they open their lives to you and you are granted permission to speak into them. I recently saw a quote that wisdom is knowing when to speak and when not to speak. Love them like the Lord loved Israel and wait for your time to speak.

Meditations in Exodus: 55. A Lesson in Obedience

Ex 16 : 13-15 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.

In Numbers 11 there is a further more detailed account of what happened here that reveals the provision of Quail as a semi-judgment on the people but here the emphasis is on the manna and so we will ignore the Quail and focus on that.

The Lord has said He will provide for them and in the morning there appears what appear thin flakes of some unknown food and “The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.” (v.31) You will see from a footnote to this verse that “Manna means ‘what is it?'" hence the link with verse 15.

Now so often when we come to this story we focus on the fact that this was God's provision for Israel in the desert and “The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.” (v.35) This was God's supernatural food for Israel as long as they stayed in the desert. It was supposed to only be a matter of months but it turned out to be forty years. So, it was a sign of His love and provision for His people throughout their time in the desert. When they get to the Promised Land they can eat the fruit of the land but for now in a sandy wilderness, manna is their provision.

So, yes, it is right to focus on the provision aspect of this story but the detail of the account show there is a bigger issue at stake here. We see it when we look at the instructions for collecting this manna, which we have already briefl y noted but which is now spelled out in more detail. So let's turn now and look at the details of the collection of this manna.

First of all Moses explains what it is: “Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.” (v.15) Not literal bread maybe but God's provision that is the equivalent to their staple diet, the basics of what they need to stay alive. He then tells them (FIRST instruction) that they are each to collect it and how much to collect: “This is what the LORD has commanded: `Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each p erson you have in your tent.' ” (v.16) Your footnote will tell you that an omer is about 2 litres or 2 quarts measure. A small bucketful perhaps. Note in passing that each person was to go and collect their own. It was a very personal provision .

But then something strange is recorded: “The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed. ” (v.17,18) They went out and gathered it and when they then came back and measured it, everyone seemed to have the same – sufficient. The apostle Paul quotes this verse (2 Cor 8:15) and appears to imply they simply shared it out and it balanced out. As a community they got what was sufficient.

Then he gives them a SECOND Instruction: “Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning. ” (v.19) This was provision for TODAY and not tomorrow; they were to trust that the Lord would bring it again tomorrow. We are then shown what happened when they didn't do this and tried to provide for tomorrow: “However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. ” (v.20) The lesson is very clear: the provision is for TODAY and only today. It was to be collected early morning because, “Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.” (v.21)

What follows appears to have been the result of a THIRD Instruction: “On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much--two omers for each person--and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.” (v.22) The report of the community leaders appears to have been a confirmation to Moses that the people had obeyed for Moses instructed, “This is what the LORD commanded: `Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it un til morning.' ” (v.23) What was amazing on this sixth day was that, “they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.” (v.24) Then comes the clarification: “Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD . You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any. ” (v.25,26)

So note what we're seen of this manna: i) It came every morning, ii) if they didn't collect it straight away it would melt as the sun got hot, iii) it was provision for that day and if they tried to keep it, it went mouldy, iv) on the sixth day they could collect two days' worth and it would not go off on the second day because, v) on the seventh day none would be provided.

Now we need to return to what we said at the beginning of all this, that there is a bigger issue here; it is of training and obedience and learning to trust. We see this emphasised when some of the people wouldn't stick to the rules: “Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." So the people rested on the seventh day.” (v.27-30)

So we see two sets of disobedience and two ways of correction. Initially some tried to collect two days' worth and it went mouldy and then later in the week some went out to look for more on the Sabbath and received a rebuke. This account is a mixture of divinely supernatural provision and a training course on trust and obedience. The thing is that by the second week of this provision, we can be fairly sure that the people were complying with the rules, if not then certainly by the third week – and forty years later they were still doing it! This is not a one-off provision such as the water at Marah, but this is a daily trusting and obedience for each and every person (adults at least).

What parallels are there with modern day Christian experience? It is still all about provision but that provision, in whatever form it takes, comes through the Holy Spirit. The lesson is still the same – the provision is for today. We see the failure of this so often in church life: we get blessed with one particular way of meeting with God on a Sunday, say, and so assume that that is the way for every week, instead of trusting Him for fresh direction week after week. But that is a bit challenging isn't it, whether it is church services, Bible Studies, prayer meetings or whatever and so often we therefore fail to get the new provision for TODAY.

Meditations in Exodus: 56. More on Water – Complain or Ask?

Ex 17: 1 -2 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"

What a difference just a few words can make! What could Israel have said to Moses? They move on at the Lord's leading: “The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded.” (v.1a) As we have observed before, the Lord is leading this people and so if there is any lack it is down to the Lord, and so now the next lack appears: “They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.” (v.1b) And there was are, back in a testing situation yet again where there is a need. How do they handle it?

“So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink.” (v.2a) Those five words could have been so different if there was a ‘please will you…' in front of them, but their attitude is hostile, hence the word, ‘quarreled'. Moses faces them up with what they are doing: “Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?” (v.2b) It's not me you are having a go at, he says, it's the Lord.

Now what might have been an appropriate response of the people in the light of this situation? Let's be fair, they need water and there is none so there does seem to be a problem, but as we have now noted more than once, they are where they are because the Lord has led them there. Now He has either made a mistake – and they have yet to learn that God doesn't make mistakes – or He has brought them there to destroy them – and they have yet to learn God does not tell lies, because He has not only delivered them from slavery but He has said He has Canaan waiting for them, so He is not going to destroy them now – or He has some other purpose in mind which they have obviously not yet understood. It is obviously the last one that applies and it is, as we've said a number of times, to teach them to trust Him and be obedient to Him. That's how blessings will come in the years to come and so they need to learn that.

Before we rush on we need to check out our own approach to these things. I have already confessed to being a grumbler – that is so often my first response – but I am learning to pause up and check out what is going on. Be honest, when things start going wrong, what is our response, how do we handle it. Illness strikes, redundancy occurs, we have a break-in, somebody runs into our car, and so on. Life can have its difficult moments. When those moments arise, what is our immediate response?

Now I suspect most would now respond, “Pray!” which is a truly spiritual answer, especially when we have just read such a passage as this, but I want us to be honest and honesty compels me to acknowledge that so often I don't identify what is happening as ‘one of life's little problems' until a little time at least has passed. I don't know what it is, but it takes a while for me to think, “Ah, this is a difficulty where I need the Lord's help”. It may be because so often my first response to such a situation is, “What can I do about this to sort it out?” Now, please, this is not a wrong response because we are called to take responsibility for our own lives and so, yes, we maybe do need to take action ourselves, but sometimes ‘the thing' is beyond us, or for us to handle it well, we really do need His grace. It is only as that fact dawns on me that I then pray and ask for His help.

But Israel haven't realised they need God's help, they just blame Moses and basically say, “Get us out of this!” But he can't, it is God who is leading and God who knows where there is water. As it happens it is under a rock just not far off where they are standing, but the people don't know that and they have a hostile outlook, maybe generated by fear, but whatever generates it, they are hostile: “But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring u s up out of Egypt to make us and our childre n and livestock die of thirst? ” (v.3) Trouble!

Now Moses has started to learn what to do in such situations: “Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” (v.4) The right approach of the people would have been to go to Moses and say, “Moses, we seem to be running out of water again. Would you speak to the Lord again please and ask Him what He wants to happen. Does He want us to do something or does He want to do something.” That should be our approach, as well, to our difficulties: “Lord, please will you help. Please will you give me your grace to handle this, or will you please deal with it yourself. ”

The Lord always has the right answer and so He instructs Moses: “The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.” (v.5,6) Now wasn't that easy! Well no, actually it was a miracle. He was told where to go and then what to do, and the water pours forth. End of problem!

Now if we had been standing in the desert with Moses wondering how to resolve this problem I am sure we would never have guessed that way out! This is the thing about God's wisdom, when you are facing the difficult situation, you may stand there and think, “What would Jesus do?” or whatever is the current bracelet tag reminder, but actually you can think and think and think and you will still be clueless – until God speaks and tells you the answer. Sometimes you will say, “Well that is obvious, why didn't I think of that?” but other times it takes faith to respond to what you hear because it seems a bit far out. The lesson? God knows, ask Him! Then be obedient. It's called trust and then faith.

Meditations in Exodus: 57. Learning to Fight

Ex 17: 8   The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

Now so far in Israel 's travels away from Egypt towards Sinai we have seen them struggling with shortages of water and food and have suggested that throughout this time what is going on is the Lord teaching them to learn to trust Him. So far all the ‘difficulties' arose in the minds of the Israelites and resulted in them grumbling and complaining. Now we have something completely different.

We need to hold the big picture – that Israel are being taught things in the desert by God while He is taking them to Sinai. We noted much earlier that He had instructed Moses not to go by the short route to Canaan because that would have mean conflict with the powerful Philistines, but now we find another group forcing themselves on Israel.

The group in question is the Amalekites. Now Gen 36:12 tells us that Amalek was a grandchild of Esau, Jacob's brother. Esau of course had always felt that Jacob had robbed him of his birthright and that hostility seems to have come down the family and is now seen in the people called the Amalekites, cave dwellers. Many years later just before they entered the land, Moses had spoken of this time: “ Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind.” (Deut 25:17,18) That gives us an interesting insight into their tactics. Israel were weary having been walking through the desert of the Sinai Peninsular for over a month and the elderly (inferred) and the weak were lagging behind when these desert dwellers came and attacked them and took advantage of their weakness and vulnerability.

Now we must assume that what Moses said in Deuteronomy was purely the start of the conflict with the Amalekites who dashed in, picked off the weak at the end of the crowd and dashed back into the hills. Their presence suggested that this could be an ongoing irritation and so Moses starts to make preparations to meet them when they come the next day: “Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” (v.9) So the strategy for dealing with this enemy attack was for Joshua to take “some of our men” to go out and meet and fight the Amalekites. Some of the men recognizes that only strong and capable men need go, so that women, children and the elderly can remain in the camp.

Now there doesn't seem any instruction from the Lord to Moses in this situation and Moses, almost instinctively it seems, remembers what he did in Egypt and how he held out the staff of God's authority and God acted. So that is what he is going to do here in this situation tomorrow.

“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ” (v.10,11) This is intriguing. As long as he held up the staff Joshua prevailed but when he lowered his tired arms, the Amalekites prevailed. So how did they deal with this? “When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands rem ained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. ” (v.12,13)

Now why did it work like this? Surely the Lord could have dealt with the Amalekites Himself and surely it wouldn't have to depend on Moses holding up the staff? Two things: first, the Lord clearly wants the Israelites to learn how to defend themselves and so He doesn't intervene and deal with the enemy Himself. Second, the picture of the staff being held out is to convey a message – Moses has the authority and as long as he continues to exercise it, they will prevail over their enemies, but he must continue to exercise it and in that it will be recognized it is God 's authority and it has effect.

Now I have only ever heard preachers speaking about Moses' activity being one of prayer, but there is no reference to prayer in this passage. Whenever Moses held up his staff in Egypt, it was an act instructed by the Lord and it opened the door for the Lord to act. So, yes, prayer is the obvious conclusion or application if you like but actually it is more about recognising authority.

When David came against Goliath (1 Sam 17) his big emphasis was on his relationship with the Lord. When Moses held up the staff he didn't pray but simply held up the staff as an act of obedience and as a sign of his relationship with the Lord. So yes we can pray and that is the obvious way to express this authority but it is not a prayer so much of petition as of authority, declaring the truth of who they were.

In Acts when the early church prayed after persecution (see Acts 4:24-30) they first of all declared the Lord's greatness (v.24) and how His sovereign will had been carried out (v.25-28). It was only then did they ask for the Lord to intervene and equip them (v.29,30). They lined themselves up with the will of God so they knew they had the authority to ask for action from heaven – and they got it!

So, yes, it is about prayer but it is more about knowing who our God is, who we are and therefore knowing the authority we have to stand against the enemy and ‘stand' here often means ‘resist'. In the spiritual warfare verses of Eph 6 the apostle Paul said, “ our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms .” (Eph 6:12) and when he instructs us to put on our armour it is that “you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Eph 6:13b) Jesus has bought us an inheritance through his work on the Cross and so when the enemy tries to challenge us and ‘pick us off', we are to resist and stand against him as we pray and we declare the truth.

These Amalekites would be a thorn in Israel's side again and again, because they are living out their history as the rejected side of the family (rejected by God because He knew what Esau and his subsequent family would be like), and so the Lord warns Moses about them and their future: “Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memo ry of Amalek from under heaven.” (v.14) To make a prophetic statement about this, a ‘mark in the sand' if you like, “Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD . The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation." (v.15,16) i.e. let's make sure we don't forget this. Let's create a memory to help us, It is good to create memories to anchor truths in our lives.  

Meditations in Exodus: 58. Reunion and Testimony

Ex 18 : 5 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God .

There is something about the travels and activity of Israel that I have noted a number of times before and it is that the news about them travelled far and wide and a whole variety of people and nations heard what they had been doing and what the Lord had done through them. Thus we start out this new chapter by being told, “Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israe , and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.” (v.1) Right back in study no.6 I described where Midian was: to the east of Egypt is the Sinai Peninsular and to the east of that, the other side of the Gulf of Arabia is Arabia, the western side of which is Midian. And that is where Jethro lived and the word of Israel escaping from Egypt had gone along the travel routes until he heard it. So amazing had this been that Jethro decided he would go and meet Moses with Israel at Mount Sinai.

As an aside we are told something of Moses' family life: “After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, "I have become an a lien in a foreign land"; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, "My father's God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh. ” (v.2-4) We first heard mention of them when Moses first went to Midian: “Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land.” (Ex 2: 21,22)

There is no account of the birth of the second son of Moses but when it came time for Moses to return to Egypt we read that he took his wife and sons (Ex 4:20). The second son's name seems to refer to Moses' deliverance from Pharaoh after his original departure from Egypt. The family had started out back to Egypt with Moses but at some point, however, Moses clearly sent back Zipporah with her two boys to be looked after by Jethro – perhaps when Aaron met him at Mount Sinai (Ex 4:27) and maybe told him about the harsh conditions under which Israel lived back in Egypt – and now Jethro is coming to Moses, he brings them to him.

Are the details important? Not really but they are fascinating because they hint at the personal side of Moses' life and the ability they had to travel even long distances, possibly with camel trains of Bedouin traders across the Sinai and Arabia. Thus we now read, “Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.” (v.5,6) How fascinating is that. Somehow Jethro got a message to Moses, watch out for me, I'm coming with the family.

Why fascinating? Because it indicates that messages could be sent and they traveled much faster than Moses and his people could travel. When word comes to Moses that his father-in-law was just arriving with his family, “Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.” (v.7) Moses respectfully honours the old man and bows before him and then rises and kisses him as was the custom of greeting. He takes the old man into his tent so they can talk together. (No doubt he also greeted his wife and boys but the emphasis is on Jethro and the role he is about to play.)

So as the two men share together, “Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel 's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had s aved them.” (v.8) It is an amazing story and so as Moses tells it, “ Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.” (v.9) The testimony is very powerful and Jethro was moved by it, indeed, “He said, "Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” (v.10,11) Remember this old man had been a priest in Midian, a priest who presumably had ‘other gods' but now he hears this testimony he is convinced that the one Moses had told him about after the burning bush incident and when he asked Jethro to let him return to Egypt (Ex 4:18), was indeed ‘the I AM' the one unique God, Creator of the world. The testimony has convinced him. That was what the ongoing testimony of Israel was supposed to do.

Now the sacrificial law has not been conveyed yet but we find, “Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.” (v.12) It seemed natural to the old man to bring an offeri  ng to the Lord. He is indeed a godly old man.

In this story, as we have noted already, we see the mobility of the people of the desert lands, able to travel around and able to send messages. A lot more went on than we usually comprehend. When it comes to Moses and Jethro's response to him, we see yet again the value of testimony. Never under-estimate the   power of your testimony. Some people may deride it, but others may be deeply moved by it. As we see in the gospels in respect of the way people responded to Jesus, it is all about the state of a person's heart. Your testimony may be just the thing someone is waiting to hear.

Meditations in Exodus: 59. Practical Wisdom

Ex 18: 13,14 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from mornin g till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

Even great people need help and direction. Moses has been leading this embryonic nation and with so many people there will always be upsets and disagreements and so when these occurred they brought them to Moses who appears to hold a daily clinic whereby the people could come and vent their griefs and as a judge he would make a decision for them.

Now Jethro sees this happening and challenges him as to why he is doing this alone. “Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws.” (v.15,16) It is very obvious to him. He is their leader and if the people want to know God's will, he is the obvious one to impart it. We don't know how long he had been doing this but he has settled into this way of doing things. “ Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” (v.17,18) Today we might say, ‘Moses, this is crazy, this is much to big a job for just one person and the people will get exhausted waiting around in the heat for you to work your way through the queue. Not good!'

It's all very well to diagnose a problem, but how do you deal with it? That is where wisdom comes in – the knowledge of how to act. Jethro continues: “Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. (i) You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. (ii) Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. (iii) But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. (iv) Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but (v) have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied. ” (v.19-23)

Now look at the various elements to this wisdom: I have inserted numbers into the texts to show it. First, if it a matter of dispute with God, you are his representative and you are to answer for Him. Second, they need laws to follow. In this he is being prophetic because very shortly the Lord is going to give them laws. Third, you need to establish a judiciary, good men who can act at different levels within the community. Fourth, these men can then act as judges for the people. Fifth, difficult cases, and only the difficult cases, can then be dealt with by you. Note also his closing words – “If… God so commands.” If Moses senses this is indeed the Lord's will and the Lord subsequently gives them laws, this will take the strain off Moses and yet provide a judicial system that can be managed.

This is not unlike the judicial system in the UK. The minor cases are dealt with by magistrates, lay people with a little training. More serious cases are dealt with by junior judges and then the most serious cases handled by the more senior judges. That is a slight over-simplification because there is also a division between civil and criminal cases.

Moses liked what he heard and so did exactly as Jethro has said (v.24-26) and then shortly afterwards Jethro returned home (v.27 ). This may seem a minor incident from our point of view but this was the first structuring of the nation to administer law and order and in that respect it was a major change to the community. It needed someone to come in from outside to see the problem and suggest an answer. You might have expected Moses, this great man of God to have had the wisdom to do this himself but he seems to have adopted a ‘saviour mentality' that many leaders adopt – I must be the answer to everyone's problems. No, that's not how the Lord wants it.

The early church had to learn this, that administrative matters within the church community needed to be dealt with by ‘deacons', (see Acts 6) men and women, filled with the Spirit, and with servant hearts who could lift the administrative load off the apostles so they could focus on the spiritual matters of the church without being distracted or weighed down. This passage warns us not to try to be all things to all people. The teaching of the New Testament is that God gifts us each differently and we are all needed to be part of ‘the body of Christ' with no one person carrying all the load. It may be our insecurity or it may be our pride that leads us to be the ‘one-man ministry'. We need to resist both things and if we are in a leadership role, train up and release others to share the load. If we are part of the ‘others' then we need to be available to God and to our leaders to be there to use and express the gifts that God has given us to bless the church. May it be so.

Meditations in Exodus: 60. Arrival & Encounter

Ex 19: 1,2 In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt --on the very day--they came to the Desert of Sinai . After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sin ai , and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

Modern interpreters prefer ‘third full moon' to third month and the suggestion is that it took them something like seven weeks to get there from the time of leaving Egypt. This is one of those times that you wish there had been more detail given. Does the fact that they are confronted by a mountain make Israel have any feeling that they have ‘arrived'? Did the pillar of cloud go up on the mountainside? Was that what made Moses go up for we read, “Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain” (v.3a) The important thing, as far as what had been happening over the past seven weeks, was that Moses left Israel behind. They camped out and presumably put up their tents at the base of the mountain while Moses went off mountain climbing.

Perhaps it was a case of Moses going up on the mountain to find the place where he had previously encountered the burning bush and first met with God. Presumably when he saw the cloud was leading them to the mountain – which he recognized – he guessed that this was to be another time of encounter with the Lord.

If this is true then his expectations were fulfilled because somewhere up there the Lord spoke to him: “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: `You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you a re to speak to the Israelites.” (v.4-6) Previously the Lord has simply told Moses that He would give them the Promised Land. Now He makes a more personal declaration in respect of Israel, so let's note what He says.

First he tells Moses to pass this on to Israel. This we might take for granted but actually it is not merely for Moses, it is for the whole people. They are to hear this from Moses and take it in and understand it in some measure at least. Second, they are to be reminded of all the Lord has done for them, delivering them from Egypt. This comes up again and again, this reminder of what the Lord has done for this people, because it is that which forms the core of their relationship with Him. He saved them and that is why they exist today. It is that simple and that profound. Third, their future is to be based on a covenant or agreement. Their part will be to obey God fully. It is that simple and that profound. Fourth, if they will do that, He will consider them His treasured possession (a possession of immense value) and will make them ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation'.

Now that description bears some more thinking. The role of a priest is to bring people to God, to be the intermediary for the people. Israel's role is to bring the world to God. As Isaiah put it, they were to be a light to the nations: “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isa 49:6). Indeed he went on to say, “Nations will come to your light,” (60:3) and “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory.” (62:2) It can be argued that the first of those three references applied to the Messiah, but is seems, taking other references as well, that it also applied to Israel as a people.

Now this is integrated with the second thing He said of them, that He would make them a ‘holy nation'. Now the word ‘holy' is often misunderstood. First and foremost it is a characteristic of God and something, someone or some place is designated holy ONLY because His presence is there. But in respect of God it means utterly different, pure, complete, utterly good, love, all of these things go to make up the full meaning of the word ‘holy'. Don't just see it in a moral way, although there is a moral dimension to it, but sum it up by ‘utterly different'. That is what this nation, Israel were to be, BECAUSE God was with them.

Today every Christian IS holy because the Holy Spirit indwells them. That is our state when we are born again of the Spirit. Sanctification is about the process that is lifelong, whereby the outer me is being changed into the likeness of the inner One who indwells me. So this nation was to be utterly different from any other nation on the planet and because of that they were to reveal the Lord to the rest of the world.

The apostle Peter declared to the Church at large, “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.” (1Pet 2:9,10) Observing the history of Israel throughout the Old Testament, I would suggest that the Sin which inhabits every human being blinded them to the reality of the wonder of this and although they were this sort of nation on occasion, mostly they failed to live up to it.

The challenge must be, will we be this utterly different people today who will reveal the Lord to the world around us, not a prissy, self-righteous difference, but a difference that reveals the love and utter goodness of the Lord in us? Observing how in the West at least, the trends of society are towards godless self-centredness, one must conclude we are not doing very well so far. A challenge to pray, to think and then to do – in ways that we have not known or done so far!