Session 6

October 12, 2008

God’s Presence and Glory: Exodus

Water in the Desert

Scripture Focus:

Exodus 16:1-12; 17:1-7

The Word to Live By:

Exodus 15:13

Session Truth:

God graciously provides all that we need.

Session in Context

The Israelites trekked over some rough places after leaving Egypt. Along the journey, they witnessed incredible miracles by the power of God through the hands of Moses. These included:

Leaving captivity for freedom through the divided Red Sea.

Watching in awe as Pharaoh’s army was engulfed by the sea.

Having a cool drink at Marah after three days without water.

Leaving Marah, the terrain became tortuous, making walking difficult through the sand and along stony, narrow paths. Stopping at the Oasis of Elim, they relaxed under 70 shady palm trees and drank from 12 springs of water. But God summoned them to move on. Their journey home had just begun. From Elim, they moved toward their next destination, the Wilderness of Sin. This barren, hostile environment of sand and stone became a true testing ground of faith. The tortuous terrain made it challenging for those with strong bodies, but it became a difficult struggle for all the rest. Still, God would lead them all the way to the Promised Land.

Session Goals:

To acknowledge that God loves and cares for His people even when we are less than appreciative of His blessings.

To remember that in our complaining, God is still listening.

To affirm that God redeems trouble and adversity by the formation of character.

To recognize how important it is for us to tell of God’s past acts of love, caring, and provision.

WHY YOUR ADULTS NEED THIS SESSION

Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address contains the words “with malice toward none.” They were spoken with the Confederacy in mind. Even though the North and South were at war, Abraham Lincoln looked beyond the conflict to reconciliation. It was Mr. Lincoln’s character that captured attention and respect.
But President Lincoln’s strength of character did not simply appear overnight. From childhood, his character was forged amid adversity.

Today we study a man who also led under difficult circumstances, whose character was forged on the anvil of adversity. Seldom has anyone been asked to lead under circumstances as difficult as those he faced. The character for which Moses is famous emerged as he faced one crisis after another, and not in the absence of adversity. Moses can teach us how to convert trouble and adversity into the building blocks of character.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ESSENTIALS

Scripture Memorization

Jesus once told a group of self-professed Bible scholars, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). Who were these ignorant, powerless people? They were Sadducees, religious conservatives who prided themselves in their understanding of the Mosaic Law. Yet, Jesus said their knowledge was ignorance. What a terrible indictment! May it not be said of us.

Unit Action Goals are provided on pages 3 and 69 to help us translate principles of the Scriptures into holy living.

The Adult Bible Memory Program on the inside back cover of the student book will help us commit key verses to memory.

Scripture Memory Cards are provided to facilitate memorization. Download the memory verses at <mastertoolkit.com>. Copy and cut out the cards for distribution.

A Poster of this week’s Word to Live By, Exodus 15:13a, is available for use this Sunday.

Scripture Exposition

Introduction: On the Road for One Month and Grumbling

Any parent traveling with young children knows the phrases, “Are we there yet?” or “How much longer?” How about, “I’m getting tired; I’m getting bored!” Modern parents call this “whining.” God called it “murmuring,” as the children of Israel began to complain after traveling through the desert for a month. Whining has a general sense of childish complaining. “Murmuring” is not always distinctly audible, is continuous, and is something that happens in groups. Murmuring and grumbling are contagious. Given the size of the Israelite community, the sound of muttering must have sprung up daily throughout the camp.

The children of Israel were hungry and thirsty. Apparently, what food and rations they had brought with them from Egypt were depleted. In the desert, water was scarce. When hungry and thirsty, memories from the past started to spring up. Certainly, they claim, they were “full” of bread in Egypt and wondered why they left. Oddly enough, they said they would have preferred to die by the hand of the Lord in Egypt than here in the wilderness. No one seemed to mention dying at the hand of Pharaoh; at least Scripture does not report it.

Why this curious attribution to the Lord about dying in Egypt? The Israelites believed it was Moses and Aaron’s fault they seemed to be stranded here without food and water. They succumbed to the temptation to believe that their deliverance was Moses’ doing and, therefore, he was at fault now. Blaming God was not as convenient as blaming God’s spokesperson. They had seen the miracles that God did in Egypt and through the waters. Yet, they were recent slaves, and the temptation was great to blame the immediate person responsible for their woes.

God Meets Every Need of His Children (Exodus 16:4-9)

The great need for food and water was understandable, but they had already forgotten that God’s timing was, and is, perfect. Once again, God used His power miraculously to feed and water both humans and animals. God cared for His people, as was said of Christ, the Son of God, in Matthew 9: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were . . . like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 36).

The Book of Exodus noted that bread will literally “rain” from heaven for the hungry children of Israel, and the bread will be enough for all, every single day. This food was not natural bread of the desert; it was bread from heaven itself. They were to gather one day’s portion every day. This command determined if the Israelites would obey God’s word to them or not. God’s word was connected with their worship and remembrance of their Egypt deliverance because on the sixth day, they were to gather twice as much as they collected daily. They would have plenty then for the Sabbath. No manna appeared on the Sabbath because that is the day when God rests and the people should rest. How unlike their slavery days this must have been.

Before the children of Israel left Egypt, God commanded that their praises and thanksgiving must remember their deliverance in specific worship practices. Now the collection of bread was also connected with Sabbath remembrance. Centuries later, God’s children would pray in daily devotion and Sunday worship, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11; see Luke 11:3), in remembrance and promise that God can be trusted to give us what we need.

Moreover, news of this daily food was given to Moses to tell the people, not so much to free Moses from the people’s blame, but to show that God has confidence in Moses. What God believes about Moses was what mattered. That God gave daily manna (bread) was the sign that it was not Moses and Aaron, his brother, who gave, but God was the giver and actor in their continued deliverance.

Moses was indeed aware that the Israelites were murmuring against him and also against the Lord. Twice, Moses asked, “Who are we, that you should grumble against us [himself and Aaron]?” (Exodus 16:7; see also v. 8). Moses, from the burning bush forward, had accepted his role, however reluctantly and humbly, as God’s true servant. Thus, with this confidence, he boldly announced to the Israelites that “in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your murmurings against him” (v. 7). Aaron then assembled the Israelites together. They would know again the miraculous acts of Almighty God.
God Is Present, Even in the Wilderness (Exodus 16:10-12)

What a photograph this scene with Aaron, Moses, and the whole congregation of the children would make! All were looking toward the wilderness when suddenly the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The wilderness was a place of total vulnerability. It was also the place for testing the seriousness of Israel’s faith. The wilderness, without life-support systems of food and water, would be the arena for God’s presence and promise for Israel.

God spoke to Moses with the good news that in the evening there would be meat to eat (quail), and in the morning, dew would cover the ground. These strangers in the desert did not know that their journey at that particular time of year was in the migration path of the quail, but God did.

The dew in the heat of the early morning sun would leave a small round piece of substance to eat. Even the Israelites did not know what it was. They called it “manna,” meaning “What is that?” This was a new food for them that they were to gather daily and enough for each person. The substance along with the quail would be enough to satisfy each person’s hunger. Later in the history of the Israelites, a pot of manna would be placed in the sacred ark of the covenant, for nothing like manna had been seen before nor seen after the miraculous supply in the desert. Christ was to become the true Bread of Heaven as the manna in the wilderness had been the Israelite’s bread to sustain life.

God Provides Water in the Desert (Exodus 17:1-7)

Bread and meat were provided for the journey through various stages to Rephidim where they set up camp. They had a big problem—no water to drink—and Moses was the first one blamed. Sound familiar? “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” (v. 3). No murmuring here, just downright loud public complaints by the entire congregation! The Hebrew phrasing suggests the Israelites were almost ready to denounce Moses, to stone him. If God were God, He would have anticipated their thirst and provided water, so it must definitely be Moses’ fault. In truth, it was not Moses they were complaining against; it was God himself because they did not believe that God would meet their needs. Once again, they looked back to Egypt with faulty nostalgia, and looked forward with no faith or hope in the God who had led them so faithfully and miraculously.

Like any leader whose congregation shows little faith and seems to have remarkably few memories of God’s actions, Moses cried out to God about what to do. Not only did the lack of faith weaken the congregation to believe in God’s presence, it also discouraged and disheartened Moses. The Lord came to Moses, and once again, God commanded that Moses take his rod and strike the rock. When he did, water came gushing out.

Tellingly enough, Moses struck the rock in front of the elders of Israel; those who would help interpret this action as God’s might and who may have been primary complainers. Moses’ role as the divinely appointed leader needed confirmation and public definition. These former slaves needed an identity as a people; at this point in their history, God, Moses, and the Israelites encounter each other by specific incident. The community forged by the Law on Mount Sinai would be the place where the grace of the past is remembered and grace for the future is promised, in the covenant of the law.

Soon, the children of Israel left the place where water appeared, and Moses assigned two names to this spot: Massah and Meribah, “testing” and “strife.” This site signified that the Israelites had tested God with their unbelief. The two meanings arose from the question that rang loudly throughout their wanderings, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (v. 7). Was He? Is He? Whether God is God of the past and also God of the present and future became a governing question in their onward journey toward Mount Sinai.

by Maxine Walker

Word Picture

The route of ancient Israel’s Exodus from Egypt has been a fascinating riddle for centuries. At least 25 different summits have been proposed as the “real” Mount Sinai. So, which one is the likeliest candidate? Let’s find out in this week’s Illustrated Bible Life article “The Probable Route of the Exodus.”

Word Picture

“God was testing His people throughout the exodus events: leading them in odd directions without fully explaining why (14:1-4), surprising them with potentially destructive enemy attacks even after they had left Egypt (14:10ff.; cf. 17:8ff.), requiring them to walk into and through deep ocean water (14:15ff.), and taking them to locations that lacked the necessities of life (as in 15:23ff. and 16:2ff.). All of these challenges were part of a plan to develop a people’s willingness to trust Him. Explaining everything in advance would have run counter to that plan. It was necessary for Israel to learn faith while confused, while afraid, while desperate—not just in theory but under pressure of actual conditions where survival was uncertain and faith was tested to the limit” (Douglas K. Stuart, The New American Commentary, vol. 2 [Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006], 374-75).

Word Search

“In Deuteronomy 8:3, 16-17, it is made clear that the gift of manna was intended to meet not only a physical need, but also a spiritual. It was given to humble Israel, make it conscious of its daily dependence upon God’s provisions. And it pointed beyond itself to the truth ‘that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord’ (Deuteronomy 8:3c). Even here in Exodus 16:4 the Lord indicated that it was given as a test of Israel’s obedience (the second one since leaving Egypt, cf. 15:25)” (The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, vol. 1 [Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1967], 218).

Word Search

“The story [of Exodus 17:1-7] is to be understood as a critique of utilitarian religion in which God is judged by the desired outcomes for the asking community. Thus, the community in this story would conclude that if the Israelites lack well-being, then God is not present for them. This temptation to reduce religion to utilitarian effect is the problem with which the book of Job struggles. In the end, the whirlwind speeches of Job 38—41 assert (and Job accepts in 42:1-6) that the reality of God is not commensurate with human prosperity. This text provides the ground for criticism of communities of faith that seek to ‘program’ the capacity of God to do the wonders required by the community” (The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 1 [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994], 818-19).

For Further Reflection

Why is it difficult to be with people who complain a lot?

How is complaining to God an act of disobedience?

How has God provided for you?

How can you say thank you today for God’s provision?

session navigator

1 engage interest

The Good Old Days

People often refer to the past as “the good old days.”

What is it about the past that is so attractive today? Were the good old days really that good?

Transition: At times of frustration or stress, we may be tempted to trade the present for the past. In fact, that is just what the Israelites were tempted to do when they found themselves in the wilderness. Let’s see what they learned from their experience.

2 explore the word

The Context

Review the journey of the Israelites in the Session in Context and in the Illustrated Bible Life article, “The Probable Route of the Exodus.” Locate the Desert of Sin on WordAction’s Map 2, “The Exodus and the Conquest of Canaan.”

The faint of heart had better not apply for a passport to the Desert of Sin. This hostile environment of sand and stone, with its barrenness and loneliness, became a true testing ground. The Israelites encountered inconveniences, problems, and real dangers. On their arrival at the Desert of Sin, they had been on their journey for exactly one month.

God Meets Every Need of His Children (Exodus 16:1-9)

Have someone read aloud Exodus 16:1-9.

What problem were the Israelites facing at the Desert of Sin? (There was a scarcity of food.)

According to v. 3, what did they remember about their circumstances in Egypt?

What had they forgotten about life in Egypt? (They had forgotten the murder of their children, the scars on their backs, limits on their freedom, their loss of self-esteem, the injuries suffered.)

How did the Israelites respond to Moses on their arrival at the Desert of Sin? (They complained.)

What was their charge against Moses? (See v. 3c.)

What was God’s response to their cry? (He would provide bread and meat [vv. 4, 8].)

How is God’s grace evident in His response? (He did not respond to their false charges.)

Why were they to save a double portion of manna on the sixth day?

God Is Present, Even in the Wilderness (Exodus 16:10-12)

Have someone read aloud Exodus 16:10-12.

It is no coincidence that while Aaron was speaking to the people, inviting them to “Draw near to the Lord” (v. 9, nrsv), that “the glory of the Lord appeared” (v. 10, nrsv).

How did the Lord appear to them? (In the pillar of cloud)

How does this Scripture speak of the Lord’s appearance in the cloud (v. 10)?

Make a brief presentation about the “Three Themes About God in Exodus 16:1-12.”

First, Israel’s complaint was heard by God (vv. 7, 8, 9, 12). Second, because of the Lord’s provision, they knew it was God who rescued them (vv. 6, 12). Third, the glory of the Lord was not only promised (v. 7), it was seen (v. 10).

Israel experienced the powerful presence of God in a time of great need, and in a place that had seemed bereft of His presence.

God Provides Water in the Desert (Exodus 17:1-7)

Have someone read aloud Exodus 17:1-7.

From the Desert of Sin the Lord led them “from place to place,” and they camped at Rephidim, a place where “there was no water for the people to drink” (17:1).

Had they learned their lesson from the incident at Marah (15:23ff.) or from God’s provision in the Desert of Sin (16:1ff.)? How did they respond at Rephidim?

How did they accuse Moses this time? (See v. 3.)

Moses didn’t refer to them as “my people” (v. 4). What did he call them?

What did Moses say to suggest their anger was even more severe than before? (See v. 4b.)

Moses’ patience was shorter than before. How did the Lord respond this time?

How did the Lord provide them with water? (See vv. 5-6.)

What did Moses call the place? (Massah [“testing”] and Meribah [“rebellion”])
Give a brief summary presentation.

After God’s intervention on behalf of the Israelites at the crossing of the Red Sea, the Scriptures tell us “the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses his servant” (14:31). As they continued on their journey, the Lord consistently demonstrated His love and His readiness to provide for their needs. It would be natural to think that they would learn important lessons from the example of God’s faithfulness. Instead, as they continued on their journey toward the land of promise, their grumbling increased, even though Moses reminded them, “You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord” (16:8c). And with each crisis, their response became more violent. Even though they started their journey by trusting in the Lord (14:31), they did not continue in that trust, nor did they learn from the Lord’s faithful guidance and provision.

3 examine life

The Complaint Department

We have seen three instances when the children of Israel complained: (1) They complained at Marah when they couldn’t drink the water because it was bitter (15:23-24). (2) They grumbled about the scarcity of food in the Desert of Sin (16:2ff.). (3) They quarreled and grumbled at Rephidim because there was no water to drink (17:1ff.).

How did God respond to their complaints? (He heard and resolved their problems.)

Did God’s silence mean that He approved of their grumbling?

Read what happened a year later when the people complained in Numbers 11:1-3 and 14:26-30.

How did the Lord respond differently to the complaining of the people in Numbers 11 and 14? (Their complaining was followed by divine punishment.)

Why did the Lord respond to the grumbling of the Israelites one year after the crossing of the Red Sea (Numbers 11, 14) differently than He did during the first month after the crossing (Exodus 15—17)? (Could it be that He expects us to mature with time?)

Have someone read aloud what the New Testament has to say about grumbling and complaining: 1 Corinthians 10:1-5, 10-11; James 5:9; Philippians 2:5, 14. After each passage is read, list the reason why Christians are not to grumble and complain.

(1) We have the warning of Scripture and the example of the Israelites that we should not grumble or complain. (2) Grumblers will be judged. (3) It is not Christlike, and hurts the cause of Christ. (4) Grumbling is an expression of unbelief that prevents us from pleasing God.

Truths About God

Lead your participants in making a list of the truths that we had dealt with in our lessons on the Exodus. The list that follows provides an example of things your list should include.

(1) He guides and protects His children. (2) He listens to what we have to say. (3) He reveals himself to us. (4) He provides for our needs. (5) He is a God of long-suffering love. (6) He is everywhere we go. (7) He longs to deliver us from the things that hold us in bondage.

4 exercise your faith

Unshackled: A 50-Day Adventure: Day No. 36

Refer to page 3 for the explanation of the Action Goal.

Ask your participants how they are progressing on this 50-Day Adventure.

Would anyone want to share a testimony of God’s faithfulness?

Are You a Grumbler?

Ask the questions that follow; then in response, read Philippians 2:1-11.

Are you a complainer who longs to have a Christlike spirit?

Has the Lord been dealing with you about your grumbling?

The Names of God

We know God through the names by which He reveals himself in the Scriptures.

What is your need today? God’s names tell us that He stands ready to meet our needs.

He is: Yahweh Jireh (the Lord will provide, Genesis 22:14); Yahweh Shalom (the Lord our Peace, Judges 6:24); Yahweh Roi (The Lord my Shepherd, Psalm 23:1); Yahweh Tsidkenu (the Lord our Righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6); Yahweh Shammah (the Lord is there, Ezekiel 48:35); Yahweh Rophe (the Lord our Healer, Exodus 15:26); Yahweh Mekaddishkem (the Lord who sanctifies, Exodus 31:13).

Creative Presentation Options

ENGAGE: The Millionth Customer

On entering the department store, a little old lady was startled when a band began to play and the store manager pinned a beautiful orchid on her dress. Then he handed her a crisp, new hundred dollar bill while announcing that she was the store’s millionth customer. Television cameras were recording the event, and reporters began asking her questions.

One reporter asked, “What did you come here for today?”

The lady hesitated before answering sheepishly, “I’m on my way to the complaint department.”

EXPLORE: Questions on Exodus 16:1-12

The Israelites complained to Moses about what (16:1-3)?

How did God say He would both test and provide for Israel (16:4-5)?

Moses and Aaron responded to the grumbling of the Israelites in what way (16:6-8)?

How did the Lord respond to their grumbling (16:8)?

What did Moses tell Aaron to do (16:9)?

In what form did God appear to the Israelites in the desert (16:10-12)?

EXPLORE: Grumbling

Ask three volunteers to read aloud the following passages. Then use the questions that follow to lead a discussion.

1. Reader A: Exodus 16:1-3 5. Reader B: Exodus 16:11-12

2. Reader B: Exodus 16:4-5 6. Reader A: Exodus 17:1-2a

3. Reader C: Exodus 16:6-9 7. Reader C: Exodus 17:2b

4. Reader A: Exodus 16:10 8. Reader A: Exodus 17:3

Who was grumbling and quarreling? Why does it seem to be a group activity? To what degree does complaining tend to be contagious?

What were the people grumbling and quarreling about?

Why would the text use the words “grumbling” and “quarreling” to describe the people’s comments?

According to Exodus 16:2 and 17:3a, to whom did the people direct their grumbling and quarreling?

Read 16:3. How does grumbling distort the past in order to make the present seem worse than it is?

According to 16:7-8 and 17:2b, who were the people really complaining against?

According to 17:7, what did all the grumbling and quarreling reveal about the people’s trust in God?

EXAMINE: Complaint-free in 21 Days

“Researchers tell us it takes 21 days to form a new habit.”

One pastor read that statement and came up with a plan to become complaint-free in 21 days. He challenged his entire congregation to go without complaining for 21 days. He gave everyone purple wristbands to help them remember. Every time they broke the vow, they had to switch the bracelet to the other wrist and start the count over again. These are the rules:

1. Begin to wear the bracelet, on either wrist.

2. When you catch yourself complaining, gossiping, or criticizing, move the bracelet to the other arm and begin counting the days again.

3. If you hear someone else who is wearing a bracelet complain, you may point out their need to switch the bracelet to the other arm, but you must move your bracelet first!

4. Stay with it. It may take many months, but when you reach 21 days, you will find that your entire life is happier, more loving, and more positive.

To strengthen your resolve during this time, remind yourself of Jesus’ promise in Matthew 10:22: “He who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

EXAMINE: The Problem of Complaining

Use these questions to lead a discussion on “The Problem of Complaining.”

Why is it difficult to be with people who complain a lot?

How are complaints and grumblings displeasing to the Lord?

Why do we complain when life doesn’t give what we expect?

How is complaining to God an act of disobedience?

What is it like to lead people who complain?

Why does God provide for us on His timing, not ours?

How has God provided for you in the past?

EXERCISE: Closing Questions

Ask the following questions before the closing prayer. Allow some quiet time for reflection.

How can you say thank You to God today instead of complaining to Him?

What can you do (or not do) this week in order to trust in Him to provide for you?

How can God’s provision for Israel remind you to be thankful for what you have?

What actions are pivotal in response to God’s provision?

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