Christ-Light Connections: God Feeds His People in the Desert & Water from a Rock and Victory in Battle

The Christ-Light theme this week is: God provides for all the needs of his people.

Israel is out of Egypt and no longer enslaved. Their God has proven to be powerful and faithful to his word. Now Israel will test God’s commitment to their daily needs. In his wisdom, God provides for his children both physically and spiritually.

OT2 3A

God Feeds His People in the Desert — Exodus 16:1-31,35

Context

Before we dive into manna, back up and read about the waters of Marah in Exodus 15:22-27. Marah introduces us to the trials of the wilderness. The wilderness is the backdrop for the reoccurring theme of problem, grumbling, and God’s response. God addresses Israel decreeing they must pay attention to his voice. They must live by his words alone.

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Big Ideas

Grumbling (Exodus 16:1-3)

Does Israel sound like an overdramatic child here? “If only we were in Egypt where we had meat!” What! How are you longing for the place that enslaved you and threw your sons into the Nile?!

It’s interesting how a crisis can distort perspective so that we become nostalgic about the past and forget reality. We view our current situation as worse than it is and the past as better than it was. (Just ask me how much I miss living in Florida during a Wisconsin winter.)

The longing for the “good ole’ days” is misplaced. The longing we feel in our hearts is a symptom of the greater problem that earth is messed up. Nothing is as it should be.

God has redeemed our longings for the past and given us a future for which to long. One day, everything will again be as it should be.

Conversation Starters:

• How can longing for the past be a trap from Satan for the believer?
• How can studying promises about heaven relieve our earthly longings?

Manna (Exodus 161-35)

God rescues his people from hunger by sending bread from heaven. Deuteronomy 8:1-19 provides a few more insights as to why God provided for his people the way he did. Their time in the wilderness taught them that God was their provider and he would do exactly as he said. There was no room for pride or self-sufficiency in the wilderness.

In Matthew 4:3, Jesus quoted this Deuteronomy passage when he was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. This is the exact spot where Jesus redeems this exact sin of Israel! (Good news, this fulfillment of the law covers your sins of pride and self-sufficiency too!)

Conversation Starters:

• Compare Israel’s and Jesus’ temptation. How are they similar? How are they different?
• What does this mean for us? Big vocabulary word time! What is vicarious atonement?
• In John 6:35, Jesus claims to be “the bread of life.” How is he similar to manna? How is he different?

Sabbath Rest (Exodus 16:23-30)

This is the first we hear about the Sabbath Rest since creation when God rested on the seventh day. God will give Israel more details when they get to Mount Sinai.

The Sabbath Rest was designed to be a foreshadowing of the spiritual rest that Israel needed and would only be given to them through the coming messiah.

Conversation Starters:

• Check out Exodus 35:2. What was the consequence for breaking the Sabbath?
• Why was God so strick about ceasing work and resting on the Sabbath? Make the spiritual connection. What will happen to the person who works for their salvation? What does God compare rest to in Hebrews 4?

Digging Deeper

The Seeds of Faith resource provides great Law and Gospel points as well as thoughtful discussion questions.

40 Minutes in the Old testament

• Episode 80 It’s all bread from heaven in this episode! Well, actually there is a massive detour in the wilderness of sin.

OT2 3B

Water from a Rock and Victory in Battle — Exodus 17:1-15

Context

The Israelites were no strangers to physical problems. Lack of earthly necessities would be an ongoing struggle for them during their time in the wilderness. It seems that every time there is a physical crisis, there is a spiritual crisis that follows. God, the father of Israel, uses this time in the wilderness to train his children to rely on him.

Big Ideas

No water…again (Exodus 17:1-4)

The Israelites are in crisis again. This time water is nowhere to be found. Initially, I was confused about this problem and for once sided with the Israelites. Water is a legit need and the lack of it is a matter of life or death. It makes a whole lot of sense that the Israelites were upset.

God had lead them to this place in the wilderness for a reason. It wasn’t water that he was depriving them of, but he was depriving them of self-sufficiency. Their only hope for survival was to look past themselves and to wait for God.

Conversation Starter:

• What is your first reaction when you are deprived of the ability to be self-sufficient?

Water from a rock (Exodus 17:5-6)

God instructed Moses to use the same staff that deprived the Egyptians of water and to use it to bring water to the Israelites. The God of judgment is also the God of mercy who patiently loved and provided for his children in spite of their inability to trust him.

The New Testament (1 Corinthians 10:1-4) compares Christ to this rock. Christ is the living water who eternally quenches our thirst.

Conversation Starter:

• When and from which rock did Christ burst forth?

“The LORD is my Banner” (Exodus 17:15)

The Amalekite attack is the first against Israel as a free nation. A battle against a former slave nation in a land that was foreign to them should have been an easy victory for the Amalekites.

God used Moses’ outstretched arms with staff in hand to visually teach the Israelites to rely on him and not their own strength. As they looked up to Moses holding the staff of God, they knew they were only winning because of God.

Think about banners in war and what they mean to the people fighting under them. Banners were a reminder of their devotion and purpose. Keeping the banner flying high and from falling was of utmost importance because it represented the success or failure of the soldiers fighting for their cause and people. Banners are merely symbols meant to unite and inspire with no power in and of themselves. But God, the banner, is different.

Conversation Starters:

• What does it mean to be under the “Banner of the LORD?“
• The “Staff of God” was a major symbol for the Israelites. What is the major symbol for Christians?
• How can this story be compared to Christ’s battle with Satan on the cross?

Digging Deeper

The Seeds of Faith resource provides great Law and Gospel points as well as thoughtful discussion questions.

40 Minutes in the Old Testament

• Episode 81 The people of Israel are thirsty and they’re not happy about it. Moses thinks his life is in danger and the people are all about testing God.
• Episode 82 The Israelites are being attacked by Amalek. What’s up with Moses having to keep his arms outstretched with the Staff of God?