Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Exodus 17:1-7
17:1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
17:2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, "Give us water, that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?"
17:3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!"
17:5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
17:6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
17:7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
The journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan refers to our journey following God from the world to the New Jerusalem or the eternal heavenly kingdom.
When Israel camped in Rephidim, there was no water. Spiritually, it means that there is no Holy Spirit. The joy without Holy Spirit is not real. It does not satisfy us, even it leads to quarrel.
Consequently, the house of Israel became thirsty and dry spiritually, or there was no satisfaction. It happens in church nowadays.
There are three causes of the spiritual thirst or drynessas follows:
Exodus 17:4
17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!"
The results of the spiritual thirst or dryness are as follows:
If the spiritual thirst and dryness continue, the heart will become harder until it is as hard as Pharaoh's or Satan's.
Exodus 17:5-6
17:5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
17:6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
From God side, the way out to solve the spiritual thirst or dryness is that the rod shall strike the rock.
1 Corinthians 10:4
10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The rock refers to Jesus.
The rod refers to the cross.
Thus, Jesus must die on the cross.
John 19:28-30
19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"
19:29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
On the cross Jesus said "I thirst", so He was given the sour wine mingled with gall or the sins up to the peak that make man withered spiritually.
Jesus must die on the cross to bear all sins and the curses as well as give the new wine, namely the living water of Holy Spirit for all of us.
John 16:7
16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
John 4:10
4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
From our side, we must give the sour wine to Jesus on the cross. It means that the word encourages us to confess our sins and weakness to God and others.After we are forgiven, do not sin anymore. Then, all of the sour wine is drunk by Jesus on the cross. We will receive the new wine that satisfies our life.
The facts found within the spiritual satisfactionare as follows:
God blesses us.
Exodus 17:1-7
17:1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
17:2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, "Give us water, that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?"
17:3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!"
17:5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
17:6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
17:7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
The journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan refers to our journey following God from the world to the New Jerusalem or the eternal heavenly kingdom.
When Israel camped in Rephidim, there was no water. Spiritually, it means that there is no Holy Spirit. The joy without Holy Spirit is not real. It does not satisfy us, even it leads to quarrel.
Consequently, the house of Israel became thirsty and dry spiritually, or there was no satisfaction. It happens in church nowadays.
There are three causes of the spiritual thirst or drynessas follows:
- Meribah= quarrel.
It refers to the influence of evil spirit, envy, and hatred without reason.
The evil spirit goes along with uncleanness spirit, namely fornication and adultery. - Massah= temptation in all aspects or impossible problems.
Do not depend on our strength when we face the temptation. If we depend on our strength, we will wither spiritually. - Being doubt in God or the true teaching word.
Exodus 17:4
17:4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!"
The results of the spiritual thirst or dryness are as follows:
- Grumbling a lot.
- Stoning Moses. It refers to judging, slandering, and vilifying.
Stoning refers to using the law to punish the sinner.
The right attitude is not punishing, but we must confess and forgive sin one another.
If the spiritual thirst and dryness continue, the heart will become harder until it is as hard as Pharaoh's or Satan's.
Exodus 17:5-6
17:5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
17:6 "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
From God side, the way out to solve the spiritual thirst or dryness is that the rod shall strike the rock.
1 Corinthians 10:4
10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The rock refers to Jesus.
The rod refers to the cross.
Thus, Jesus must die on the cross.
John 19:28-30
19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"
19:29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
On the cross Jesus said "I thirst", so He was given the sour wine mingled with gall or the sins up to the peak that make man withered spiritually.
Jesus must die on the cross to bear all sins and the curses as well as give the new wine, namely the living water of Holy Spirit for all of us.
John 16:7
16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
John 4:10
4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
From our side, we must give the sour wine to Jesus on the cross. It means that the word encourages us to confess our sins and weakness to God and others.After we are forgiven, do not sin anymore. Then, all of the sour wine is drunk by Jesus on the cross. We will receive the new wine that satisfies our life.
The facts found within the spiritual satisfactionare as follows:
- Holy Spirit springs up to the throne of heaven.
John 4:14
4:14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
It means Holy Spirit helps us to worship Jesus who sits on the right side of the throne of Father God.
We will experience the life renewal from carnal man to spiritual one like Jesus.
John 4:9
4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
The bitterness of heart is changed into loving each other up to enemy. The decay becomes fragrant. The bitter one becomes sweet. The ruin becomes good. - Testifying about the renewal life that we experienced.
John 4:39
4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."
We testify to the withered life, so they become fresh and alive spiritually.
John 7:37-39
7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Ezekiel 47:8-10
47:8 Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
47:9 "And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
47:10 "It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from EnGedi to EnEglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.
If we can testify, Holy Spirit will flow to the Great Sea and everything will live. It means that Holy Spirit is able to care our physical life in the world. Holy Spirit also cares our spiritual life until we are faithful and fervent in ministry up to the end line.
Zechariah 4:6-9
4:6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.
4:7 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'"
4:8 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
4:9 "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.
Holy Spirit is able to flatten the mountains. It means that Holy Spirit is able to finish all impossible problems and give the successful and beautiful future.
The life that is satisfied and testifies to others will be sent in the revival of the building of the perfect body of Christ. It continues until we become the bride of heaven who is worthy to greet the second coming of Jesus on the glorious clouds.
God blesses us.