Our Only Hope In The Wilderness — John Piper

i invite you to turn to exodus  chapter 17 verses one through seven exodus 17. it is important  that you see this text with me   and not just hear it so get  your phone or your print bible the people of israel have been  enslaved for hundreds of years   in egypt the time for their deliverance had  come god had sent moses after ten plagues and   a mighty deliverance at the red sea the people  have entered the wilderness they in at mara   they moved from morrow to elam they moved from  elim to they moved from dhofika to aloosh and   from aloos to rephidim you can read those stages  in numbers 33 and we meet them [Music] in redeem and according to the previous chapter 16 of exodus  they entered this region only six weeks after   the dividing of the red sea it's  as though everybody in this room   saw god divide the red sea on may 1st 2022 this generation in israel had seen some of the  greatest miracles in the history of the world we meet them in chapter 17  verse 1 through 7 at refuedin and the drama unfolds in these  seven verses in four scenes i'm going to read them one at a time every one of  them is brimming with implications for your life i'll pause after each scene and state the main  point as i see it scene 1 verse 1 exodus 17. and on the all the congregation of the people of  israel moved on from the wilderness of scene the   pause there clarification that looks like sin in  english s-i-n it's not it's a transliteration of   the hebrew scene which has nothing to do with  sin so don't think wilderness of sinning it's not   it's a name like indiana all the  congregation of the people of israel moved on   from the wilderness of seeing by stages  according to the commandment of the lord   and encamped at refudim [Music] but there  was no water for the people to drink main point of scene one god led his  people to a campsite with no water now you can see this in the middle of verse 1 they moved by stages according to the  commandment of the lord and encamped at rephedeem there have been two other stages   dofka and aloosh he doesn't mention them he's got  one goal in mind get them to refedeem and rephidim   has one significance no water that's where you  go that's where you camp that's where i take you god is commanding these movements not moses   and he gets them terrified exactly where he  wants them if you're a christian that's your life god works all things according to the  counsel of his will ephesians 1 11. if god wills we will live and  do this or that james 1 15 4 15.   the lord gives and the lord takes away  blessed be the name of the lord job 1 21   our god is in the heavens and he does all that  he pleases psalm 115 verse 3. hundreds of you hundreds of you came to this conference  encamped at refudeem and there is no water   as far as you can see there's  wilderness in every direction   and from a human standpoint your  circumstances are going to end badly there is no human way out and this  text says you are not there by accident your ways are ordered by the  lord proverbs 20 verse 24. one of the purposes of these seven verses  and this sermon is to help you see and feel   that's good news scene one god has led his people to a campsite  with no water scene two verses two and three   therefore the people quarreled with  moses and said give us water to drink   and moses said to them why do you quarrel with me why do you test the lord   but the people thirsted there for water  the people grumbled against moses and said   why did you bring us up out of egypt to kill us  and our children and our livestock with thirst main point of seeing too god's people did  not trust that god's providence is good but accused moses and god of harmful purposes verse two the people take issue with moses whatever is happening here  it's not happening fast enough   when they demand water give us water  to drink and in essence moses responds   your quarrel is out of place it's another quarrel with me when you quarrel with me you try god's patience why do you quarrel with me why do you test the  lord and verse three you with me verse three   gives the heart of their indictment   they don't ask why did you bring this  up out of egypt it's not what they ask   they ask why did you bring us out to kill us they're not questioning god's timing  they're questioning god's goodness they're not saying god is incompetent   to give them water they're saying he  doesn't intend to he's not going to help us they're saying he doesn't intend to save us  his purposes are not saving they are murderous and when moses says in verse 2 why do  you test the lord there's a warning don't try god's patience it runs out for people who don't trust him  and despise him it runs out   we know how this story ends in the wilderness numbers 14 verse 22 none of the men who have  seen my glory and my signs that i did in egypt   and in the wilderness and yet have  put me to the test these ten times   and have not obeyed my voice none of them shall  see the land that i swore to give to their fathers   and none of those who despise me shall see it so we may not understand all the reasons why god  chooses to bring us into a waterless encampment but story after story after story in the bible  including this one is god's word trust me trust me they didn't that scene too scene  three verses four through six   so moses cried to the lord what shall i do with  this people they're almost ready to stone me and the lord said to moses pass on before this people and take  with you some of the elders of israel and take in your hand the staff with  which you struck the nile and go behold   i will stand before you there on the rock  at horeb and you will strike the rock   and water shall come out of  it and the people will drink and moses did so in the sight of the  elders of israel main point of scene three god's life-giving presence   toward absolutely undeserving people  goes on his patience has not yet run out so what's god's answer to  moses question in verse four what shall i do with this people   they're almost ready to stone me what's  god's answer to that his answer is i will give them water to drink now to make that answer as amazing as it is   he describes it in four ways this miracle  of life-giving grace he describes in   four ways number one it's public verse 5 first  phrase in the verse pass on before this people so they indicted us in public  we will be vindicated in public second it will be well tested by the elders  verse 5 second phrase in the verse pass on   before the people taking with you some of the  elders of israel this will become part of their   history part of their teaching part  of their judging of the people third this miracle will be a   continuity it will be a continuation  of the miracles in egypt all of a piece third part of verse five take in your hand the  staff with which you struck the nile and go moses struck the nile one time with his staff exodus chapter 7 verse 20. in the sight of pharaoh  and in the sight of this his servants he lifted up   his staff and he struck the waters of the nile  and all the water in the nile turned into blood in other words with this staff   i turn water into blood and with this staff i  will now turn rock into water all of a peace same grace same power same god then today fourth the miracle of life-giving  grace will come about by the lord's   presence this is best it's the best thing  this is the best thing in the text i think verse 6 behold god says behold i will  stand before you there on the rock   at horeb and you shall strike the rock and water  will come out of it and the people will drink i will stand before you there the rock he might have said i'm done with  this rebellious people i'm done not going to be in their midst anymore that's not what he said he might have  said okay i'm going up on the mountain   at the top of horde i will unleash a lightning  bolt this rock will split water will come out   but i'm not going to defile my holy  presence with this despising people and that's not what he said he said when you strike the rock i'll be  standing on the rock before the people   now why would he do that why would he do that because what the people need more  than water is the presence of god the steadfast love of the lord is better  than life i wonder if you believe that that's psalm 63 verse 3 the  steadfast love of the lord   is better than drinking water and staying alive better than being healed of cancer what after all was was the  point of choosing abraham guiding the patriarchs bringing israel into egypt   delivering them with a mighty hand bringing them  out into wilderness what was the point [Music] he states the point in the next chapter  verse verses 4 and 5 of exodus 19. you yourselves have seen  what i did to the egyptians   and how i bore you on eagle's  wings and brought you to my self i'm going to take my stand on the rock that will  give you life because my presence is your life i brought you out of egypt to  myself you think you need water you think you need water in  the wilderness you need me a thousand times more than water so scene number three god's life-giving presence toward undeserving  people goes on his patience has not run out   scene four last scene verse  seven and he that is moses   he called the name of the place of  he called the name of the place masa and meribah because of the quarreling  of the people of israel and because   they tested the lord by saying  is the lord among us or not main point of this scene moses  memorializes their failure to believe in god's saving presence  he memorializes their failure this story does not have a happy ending there's no repentance there's no  awakened faith there's not even any water just the promise of water verse 6 in the  middle of the verse the people will drink   and no doubt the water came and no doubt  they drank moses doesn't talk about that moses's point is failure  that's the point of the story failure he doesn't name the place grace  abounding to the chief of sinners he doesn't name the place water from the rock  he doesn't name the place god is faithful he names the place [Applause]   means testing meribah means quarreling it says  because of the quarreling of the people of israel   and because they tested the lord  so scene 4 harks back to scene two verse two why do you quarrel with me  why do you test the lord and that's   where the story ends memorializing the  quarreling memorializing the testing almost moses has one final indictment at the  end of verse 7 which i haven't mentioned he means for us to see the greatest failure in the light of the greatest gift so verse 7 ends they tested the lord by saying is the lord among us or not god had said i will stand before you on the rock and the people said we don't  even know if he's here [Music] or if he intends to kill us end of story now let's step back and ask moses what's your point god what's your point  through moses in telling us these four scenes   to this drama in verses one through seven of  exodus 17 what are you trying to get across to us now the way moses tells this  story failure is foregrounded the story begins in verse two and it ends verse  seven with quarreling with moses testing of god   memorialized it begins with unbelief they don't  trust god they harden their hearts against him god brought them into waterless places   an encampment with no water and he doesn't  intend to help us here that's what they say and the trumpet blast of this text that echoes  through all the rest of the bible is don't be   like that in your wilderness don't be like  that i mean listen psalm 95 verse 7 today if   you hear his voice don't harden your hearts as at  meribah on the day of nasa in the wilderness when   your fathers put me to the test and put me to the  proof though they had seen my work don't do that tgcw don't do that or hebrews chapter 3 verse 7 as  the holy spirit says today if you hear his voice   don't harden your hearts as in the rebellion on  the day of testing in the wilderness or first   corinthians chapter 10 they all ate the same  food manna they drank the same spiritual drink   nevertheless with most of them god was not pleased  for they were overthrown in the wilderness we   must not put christ to the test as some of  them did now these things happened to them   as an example they were written down for our  instruction therefore let him who thinks that   he stands take heed lest he fall don't be like  them world centuries 20 22 don't be like them in other words this this failure of israel  to trust god in the wilderness reverberates   through the whole bible and the message is this when god brings you into a waterless encampment   and you see wilderness stretching in every  direction and no way out be like that don't question him trust him trust him he brought  you into the wilderness   he can bring you out he led you to  refugee where there is no water only rock   and he will he will take his  stand on the rock and be your life or will he in 2022 for many of us the greatest obstacle to joy joyful confidence in our waterless place is not that god can't save  us that's not our problem our problem is will he will he the greatest obstacle to believing that he will is our sinfulness i speak from experience how can god be a just and holy god  and do what he did in scene three surrounded by a thankless people who say you brought us out to kill us surrounded by that people he says in verse 6 behold i will  stand before you there on the rock and water will come out of  it and the people will drink how can god be righteous and act as though the  despising of his name had so little consequence our very hearts cry out i've scorned the  name of the lord in all my doubting all my   unbelief all my complaining all my despairing in  the wilderness i have scorned the name of the lord   will god simply join me in belittling his name by sweeping my god-despising sin  under the rug of the universe how can i ever be saved by a righteous and holy  god how could they ever experience scene three now the apostle paul thought that's the biggest  problem facing humankind and it is no matter how many commentators talk about other  things that's the biggest problem facing humankind how can god uphold the righteousness of his name   while showing mercy to god  belittling god despising sinners how is scene 3 exodus 17 verses  4 through 6 even conceivable god offering himself as our life surrounded  by the outrage of people indicting him as evil how's that possible paul's answer and i think it's probably  the most important verse in the bible his answer is romans chapter 3  verse 25. i'll read it to you god put christ the son of god the eternal second  person of the trinity god put christ forward as a propitiation that means a  satisfaction of god's righteousness god put christ forward as a propitiation by his  blood to be received by faith and here comes the   sentence this this putting christ forward by  his blood this was to show god's righteousness because in his divine forbearance he  had passed over former sins in scene 3. when god passed over the sins of scene  2 and passed over the sins of scene 4   and poured out his [Music] life-giving  mercy in scene 3 was he unrighteous was he belittling his own name was he taking his own holiness  lightly was he sweeping god indicting   god despising attitudes under the rug and saying  doesn't matter i'm not worth that much anyway was he unrighteous no he wasn't and the reason  he wasn't is because he knew   that 1400 years later he would vindicate  his righteousness for passing over sins the death of jesus is the thunderclap  of this truth no sin is ever merely passed over none it will be paid for in hell or it will be paid for on the cross   no quarreling with god's word no testing of  god's patience ever goes unpunished ever [Music] god's righteousness is absolute and the  unspeakable mercy of scene 3 verse 6 exodus 17   that mercy is directly owing to the blood of jesus that blood the blood shedding of the son of god   was to show god's righteousness because in his  divine forbearance he had passed over former sins every now this is a sweeping statement it it  will change if you understand it and believe   it it will change the way you read the old  testament every undeserved blessing shown to   god's elect in the old testament every undeserved  blessing shown to god's elect in the old testament   was bought by the blood of jesus without exception when paul made the strange statement in first corinthians chapter 10 verse 4 about  israel in the wilderness when he made this strange   statement they drank from the spiritual rock  that followed them and the rock was christ what this is what i think he meant the  undeserved blessing of water from the rock   the undeserved blessing of manna from heaven the  undeserved blessing of deliverance at the red   sea the undeserved blessing of guidance by  the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire   the undeserved blessing of moses leadership  all of it was owing to the cross of christ   is it not right then to say the rock was  christ the manna was christ the deliverance was   christ the pillars of fire and cloud were christ  god's guilty people would enjoy no blessings apart from christ and what he  did fourteen hundred years later and so it is for you and me who are in christ you who despair of your sinful selves and  know god owes you nothing so it is for you every undeserved blessing  you will ever taste now and forever is owing to the death of jesus i suppose if you were to ask  me do you have a favorite verse i might say romans 3 25 but probably i would say a verse that says the same thing with  a future orientation namely romans 8 32   he who did not spare his own son but gave him up  for us all will he not with him graciously give us all [Applause] things not just can he but will he everything we need to do his will  everything we need to glorify his name   everything we need to make it to the promised land so when he leads you into the waterless  encampment of refidem and he will if he hasn't   when he leads you into the waterless encampment  of refudine and there is no human hope trust him trust him he who did not spare  his own son but gave him up for us all   will he not with him graciously give us all things everything you need has been purchased  by the blood of jesus above all the best purchase and the best gift   himself for your enjoyment now in the midst of the  wilderness and your enjoyment forever let's pray father please don't let us  any of us harden our hearts   in the wilderness of rephidim  where there's no water take away our questioning take away  our doubting take away our complaining   take away our despairing oh grant us trust let this text and all the bible  strengthen deepen and make unshakable   our confidence that in the  wilderness you will be our life and you will bring us out into our promised  land in due time yes this in jesus name amen

Channel: The Gospel Coalition

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Keywords: the gospel coalition, the gospel, gospel, coalition, pastors, pastor, minister, ministry, Christ, Christian, Christianity, church, churches, faith, reformed, reformation, bible, biblical, evangelical, Jesus, God, spiritual, spirit, Holy Spirit, preacher, preaching, teaching

Id: 7ODvnSor3_g

Length: 41min 42sec (2502 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 16 2023