Pastor Kyle continues that the Israelites did not heed Moses and this became a pattern in the wilderness of Sin. It is so hard on the pastor when he relays basic biblical instruction from the Word of God to God’s people, who he loves with all his heart, only to watch them do the exact opposite of what God says, putting the Lord to the test by their lack of faith. Who is really lord then? We live in a fallen world, yet when there are struggles, many wrongfully wonder if God is really with them at all. Still, the Israelites continued to eat the Manna from Heaven provided daily by God for forty years, until they entered the land of Canaan.
Exodus 17:1-7 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. Therefore, the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” So, Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?” 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?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” 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. 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. 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 test pattern is that the Israelites have a need, they panic when God doesn’t meet that need right away, they get frustrated with God when they think that God is not going to provide for the need, then they look back at the past with “rose-colored” glasses, they grumble and complain to Moses, Moses cries out to God, and after the test, God provides for the need once again. But, we also see God’s broken heart about their lack of faith.
First things first, Sin is rarely a situation; it’s almost always a cycle. Sin is defined as: the voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law. The sin of the Israelites in the wilderness of Sin was not a singular or “one off” incident, but a cycle that had been going on and on. Just like the Israelites, our sin against God is not some random situation; it is almost always a cycle.
Isolated incidents of sin seem more manageable, but some in a cycle of sin is less likely to be tolerated. The desire to minimize our sin comes from shame. Let’s be honest, most of our sins are not isolated incidents; they are cycles that you have been engaging in for years and years, and when we get into them, we know exactly what we are getting into. As a pastor, Kyle has found that when people talk to him in counseling about their sin, they talk about their own sin as if they just walked into some situation unknowingly and got duped into betraying God. Like they didn’t see it coming and didn’t know what was happening. Do you think that that explanation would fly with your all-knowing, all-seeing, ever-present Maker God, who look at your heart and knows your every thought?
You knew exactly what you were getting into with sin and it’s most likely a long cycle of crossing God’s boundaries. It is this cycle that spinning round and round that must be addressed with confession and repentance in order to find forgiveness, healing of the heart and progress in righteousness. We have to confront sinful things that we would much rather ignore. Ask yourself: “why would I want to “go there” and commit this sin in the first place?” What cycle of sin is worth going to Hell over? God will put us to the test to see if we will walk in His Law. God is amazingly patient with us, but there is a point where our sin puts the Lord’s patience to the test.
Let's continue Pastor Kyle's message on God's provision in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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