READ Exodus 17-20
These four chapters are rich with story and with application. God’s people have just begun their journey with Him to the place He promised them, but they had much to learn. I look back on my fifty years of walking with Christ; He has taught me much, but I’m still learning. That says two things: learning about God will take an eternity, and my tendency to forget or resist is stubbornly entrenched.
That said, wanting my own way and not being content with God’s way is a characteristic of sin. He had given them food and water, but they still whined to their leader when it seemed God had forgotten them:
All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 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?” (Exodus 17:1–2)
However, they did learn the value of sticking together, of supporting their leaders. When Amalek attacked, Moses delegated the choice of fighting men to Joshua and stood on a hill with his staff to rally them in the battle. Then, “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.” (Exodus 17:8–13)
Moses also learned to delegate rather than do everything himself. His father-in-law advised him to do all God told him, but “look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
Moses listened and selected able men to lead groups and judge their issues, bringing hard cases to him. (Exodus 18:18–26) Wanting to “do it myself” can indicate pride or lack of trust in God to direct others to do the job, as if I am the only one who can. That has been a huge, repetitive lesson for me.
The most important lessons have always been about simple obedience. God told Moses to remember the exodus from slavery, what He did to the Egyptians, and how He brought them to Himself. He also kept reminding them of the results; they would be His treasured possession and a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. I’m not to forget His purposes for me either and always remind others of the same thing. We belong to God and must obey Him to see this happen in our lives. (Exodus 19:3–6)
Chapter 20 contains the Ten Commandments. Volumes have been written. For me, the first one is basic. If I neglect it, the rest are apt to fall also. God says to me: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of slavery to sin. You shall have no other gods before me.” While I’m not apt to “make for myself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth or bow down to them or serve them.” This command is broken every time I ignore Him and trust myself and do things my own way.
I also need to remember how this command was broken even as God was giving it. Sin is the enemy and it keeps me from enjoying and remembering that God “shows steadfast love to thousands of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (Exodus 20:1–6) The chief lesson is that the Lord God is the Lord God. He is the priority and obeying Him is my response to the greatest love anyone could ever know.
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