Chap 4: sermon recap

SCRIPTURE  “The Story” bottom p56 - p57 (Ex 17:1-7)

17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”

3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah[a] and Meribah[b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The grass withers and the flower fades but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.

SERMON—introduction

In chapter 4 of “The Story,” we read about how when God’s people cry out for deliverance from slavery in Egypt, God answers by providing Moses, who leads them into freedom.

And we read about how when God’s people cry out for deliverance from hunger, God answers by providing manna (stuff to make bread in the morning) in the morning and quail in the evening.

And at the very end of the chapter, we read about God’s people crying out for deliverance from thirst, longing for a drink of water as they follow Moses, wandering through the wilderness.

Now, this is not your ordinary kind of thirsty. This is not the kind of thirst every kid gets before bedtime, wanting just a little sip of water. And it’s not the kind of thirst you get from being out in the hot sun, working in the yard. It’s not even the kind of thirst you get after running a marathon.

For the Israelites the kind of thirst goes deeper than just a drink of water. The Israelites are wandering in the wilderness, wondering if and when their journey will ever end. And more than just a place, this wilderness is becoming a state of mind--a state of being hungry and thirsty lost and wandering and wondering if life will ever get back to the way it was.

Their physical thirst may be for water … but their spiritual thirst is for hope and assurance.

Chapter 5: video recap

REFLECTION: Chapter 5

Consecrate is a word you don't hear used often these days but it's very important in this chapter of "The Story."

According to the footnote on page 60, to consecrate is "to dedicate a person or thing to God's service."

Dictionary.com expands on that definition a bit by saying it is "to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of a deity." As in, we "consecrate" a new church building.

You get the gist, right? Take someone or something valuable and make is sacred by dedicating him/her/it to God.

In this chapter, we read about God's command to Moses to consecrate the people in preparation for a meeting with Him, a fairly unheard of event. In this case, the consecrating entails ritual washing of their clothes and bodies. One might also guess that there was to be some spiritual preparation involved in this as well.

And frankly, this consecration and the face-to-face meeting with God freaked the Israelites out. And then they chickened out, sending Moses out instead.

Another well-known story of consecration (or dedication) details the story of Hannah and the son she ached to bear. Once Samuel (whose name means "I asked God for him") was born, she dedicated him to God through the priest Eli saying,

 “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

Consecration flows out of overwhelming gratefulness, marking someone or something as special, sacred, holy. It is a person or thing which is given (as much as a person might give another person!) into service to God. 

It is a preparation for something amazing which is about to happen to the consecrated person or thing. A way of getting ready to be an instrument of God's peace and love ... or maybe even an instrument of God's judgement.

Have you ever felt this kind of overwhelming-ness? That total surrender to God of a person or a thing you love that much in order to prepare them for something amazing?

I bet you have but maybe you didn't have a name for it. But now you do! Consecration--to dedicate someone or something to God.

If you haven't done this before, what are you waiting for? What are you willing to consecrate today?

Chapter 5: Questions

New Commands and a New Covenant

As always, feel free to answer these questions in the comments (especially the "Digging Deeper" ones) and share any thoughts you might have about the "Personal Action." Or, let us know if YOU have a question!

CHECKING YOUR COMPREHENSION
1. How were the people to prepare themselves to meet with God?

2. What does this story of the giving of these new commands tell you about the character of God?

3. What was the purpose of the Ten Commandments?

4. How can God be both the merciful forgiver of sin and the punisher of the guilty?

5. The Israelites became impatient and finally made a golden idol in the shape of a calf for themselves. What are some false gods/idols in our society today?

6. The Lord spoke to Moses "as one speaks to a friend." What steps can you take to gain a deeper understanding of who God is?

DIGGING DEEPER
Think about the Israelites creating the golden calf idol as "Mad Cow Disease." It's an example of people trying to invent their own religion and to create God in their own way. How do people still do this today and how are the results just as disastrous?

God promised that his presence would be with the people and they would stand out in the world because of it. This is still true today. What are some ways Christians SHOULD stand out? What is one way YOU stand out ... or maybe should stand out?

PERSONAL ACTION
Read Matthew 5:17-48 where Jesus talks about the 10 Commandments in the Sermon on the Mount. Does he contradict them? Help them explain them? Do you read them differently now? This week, think about how these "rules" actually bring life and hope.


This is a safe place to be able to share questions and fears and doubts. You can post using your name or not, whichever you prefer. And if you choose to respond to someone's comment, please be gentle with your words.