Chapter 6: Reflection

Wandering

At the end of Chapter 5, we read that “God taught them who he was and what he required of them,” (pg. 70) yet a number of times in chapter 6, God calls the Israelites a “stiff-necked people.”  

Why?  Because they believed…and then they didn’t….and then they did….and then they didn’t….(you get the picture!)  

God guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  He rescued them from slavery.  He performed miracles in their presence.  He was with them on their journey.

So they worshiped and celebrated all the time because God was with them, right?  NOT!  

Instead, they complained about their hardships.  They were hungry; they were thirsty.  They wanted food, so God gave them manna to eat. Were they grateful for that gift?  Sure, for like a minute!  Then they got sick of it and wanted meat to eat.  Don’t ya just love God’s response:  “Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it.  You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month – until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it.”  That ought to fix them!

No wonder God called them “stiff-necked” people.  

I (Tina) got to thinking about what God might call us today.  How about “wishy-washy”?  We are all about being grateful for what God is doing in our lives….until we, or someone in our family, get sick.  “Why me, God?”  We are all about singing praises to God and worshiping Him….and then we leave church and get back to “the real world.”  

Our culture has taken prayer out of schools, God out of our justice system and Jesus out of the center of our lives.  Do you stand up for your faith in the midst of these circumstances? 

Well, do you?  

Many times it’s much easier to go with the flow, isn’t it?  It’s much easier not to rock the boat, isn’t it?  Go ahead, be honest. 

Wishy-washy. 

We know what we’re supposed to do and not do.  We know what God expects of us.  And yet when we ask ourselves the question:  “Why do we still do those stupid things?”  we respond like Aaron in the cartoon above:  “I dunno.” 

Friends, let’s take from this chapter the challenge to step up our Christian game.  I challenge you to think of 3 ways that you can stand up for your faith this week; ways that you can take a stand for Jesus.  

I know you can do it!

Chapter 6: Questions

Wandering

As always, feel free to answer 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. What do you think was the root cause of most of the Israelites' problems? Why?

2. How did God respond to the people's lack of faith?

3. Why is God so radically opposed to sin?

4. What do you learn from Moses' leadership throughout this difficult period? How did he display frustration and faith?

5. Have you ever felt as if you were "wandering in the wilderness"--spiritually or emotionally? Explain.

6. How can having faith in what God has promised help you in difficult times?

DIGGING DEEPER
All through this chapter of "The Story," God disciplines the people (sometimes quite strongly) to get them back on course. What are the values of being disciplined by one who loves us and wants the best for us?

What is one way you are seeking to pass on a healthy and positive legacy to the next generation? How can we pray for you as you seek to be a blessing to the children, grandchildren, or young people in your life?

PERSONAL ACTION
In this chapter, we read about how Joshua and Caleb came back from their exploration of the land and gave wise counsel. Unfortunately, no one listened. This week, find a time to talk with one or two wise people of faith who know you well and ask for their insights and perspectives on your life. Ask them a question or share one of your problems with them. Invite their wisdom and prayerfully LISTEN to them! Maybe this is something you should think about doing on a semi-regular basis, like once a month??

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. 

Sermon: Chap 5

Intro  

One time and only one time can I remember my parents washing my mouth out with soap. (Yes, I was a goody-two-shoes, without a doubt. I used to cry when they even threatened to spank me!)

On this fateful day, I happened to say a word, in their presence, which I probably learned on the bus but didn’t yet know was not the kind of word that should be repeated. So as a reminder not to say that word EVER AGAIN, they washed my mouth out with soap.

(For the record, washing my mouth out with soap was a very effective punishment--I don’t think I’ve ever said that word again. Maybe if you ask me nicely after church, I’ll tell you what the word was--but I’m NOT going to say it in the pulpit for fear that one of YOU will want to wash my mouth out again!)

At any rate, in our Scripture reading today, we find the inspiration for every parent’s favorite punishment when unsavory language comes out of a child’s mouth--washing it out with soap. Well, it’s not exactly the same thing, but it’s awfully close, which you’ll see in a second.

We’re going to look at the incident of the Golden Calf. While Moses is up on Mt Sinai, hanging out with God and receiving the 10 Commandments, his co-leader and brother Aaron is left alone trying to manage those pesky Israelites. Moses is gone so long, the people begin to feel abandoned by him … AND by God. So in their minds, they do the next logical thing--they ask Aaron to build them a god to worship since the one they WERE worshiping seems to have disappeared.

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