Drink From The Rock Exodus 17 1 7
Series: Pre Lenten Sermons Old Testament
February 16, 2025
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Septuagesima 16-February-2025 Sermon Text: Exodus 17:1-7 Sermon Theme: “Drink From The Rock!” I. Trust The Lord’s Command Of His Congregation! (Vs.1,2). II. Thirst For Life-Giving Water! (Vs.3-5) III. Drink Deeply From The One Struck For Your Rebellion!(vs.6-7) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Episode Notes
Septuagesima 16-February-2025
Sermon Text: Exodus 17:1-7
Sermon Theme: “Drink From The Rock!” I. Trust The Lord’s Command Of His Congregation! (Vs.1,2). II. Thirst For Life-Giving Water! (Vs.3-5) III. Drink Deeply From The One Struck For Your Rebellion!(vs.6-7) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Psa 95:7-9 Today, if you will hear His voice: (8) "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, (9) When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work.” These verses are from the 95th Psalm. The 95th Psalm is a call to worship gathering God’s people to hear Him in His Word read, sung, and preached by His servants within His Church. Every morning as Christians gather to rejoice that God is among them in His Word, they sing the first seven verses of the 95th Psalm in Matins and Morning Prayer. These last words of warning aren’t part of our song as they gather, but we should memorize, take them to heart, and live a life of daily repentance.
We have the same fallen nature of the congregation of the children of Israel in their desert wanderings. We put God on trial – test and try Him. Have you ever accused Him of not caring? Ignoring you? Abandoning you? You’ve tried Him! Maybe its so subtle that you don’t even pay attention to your accusations against Him - “What, not snow again!” “Come on, we’ve had enough rain!” Or maybe you accuse Him in spiritual matters – looking around seeing God mercifully gives others then crying out, “NOT FAIR!” I’ve worked harder, given more, been a member all my life, suffered the heat of the day. God, how dare you give this lazy loafer who only worked one hour the same as me! How dare you say to a dying thief, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise!” and say to good upright moral church attending people, “Depart from Me, I never knew you!” - “It’s NOT FAIR!” God Your grace is too scandalous for me!“
”God! Your rules aren’t fair! Only one wins the race? The last are made first, the first last? Many called, few chosen?” Like football fans after last Sunday’s football game we want the referees thrown out - God give me another chance to play the big game - according to my rules! If most die in the wilderness Your rules are unfair. If my child dies, my disease is terminal, my marriage shatters, my family is in shambles - God, it’s Your fault! - “Your will, Your ways, Your rules are unjust - NOT FAIR!
We’ve complain and grumble because we learned it from our father rebellious old Adam. He learned it from his fake father, the fallen angel, the rebellious spirit, the Liar, Murderer, Accuser from the beginning. The devil, the old dragon, Satan accuses us before God’s throne day and night, and he accuses God before us! “Has God, indeed said?” “You can’t eat from any tree in His vineyard? Why go to church? Be spiritual within, you can become your own god...trust your feelings..your desires...your wisdom...your ways...” Drink the bitter salty waters of the world, your inner idolatry of self ....”
Repent! Today hear His voice! Stop hardening your heart! Stop complaining! Return to the Rock of Rest -“Drink From The Rock!” I. Trust The Lord’s Command Of His Congregation! (Vs.1,2). II. Thirst For Life-Giving Water! (Vs.3-5) III. Drink Deeply From The One Struck For Your Rebellion!(vs.6-7)
I. Where are we? Septuagesima - what is this strange word? Where’d the “alleluias” go? We are in the ancient season of pre-lent, still echoed in our one year historic set of readings or lectionary. Septuagesima is Latin for “seventieth.” We are approximately 70 days away from the great octave of Easter where we will hear our Risen Jesus tell His doubting disciple, Joh 20:29 .... "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Already we begin our lenten journey to the cross as we fast - alleluias - fall silent as we wait to hear and see.
Today’s Old Testament text is from about a month and a half into God’s liberation of His children. For 430 years they were enslaved in Egypt. The Lord delivers them through an octugenarian fugitive shepherd from Midian. Moses speaks to Pharaoh to let God’s people go, and things go from bad to worse. Pharaoh hardens his heart against God’s Word and drives them with cruel rigor. Then God shows His power over all nature and final over life and death. Pharaoh relents, but then musters the mightiest army in the world to recapture his wilderness wandering slaves pinning them down by the Red Sea. The people accuse Moses of leading them into the wilderness to die. The Lord saves leading them on dry ground through the sea. Waters that would forever swallow up their Egyptian enemies. They rejoice, but soon complain. The water is too bitter - are you going to kill us with thirst? The Lord tells Moses to throw a tree into the spring to heal it’s water. Refreshed - they complain. Slavery offered free food. Did God lead them out into the wilderness to die of hunger? The Lord rains quail upon their camp and will feed them bread from heaven, angel’s food, six days a week for the next 40 years.
History now records(vs. 1) The Lord commands His congregation, the children of Israel to leave the sweet waters of Marah and journey to Rephidim - the “resting place.” He is visibly present shepherding them through the pillar of cloud by day, and fire by night. Problem is that there is no water to drink at this resting place. Congregations and pastors are not free agents - they must only encamp where the Word of God determines.
Does the congregation gather for a prayer vigil when they realize their need? (Vs.2) Temptation of God and contention with His called, ordained, and sent servants usually go hand in glove. We test God when we want our sight to replace Word breathed Spirit sustained faith in the Father’s grace in Jesus. The people demand Moses meet their felt needs. They thirst for water. We can live for over a month without food, but water is a basic need for life. Without it our life is limited to about 8 days. Physical thirst burns our entire body crying out to be quenched. The people don’t ask - they demand water and they want it now!
Moses isn’t the Lord God. Why do they contend with him? He knew the territory, but to slake the congregation’s thirst wasn’t in his control. They were tempting God! Learn well that often want and hardship attend God’s people where He bids them pitch their tents - His Church. Emmanuel isn’t our congregation, it is His and we are His children! A suburban congregation was worried. They began nearly a century before in a small rural area. Now the city had grown out to them, life-long members began to complain - those new people are taking over “our” church. How foolish - it is Christ’s Church - never “our” Church - trust His command of Emmanuel! Repent! Stop hardening your heart - hear His voice!
II. What are you thirsting for? The salty water of numbers, worldly success, desires, and feelings met? Do you thirst for your own reason and strength to sustain you in the race of faith - knowing Jesus on your own terms? (Vs.3) The more they turn inward to their feelings, desires, wisdom, and ways - the more thirst burns and they are certain the dust of death draws near! “Some land flowing with milk and honey! Moses! Pastor! You are killing our children, our congregation, our livelihood! Your leadership will be the death of us!” (Vs.4)
Repent! Thirst only for God’s grace in Christ Jesus! Today! Hear His voice! Mat 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Thirst for life-giving water! For Jesus! A sinful Samaritan woman. She had left five husbands, now was living in sin with a man who wasn’t her husband. She was thirsty. Jesus came to her at Jacob’s well in Samaria. He offered her life giving water promising, Joh 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." She repented, and drank deeply of Jesus - His righteousness alone slaked her spiritual thirst. She was born again of water and His Word. Drinking deeply she confessed Jesus to her community - He is the Messiah - the Savior of sinners! (Vs.5) The Lord God honors Moses’ office commanding him to gather the leaders of the congregation - to have a church council meeting. He is to take in his hand the rod of his calling from God by which the Nile became a bloody mess. He was to go - trusting God’s Promise made to Abraham of Jesus alone! Certainly it was these leaders who would be the first to stone Moses! What is he doing with that staff? Is he planning to kill the congregation, pouring out its blood like the Nile here in the wilderness?
Dear children, repent! God’s ways are never your ways! His grace alone is sufficient - when you are weak, which is always, thirst for His Life-Giving Water - His Word - His Gospel!
III. The Lord God, the Shepherd of Israel, will stand before His people in the dark fiery cloud on the rock before His people. Horeb, Sinai, is from where in a couple of weeks they will hear His voice speak His Holy Ten Commandments. Now He draws near to heal, not harm them! (Vs.6) The Lord Jesus pre - incarnate stands on the Rock. He is the Rock of Ages! The Lawgiver Moses takes the spear like staff striking the rock. Now a flood of water bursts from the place of dry, dusty, death. St. John saw it on Golgotha! Joh 19:33-35 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. (34) But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (35) And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.” It was during the festival of booths - seven days that the congregation of Israel camped outside to remember their wilderness wanderings - that history records, Joh 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. (38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." Hear Him! Drink deeply of His grace alone!
Sin is put on the map! (Vs.7) Massah and Meribah - testing and temptation of God. Accusing and trying Him. If we are honest we have a lot of Massah’s and Meribah’s in our lives. We contend with our Lord. We tempt Him. We cry out , “Is the Lord among us or not?” Jesus the Rock cleft on the cross, risen to flood you with grace - is here! With you always for He has knit you into Himself in baptism. He breathes forth the Comforter - the Holy Spirit - forgiving you all your sins through His called, ordained, and sent servant of His Word. It’s not fair - it’s grace alone! Do you still thirst - He invites you to His feast of victory FOR YOU! “Eat, drink!” “I desire to give to you, the 11th hour worker fully of My forgiveness, life, and salvation!” “Drink!’ It is given and shed for you! I have won the race FOR YOU! Let My victory quench your thirst every Sunday! Heb 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.! Amen.
Sermon Text: Exodus 17:1-7
Sermon Theme: “Drink From The Rock!” I. Trust The Lord’s Command Of His Congregation! (Vs.1,2). II. Thirst For Life-Giving Water! (Vs.3-5) III. Drink Deeply From The One Struck For Your Rebellion!(vs.6-7) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Psa 95:7-9 Today, if you will hear His voice: (8) "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, (9) When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work.” These verses are from the 95th Psalm. The 95th Psalm is a call to worship gathering God’s people to hear Him in His Word read, sung, and preached by His servants within His Church. Every morning as Christians gather to rejoice that God is among them in His Word, they sing the first seven verses of the 95th Psalm in Matins and Morning Prayer. These last words of warning aren’t part of our song as they gather, but we should memorize, take them to heart, and live a life of daily repentance.
We have the same fallen nature of the congregation of the children of Israel in their desert wanderings. We put God on trial – test and try Him. Have you ever accused Him of not caring? Ignoring you? Abandoning you? You’ve tried Him! Maybe its so subtle that you don’t even pay attention to your accusations against Him - “What, not snow again!” “Come on, we’ve had enough rain!” Or maybe you accuse Him in spiritual matters – looking around seeing God mercifully gives others then crying out, “NOT FAIR!” I’ve worked harder, given more, been a member all my life, suffered the heat of the day. God, how dare you give this lazy loafer who only worked one hour the same as me! How dare you say to a dying thief, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise!” and say to good upright moral church attending people, “Depart from Me, I never knew you!” - “It’s NOT FAIR!” God Your grace is too scandalous for me!“
”God! Your rules aren’t fair! Only one wins the race? The last are made first, the first last? Many called, few chosen?” Like football fans after last Sunday’s football game we want the referees thrown out - God give me another chance to play the big game - according to my rules! If most die in the wilderness Your rules are unfair. If my child dies, my disease is terminal, my marriage shatters, my family is in shambles - God, it’s Your fault! - “Your will, Your ways, Your rules are unjust - NOT FAIR!
We’ve complain and grumble because we learned it from our father rebellious old Adam. He learned it from his fake father, the fallen angel, the rebellious spirit, the Liar, Murderer, Accuser from the beginning. The devil, the old dragon, Satan accuses us before God’s throne day and night, and he accuses God before us! “Has God, indeed said?” “You can’t eat from any tree in His vineyard? Why go to church? Be spiritual within, you can become your own god...trust your feelings..your desires...your wisdom...your ways...” Drink the bitter salty waters of the world, your inner idolatry of self ....”
Repent! Today hear His voice! Stop hardening your heart! Stop complaining! Return to the Rock of Rest -“Drink From The Rock!” I. Trust The Lord’s Command Of His Congregation! (Vs.1,2). II. Thirst For Life-Giving Water! (Vs.3-5) III. Drink Deeply From The One Struck For Your Rebellion!(vs.6-7)
I. Where are we? Septuagesima - what is this strange word? Where’d the “alleluias” go? We are in the ancient season of pre-lent, still echoed in our one year historic set of readings or lectionary. Septuagesima is Latin for “seventieth.” We are approximately 70 days away from the great octave of Easter where we will hear our Risen Jesus tell His doubting disciple, Joh 20:29 .... "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Already we begin our lenten journey to the cross as we fast - alleluias - fall silent as we wait to hear and see.
Today’s Old Testament text is from about a month and a half into God’s liberation of His children. For 430 years they were enslaved in Egypt. The Lord delivers them through an octugenarian fugitive shepherd from Midian. Moses speaks to Pharaoh to let God’s people go, and things go from bad to worse. Pharaoh hardens his heart against God’s Word and drives them with cruel rigor. Then God shows His power over all nature and final over life and death. Pharaoh relents, but then musters the mightiest army in the world to recapture his wilderness wandering slaves pinning them down by the Red Sea. The people accuse Moses of leading them into the wilderness to die. The Lord saves leading them on dry ground through the sea. Waters that would forever swallow up their Egyptian enemies. They rejoice, but soon complain. The water is too bitter - are you going to kill us with thirst? The Lord tells Moses to throw a tree into the spring to heal it’s water. Refreshed - they complain. Slavery offered free food. Did God lead them out into the wilderness to die of hunger? The Lord rains quail upon their camp and will feed them bread from heaven, angel’s food, six days a week for the next 40 years.
History now records(vs. 1) The Lord commands His congregation, the children of Israel to leave the sweet waters of Marah and journey to Rephidim - the “resting place.” He is visibly present shepherding them through the pillar of cloud by day, and fire by night. Problem is that there is no water to drink at this resting place. Congregations and pastors are not free agents - they must only encamp where the Word of God determines.
Does the congregation gather for a prayer vigil when they realize their need? (Vs.2) Temptation of God and contention with His called, ordained, and sent servants usually go hand in glove. We test God when we want our sight to replace Word breathed Spirit sustained faith in the Father’s grace in Jesus. The people demand Moses meet their felt needs. They thirst for water. We can live for over a month without food, but water is a basic need for life. Without it our life is limited to about 8 days. Physical thirst burns our entire body crying out to be quenched. The people don’t ask - they demand water and they want it now!
Moses isn’t the Lord God. Why do they contend with him? He knew the territory, but to slake the congregation’s thirst wasn’t in his control. They were tempting God! Learn well that often want and hardship attend God’s people where He bids them pitch their tents - His Church. Emmanuel isn’t our congregation, it is His and we are His children! A suburban congregation was worried. They began nearly a century before in a small rural area. Now the city had grown out to them, life-long members began to complain - those new people are taking over “our” church. How foolish - it is Christ’s Church - never “our” Church - trust His command of Emmanuel! Repent! Stop hardening your heart - hear His voice!
II. What are you thirsting for? The salty water of numbers, worldly success, desires, and feelings met? Do you thirst for your own reason and strength to sustain you in the race of faith - knowing Jesus on your own terms? (Vs.3) The more they turn inward to their feelings, desires, wisdom, and ways - the more thirst burns and they are certain the dust of death draws near! “Some land flowing with milk and honey! Moses! Pastor! You are killing our children, our congregation, our livelihood! Your leadership will be the death of us!” (Vs.4)
Repent! Thirst only for God’s grace in Christ Jesus! Today! Hear His voice! Mat 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Thirst for life-giving water! For Jesus! A sinful Samaritan woman. She had left five husbands, now was living in sin with a man who wasn’t her husband. She was thirsty. Jesus came to her at Jacob’s well in Samaria. He offered her life giving water promising, Joh 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." She repented, and drank deeply of Jesus - His righteousness alone slaked her spiritual thirst. She was born again of water and His Word. Drinking deeply she confessed Jesus to her community - He is the Messiah - the Savior of sinners! (Vs.5) The Lord God honors Moses’ office commanding him to gather the leaders of the congregation - to have a church council meeting. He is to take in his hand the rod of his calling from God by which the Nile became a bloody mess. He was to go - trusting God’s Promise made to Abraham of Jesus alone! Certainly it was these leaders who would be the first to stone Moses! What is he doing with that staff? Is he planning to kill the congregation, pouring out its blood like the Nile here in the wilderness?
Dear children, repent! God’s ways are never your ways! His grace alone is sufficient - when you are weak, which is always, thirst for His Life-Giving Water - His Word - His Gospel!
III. The Lord God, the Shepherd of Israel, will stand before His people in the dark fiery cloud on the rock before His people. Horeb, Sinai, is from where in a couple of weeks they will hear His voice speak His Holy Ten Commandments. Now He draws near to heal, not harm them! (Vs.6) The Lord Jesus pre - incarnate stands on the Rock. He is the Rock of Ages! The Lawgiver Moses takes the spear like staff striking the rock. Now a flood of water bursts from the place of dry, dusty, death. St. John saw it on Golgotha! Joh 19:33-35 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. (34) But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (35) And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.” It was during the festival of booths - seven days that the congregation of Israel camped outside to remember their wilderness wanderings - that history records, Joh 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. (38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." Hear Him! Drink deeply of His grace alone!
Sin is put on the map! (Vs.7) Massah and Meribah - testing and temptation of God. Accusing and trying Him. If we are honest we have a lot of Massah’s and Meribah’s in our lives. We contend with our Lord. We tempt Him. We cry out , “Is the Lord among us or not?” Jesus the Rock cleft on the cross, risen to flood you with grace - is here! With you always for He has knit you into Himself in baptism. He breathes forth the Comforter - the Holy Spirit - forgiving you all your sins through His called, ordained, and sent servant of His Word. It’s not fair - it’s grace alone! Do you still thirst - He invites you to His feast of victory FOR YOU! “Eat, drink!” “I desire to give to you, the 11th hour worker fully of My forgiveness, life, and salvation!” “Drink!’ It is given and shed for you! I have won the race FOR YOU! Let My victory quench your thirst every Sunday! Heb 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.! Amen.
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