Don't Get Caught Up in the Moment

in Psalm 106. We haven't been there the last

couple of Wednesdays. But we're going to pick

up where we left off. We're getting close to

finishing it. We've just been looking at each

of these little stories of Israel's unfaithfulness

in the Old Testament. And while Psalm 106 really

only gives us a little portion, of what the story

is about, we've spent some time to go back and

look at these stories in the context a little

bit to understand what's going on. We've seen

a little bit of a theme that's kind of made its

way through this passage, and that is the idea

of atonement for the people, whether it be Moses

interceding or Aaron making atonement or Phineas

making atonement. We've seen a theme. God's people

have sinned. And someone has to make atonement

for them. Now there certainly is some punishment

for some of them we've seen in these stories.

But we see this thread of atonement kind of woven

through here. Tonight we'll be in Psalm 106 verse

Psalms 106:32

32 and 33 is where we will start. Psalm 106 verses

Psalms 106:32

32 and 33. Two short verses and then we'll flip

back. In the Old Testament, this story in detail

is found in Numbers chapter 20. If you want to

Numbers 20 · chapter mention

go ahead and put a finger there, that's good

homework for you this week. If you want to go

back and read the whole story, we'll hit the

high points. We'll look at a couple of other

Old Testament passages too, but this particular

story is found in Numbers chapter 20. Let's pray

Numbers 20 · chapter mention

and we'll get started. God, we come to you. We

thank you for these good words. And I pray that

we can learn something from what we're reading

about your people Israel, what we're reading

about Moses, and more importantly, what it means

for us and how it points us to Jesus Christ.

So I pray, dear Lord, that you just help us to

focus on you tonight. Let your Holy Spirit be

among us and help me to preach and teach in a

way that brings glory and honor to you. In Jesus'

name I pray it. Amen. Verse 32. They angered

the Lord at the waters of Meribah, and Moses

suffered because of them. For they embittered

his spirit. He spoke rashly with his lips. All

right. Now, we've seen already as we've gone

through Psalm 106, we've seen some occasions.

This is another. bit of a theme, I think, that

maybe we should pay attention to as we go through

some of these stories. Now, in this particular

story, it's talking about Moses striking a rock

for water. Now, earlier on, we see that God told

Moses to do this in Exodus chapter 17. One of

Exodus 17 · chapter mention

the stories we looked at was in Exodus chapter

Exodus 15 · chapter mention

15. In Exodus chapter 15, the people are praising

Exodus 15 · chapter mention

God, everything's good, they just crossed the

Red Sea, and then no sooner than they get through

praising Him, you look down a couple of verses,

and it says that they begin to grumble because

there was no water. They wanted water, there

was no water. You flip over a couple of chapters

to Exodus 17, you see the same thing. They're

complaining because there is no water. If you

want to go back and read those scriptures in

a little more context this week, I would encourage

you to do that. But we're going to look at them

very quickly tonight. The first one we're going

to look at is Exodus 15, verses 23 through 25.

Exodus 15:23–25

This is what I just referenced. We're just going

to look at the text so you can see exactly what

it says, what's going on. Exodus chapter 15,

Exodus 15:23

verses 23 and 25. This is right after... They

crossed over the Red Sea. God parted the sea

for them. It says, They came to Marah, but they

could not drink the water at Marah because it

was bitter. That is why it was named Marah. The

people grumbled to Moses, What are we going to

drink? So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord

showed him a tree. When he threw it into the

water, the water became drinkable. He made a

statue and ordinance for them at Marah, and he

tested them. There. Okay, so the people are already

kind of off to a bad start, I think, because

they just saw God part the Red Sea. They just

had praised God. A couple of verses later, they're

complaining, we don't have any water. Instead

of saying, hey, God brought us this far. We saw

all those plagues in Egypt. We just saw him part

the Red Sea. God, we know you're going to take

care of us. Whatever comes our way, we'll be

ready to go. But they complain, we ain't got

any water to drink. What are we going to do?

And so God tells Moses to do something kind of

weird. He tells him to take this tree, or some

of your translations may say a piece of wood,

throw it in the water, and it's going to make

it drinkable. Now that was certainly miraculous.

I don't know that there was any natural explanation

that this tree just instantly touching the water

made it drinkable. It was what God commanded

Moses to do, and Moses did what God said, and

God provided water for the people there. So that's

the first instance we see of the people complaining

about water. And if you flip over to Exodus 17,

Exodus 17:1

verses 1 and 2, you see something similar. It

says in verse 1, The entire Israelite community

left the wilderness of sin, moving from one place

to the next according to the Lord's command.

They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water

for the people to drink. So the people complained

to Moses, Give us water to drink. Why are you

complaining to me? Moses replied to them. Why

are you testing the Lord? Okay, same experience.

Now you would think by this point they would

have learned God provided for us last time. He's

going to provide for us this time. But they're

complaining again. What are we going to do? Well,

it's in this story that God tells Moses to go

and strike the rock and water is going to come

from the rock. And that's exactly what Moses

does. And water is provided. For the people.

And then we get to the event that's talked about

in Psalm 106, the one that we're looking at tonight.

And that's the story that's found in Numbers

Numbers 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20. Very similar story. It says in verse

1, Numbers chapter 20, verse 1. The entire Israelite

Numbers 20:1

community entered the wilderness of Zin in the

first month, and they settled in Kadesh. Miriam

died and was buried there. There was no water

for the community, so they assembled against

Moses and Aaron. The people quarreled with Moses

and said, If only we had perished when our brothers

perished before the Lord. Why have you brought

the Lord's assembly into the wilderness for us

and our livestock to die here? Why have you led

us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place?

It's not a place of grain, figs, vine, and pomegranates.

And there is no water to drink. Now, this is

kind of starting to sound like a broken record.

You probably are noticing that it's kind of the

same thing almost. In all of these stories that

we've looked at, we're seeing the same language

a lot repeat itself. Here the people complain,

Oh, Moses, what are we going to do? Why did you

bring us here? It would be better if we're dead.

We've heard this before. This is kind of their

go -to argument. Like, one thing goes wrong,

things get a little tough. and they are just

ready to throw in the towel, to give up on God,

to rebel against Moses. I mean, we see this time

and again. We've seen it as we've gone through

Psalm 106. And here they go. What are we going

to do? We ain't got none of these good foods

that we want, and we ain't got no water to drink.

Now, this story is similar to that that we just

talked about in Exodus 17. Very similar. God,

in this story, however, tells Moses to, go to

the rock, but to speak to the rock to bring about

water. Moses, however, doesn't do that. Moses

goes before the people and he says, look, are

we supposed to give you water? And then he takes

his staff and he strikes the rock. And that's

not what God told him to do. And as a result

of that, God tells Moses a few verses down. that

he's not going to enter the promised land as

a result of that. He said, look, you didn't do

what I told you to do, and therefore you're not

going to enter into the promised land. And so

we see this kind of same story three different

times. They're all different occasions, but all

similar. And that is the people want water. Now,

to want water... It's not a bad thing. Let's

get that straight. It wasn't bad that the people

wanted clean water to drink. They knew that they

had to have water to survive. And so they wanted

water, but their attitude, I think, shows that

they didn't trust in God. They could have just

said, okay, God's going to provide for us. He

has time and again. Maybe the first time they

complain and they see God work, they could say,

okay, we're going to just trust Him. And maybe

after two times, you'd say, well, now they're

going to get it. Now they're going to just trust

it. But even still here in Numbers chapter 20,

Numbers 20 · chapter mention

they're still complaining about the same thing.

And we don't have any water. What are we going

to do? And that's the story that's being referenced

in Psalm 106. And it's talking about Moses here,

that Moses suffered the consequences, that he

was so angry with the people, and maybe rightfully

so, But he allowed his anger with the people

to affect how he was going to be obedient to

God or, should I say, disobedient to God. And

there were consequences to that. Now, I think

it's important for us to recognize that water

is kind of a key theme in these stories. And

it's also a key theme for Jesus. Now, here's

what we see. When you go to the New Testament

in John chapter 6, you can read that this week

John 6 · chapter mention

too. You see Jesus talking with some of these

religious folks, and they really love Moses.

It's pretty clear. They love Moses. They love

the law of Moses. And they're wanting Jesus to

do something for them. And they say, oh yeah,

well, we had manna in the wilderness. And while

they don't mention Moses specifically, Jesus

obviously knows what they're trying to say. Because

his response is, Moses didn't give you manna

in the wilderness. And so it appears as though

the argument that the religious people of Jesus'

day were making was, okay, Moses did this for

us. What are you going to do for us to show us

that you're the Son of God? And Jesus goes on

to say, look, Moses fed the people in the wilderness

manna. And guess what? They wandered in the wilderness

and died. So hold up. Maybe you need something

better than what Moses gave you. And Jesus goes

on to say, I am the bread of life. Now this threw

them for a complete and total loop. They didn't

really understand what Jesus was saying here.

But the point that Jesus was making is, is all

of these people wanted to follow Moses. Well,

Moses did this, and Moses did that, and Moses

did this. But Jesus is making the point that

there is one who is better than Moses who is

coming. And in all the ways that Moses led the

people and God used him, to lead the people and

provide for the people, ultimately Moses failed.

Ultimately, even Moses didn't make it to the

promised land. So the highest figure in the Jewish

religion, the one that they respected and looked

up to pretty close to the top of the list, maybe

Abraham would have been above. I don't know how

the hierarchy would have worked, but Moses would

have been up there at the top, if not the top.

And Jesus, I believe, is making the point. Look.

You're looking to Moses, and Moses was good.

God used him in a mighty way. But now you need

to look past Moses, and you need to look at the

one who's speaking to you. Because I'm the one

who's going to provide for you. Now, after he

says he's the bread of life, when you flip over

to John chapter 7, Jesus says in verse 37, On

John 7 · chapter mention

the last and most important day of the festival,

Jesus stood up and cried out, If anyone is thirsty,

he should come to me and drink. The one who believes

in me, as the Scripture has said, I will have

streams of living water flow from deep within

him. All right? If anybody is thirsty, come to

me. Now, the people in the Old Testament, they

were thirsty a lot, and they wanted good water,

and they never had a source of good water. They

only had a source of good water through the messenger

that the Lord had sent in Moses. And as good

as Moses was, even Moses failed to be the leader

that the people needed. And so everything in

the Old Testament is just pointing us on forward

onto Jesus. That as God provided manna and water

from the rock in the Old Testament, well, so

he provides the bread of life. and the water

of life through Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

And maybe that's why God didn't allow Moses to

go into the promised land because of his disobedience.

Maybe it was to make this point. I don't know.

But I know this. Moses failed. And he was the

highest one that they looked up to, and Moses

failed. But when Jesus came onto the scene, he

is the Son of God who will not fail. He is the

one who will forever, Provide a source of living

water. Through his sacrifice, through his crucifixion,

through his resurrection, he is our source of

water. Just like the Israelites, we are a people

who thirst. We are a people who in our deserts,

in our sin, in our struggles, when all that's

within us feels dry, we are a people who are

longing for something to quench our thirst. And

the only thing that's going to quench the thirst

of our soul is Jesus Christ. He leadeth me beside

the still waters. He restoreth my soul. That's

Jesus. And that's what God's people wanted all

the way in the Old Testament. And we see it finally

fulfilled in Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

So what's your source of water today? Well, I

can tell you. If it's not Jesus, you don't have

a source of water. Now, there's lots of water

we can drink. There's lots of things in this

world that say that's going to provide what we

need, but it ain't real thirst -quenching water.

It's not clean water. It's not pure water. It's

bitter water. And bitter water and nasty water

will not quench your thirst. It'll only make

you sicker. I remember when we went to Haiti

on the first time we went on a mission trip there.

I remember being told repeatedly, whatever you

do, do not drink the water. Do not drink the

water. Do not drink the water. Only drink bottled

water. Only drink bottled water. Why is that?

Well, we probably take it for granted. We can

all go home tonight, turn our faucet on, get

some water and drink it and not think twice about

it. But in Haiti, that's not the case. In Haiti,

their water wells are not very deep. It's a pretty

grungy place. There's a lot of bad stuff that

goes on there. So the water is affected, and

it is not good. Now, you pump that water out,

you can watch people pumping it out. And the

people that live there drink it, and they in

some ways have built up some, I guess, immunity

to it. But it's crystal clear. It looks as good

as any water you've ever seen. But it's not pure.

Now, maybe some of the things in our life that

we are drawn to, there are some things that...

The kind of promise of comfort or things that

seem good to us and things that seem like they're

going to quench some desire within us? Well,

they're not. Because the only thing that's going

to quench what we need in us, the thirst that

we have, it's a thirst for righteousness, whether

we recognize it or not. And Jesus Christ is the

only one who's going to quench that thirst. He

is our source of living water. So maybe we can

learn a little bit from the Israelites here.

One, we need to find out are we thirsty. Two,

we need to look at ourselves and ask, are we

complainers just like they were? Do we ever do

the same thing? Do we ever see God work and experience

His deliverance and say, all right, I praise

you, God, and how soon after that before we start

complaining again? And you may say, well, I don't

ever do that. Or you may say, yeah, well, God

was good to me yesterday and now. I'm finding

something new to complain about today. Well,

maybe that's something good for us to think about

from this story. Something that simple to say,

okay, God, help me not to complain so much tomorrow.

You know, maybe I'm going to be okay. Maybe things

are stressful and tough, and maybe things are

hard, and maybe my day's not doing good, but

God, I know you're good. I believe you're good.

I don't doubt you. I trust you. And I've seen

you work before, so God, help me not to get caught

up in the moment. That's so easy to do. They

always got caught up in the moment. Everything

was good as long as it was good. And the moment

it got bad, oh, this is awful. Everything's horrible.

And I think maybe sometimes we're guilty of that.

But we've got to remember that just as they had

one who led them in Moses, we've got one who

leads us that is so much better than Moses. Praise

the Lord for Moses. He was a good man who did

what God said. Even though he came up a little

short of the promised land at the end, he's still

a righteous man of God. He's still... In heaven

today with the Lord. But praise the Lord, we

have somebody who is better than Moses. A better

source of water. A better source of a thirst

quencher who will quench the thirst of our soul.

Let's pray. God, we come to you. We thank you

for these good words and these good stories.

I pray that we would think about them. And I

pray that your Holy Spirit would help us to see

how they... impact our life, the things that

we need to say and we need to learn, dear Lord.

Maybe we are complainers sometimes and we don't

trust you in the way we should. I pray that you

forgive us of that and help us maybe to just

seek you that you'd help us not to fall into

that trap. And I pray, dear Lord, that we would

be those who seek Jesus Christ. We thank you

for giving us all of these little stories in

the Old Testament that just point us forward

to Jesus and we thank you that we get to see

All of that unfold and all of that unveiled and

all of that fulfilled in Jesus Christ. God, I

pray that if there are some whose souls are thirsting

today, if they are in the desert of the struggles

of this life, I pray that they would come to

Jesus as their source of water, that they would

repent, that they would trust in Him and make

Him their Lord and Savior. And I ask these things

in Jesus' name. Amen.