'' Is the Lord Among us or Not'' - ( Exodus part 9)

🎙 Episode Title: Is God With Us or Not? 📖 Text: Exodus 16–17 (Focus: 16:1–3; 17:7)

🔑 Intro:

• Have you ever asked, “Where is God in all this?”
• Israel did—again and again.
• In Exodus 16 and 17, just one month after crossing the Red Sea, the people began murmuring… again.
• This episode explores their protest, God’s proving, and His provision—and how it all relates to trust.

1️⃣ The Protest of Israel (Exodus 16:1–3)

• Whining was Israel’s besetting sin.
  • From Pharaoh’s palace to the Red Sea… to Marah… and now the wilderness.
• They remembered Egypt’s food, but forgot the bondage.
• “Murmuring” is low, sullen complaining—it’s not loud rebellion, but persistent distrust.
• Root issue? They didn’t trust God.
  • Moses did. Some others did. But the majority grumbled.

📍 Application: Do we forget the pain of our past when things get tough today? Do we blame leaders instead of trusting the Lord?

2️⃣ The Proving of God (Exodus 16:4–36)

• God gave manna to test them: “That I may prove them…” (v. 4)
• This was about faith—daily dependence:
  • Matthew 6:11 – Give us this day our daily bread.
• Some believed. Others failed:
  • They gathered more than needed—disobeyed (v. 20–21)
  • Ignored instructions again (v. 22–28)

📝 Lessons from the Manna:

• God supplies daily grace—not weekly storage.
• He’s teaching them (and us) to trust Him moment by moment.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Generational Responsibility:

• (v. 32–36) — “Others need to see what God did for us.”
• Parents must pass down God’s faithfulness to the next generation.

3️⃣ The Provision of Water (Exodus 17:1–4)

• A new test—no water—same reaction: complaint and doubt.
• They forgot what God did at Marah (Exodus 15).
• As Robert Rayburn said: “There ain’t much education in the second kick of a mule.”
• Every difficulty is either a testing ground or a stumbling block.

🔨 Brake and Rest Stop Illustration:

• Like highway signs say, “Give ‘Em a Brake”—Israel needed to slow down and trust instead of attacking Moses.
• They nearly stoned him at Rephidim.

4️⃣ God Provides Water (Exodus 17:5–7)

• Despite the grumbling, God provides from the rock.
• Moses strikes the rock, and water flows—a picture of grace despite rebellion.
• The place is named Massah and Meribah—“testing” and “quarreling.”