Psalm 106:14

Psalm 106:14

They put God to the test

We’re back to Exodus again; much of the lamenting that goes on in this Psalm has its roots in Exodus and the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and their journey to the Promised Land. 

For a while, after the Red Sea triumph, the people were content to do the Lord’s bidding, to follow His commands and to obey their leaders. For a while, the strategy worked, the Lord God went before them in the cloud and the pillar of fire. And, for a while, their dietary needs were met until, under the guidance of the Lord, they camped at Rephidim. They were in South Sinai, a pretty bleak area, hot, rugged, inhospitable, and not far from the terrain where Moses had tended his father-in-law’s flocks some time before. It is thought that Rephidim was in a wadi, a valley or ravine that is dry except in the rainy season. I believe that there was much anticipation that the wadi would provide the people with water but when they arrived and set up camp, it was dry! The problem caused a great deal of discontentment amongst the people and they turned on Moses and demanded water to drink. They expected that he could provide this and made him the scapegoat for their woes. Moses realised that their complaints were ultimately aimed at YAHWEH, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” Exodus 17:2. Now, it was obviously a legitimate need that brought this scenario about, the people expected water, they and their flocks were entitled to water, what they failed to do was to believe that the Lord would provide it and that moaning, complaining, grumbling and quarrelling are not the way to demonstrate dependency on Him. He knew their needs, but they did not trust Him to supply them. If they had simply awaited His provision, the dry wadi would have filled with water and they would have had more than they needed. What could have been a wonderful moment in their experience turned into a dark confrontation with God, they tested Him. And so do we! 

 

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