Testing, Testing, Testing!
Central Verse:
“The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” Exodus 17:2 NRSV
Central Truth:
The cycle of complaining continues. There is no water therefore the people complain to Moses, who then takes the complaint before God. God provides very specific instructions for Moses in order to answer this need. The result is God, through Moses, brings forth water from a rock.
Notice there is an escalation this time around. In verse four Moses claims to God that the people want to stone him. Of course, we have known way of knowing that people intended to stone Moses. This could be one of those situations where people are complaining and the leader goes to the next logical step and outlook of the complaint. There is another escalation that needs to be pointed out and that has to do with God’s command to strike the rock. This is the same wording used in the earlier Exodus story in the plagues where Moses strikes the waters of the Nile. The difference being that time brought pestilence, this time there is life giving water called forth.
All of this is the working out of a new relationship between the people of Israel and God. In every relationship, there is a time of testing one another, finding the limits of what is acceptable. Moses saw this and clearly rebukes it in verse two, with his question of “why do you test the LORD?” Testing being referenced here doesn’t mean questioning God. This isn’t an argument about whether you can question something God wants you to do or to respond to. The intent of Israel’s questioning is an unhealthy test of the limits of their relationship.
When Israel ‘tests’ God here the implication is that God will do what we need him to do if we ask. This is the same idea as when someone implies that you didn’t pray hard enough for an outcome. Another way this is implied is by some church leaders that state if you want to get more you got to give more, implying that if you give ten dollars God will give you twenty. We cannot test God in this manner. We cannot test God in an attempt to get God to do what we want done. Israel had another relapse. They forgot that God was continuing to provide for them at every stage of their journey and this time would be no different, there was no need for testing. Thankfully for them God displays far more patience in the face of this bad behavior than most of us would.
Food for Thought: (questions about the text)
Massah/Meribah (verse seven) – The name for this location becomes a source of negative memory for Israel, it is referenced in several biblical passages such as Deuteronomy 6:16
Important to notice – the format of this story is one that is common in modern day commercials. There is a major problem (no water/cloths are stained), only a miracle can fix the situation (God/laundry detergent), after this powerful intervention everything is wonderful (water present/stain is gone and you are no longer rejected by friends and family because of it).
This time of Israel’s history is a time of being ‘forged in the fire,’ the wilderness experience is so pivotal to later theology and understanding that Jesus capitalizes on it several times (such as 40 days in the wilderness)
Connections: (time with our society)
I have been in and out of many circles within the church world. One of the areas that always concerns me the most is the group that insists on using texts like this, that we shouldn’t test God, as a reason to either not question a leader or not question church doctrine.
The intent of this warning by Moses about testing God is not to back us into a theological corner. If anything, I believe it is about getting us to see that God doesn’t act in our orderly little way. No amount of praying can change some situations. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care for those situations, but it may mean that we have something else to learn in those situations.
As humans, we like to put everything in nice orderly packages and say the way we understand something is always the best way. If you do any art you learn to give up on this idea. I used to get very frustrated when I painted or sketched because what I did didn’t look exactly like what I was looking at. A few years ago, I took a painting class. In that class, I learned an important lesson for art and that is that painting is not a photograph. If you want a photograph take one. A painting should convey more than a photo. It conveys textures, emotions, and reactions.
Our theology should have the same flexibility. When we speak of God there is very, very little we can say that we know without a doubt about God. Really what pastors, theologians, and church people in general are doing are painting a picture of who we understand God to be. This is not testing God, saying God will condemn something is testing God. Saying God will react or respond a certain way, is testing God.
Thank God that God is gracious and patient with each of us. That God speaks to us and provides for us even when we lose sight of the fact that we can make God act the way we might want God to.
Application:
Questions:
Discussion:
What is a question you have always wanted to ask God? Why do you want to ask that question?
If you feel like you can do this get some markers or crayons. Draw a picture of what you believe about God. Try and avoid words, speak with images. What does this say about your relationship with God? How have you accidently put God to the test?
Close in prayer:
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