THe Divine Names. Pt. 2 Jehovah Nissi
Good morning to each Faithful Reader and I hope it is a blessed day for all of you.
The seasonal transition has begun and we are starting to see some flashes of color among the green foliage. There are certain wildflowers that grow and bloom along the sides of many roads in the country this time of year that are also appearing.
In northeast Ohio, fall is a vivid illustration of what the Lord Jesus Christ taught about plowing, sowing, planting and harvesting. We see the fields change from freshly plowed, to new sprouts of corn, wheat, barley, alfalfa, or soy beans. We see them grow and mature and change color as they become ready for picking or harvesting.
The words of Christ in the text below are understood within the context of Matthew 13 and the parable of the Seed and the Sower. The seed that is sown is the word of God.
Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Yesterday we looked at the events that were occurring as the Hebrews moved on from the Red Sea from Marah's bitter waters to the restful shade of Elam.
We noted the pattern of complaining by the Hebrews even though God was acting powerfully on their behalf. God's view of their grumbling and complaining and murmuring was Divine Displeasure. They were complaining about what Jehovah had graciously provided for their needs. It was an overt display of ingratitude.
We learned that complaining and murmuring is an offense to Holy God and we must be careful not to complain about what has been provided for us by God. We must realize that what God provides for us is enough for us.
We learned that Jehovah is always at work whether we see it or not and that He uses a crisis to test or prove our faith.
Exodus 17:1-7 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Reading the text above from Exodus 17 is the first paragraph that leads up to the name Jehovah Nissi. Notice that they travelled according to Jehovah's command. The text seems to indicate that Jehovah spoke to Moses and Moses told them what to do, in this case taking a journey.
God was ordering their steps and was leading them to faith and dependency upon His infinite ability to provide for their needs.
Exodus 17:1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
There is no indication of the distance involved in this journey nor of the terrain involved, whether filled with obstacles, merely rugged or passable. The name "Rephidim" means to rest or stop. The text simply states that "there was no water."
Exodus 17:2-3 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
We already know that a lack of water is a huge life issue for the Hebrews and their livestock. They began "chiding" which is from a word that means to throw words at someone, to hurl accusations, engage in verbal wranglings and complaining. This is part of that pattern we have seen in the context of the name Jehovah Nissi.
The Hebrews were "tempting" the LORD. This is the idea of having doubts that Jehovah can provide for their needs even though He has done marvelous works many times previously. The text below from Psalm 78 shows the great offence of the people murmuring against the provision of Holy God.
This text has 9 verbs describing what Jehovah did for His people and yet their response was one of unbelief.
Psalm 78:52-57 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
The situation worsened. The people thirsted and murmured more loudly against the LORD and against Moses. They actually accused Moses of bringing them to Egypt to die in the wilderness. In effect they were accusing Jehovah of leading them out of captivity to kill them off in the wilderness.
The pattern of Moses was to lay his problems before the LORD in dependency.
Moses did what he needed to do and he cried out to Jehovah. He pleaded for relief and called for immediate help from his faithful God. Jehovah quickly instructed Moses regarding what he should do and the instructions are particularly noteworthy.
Moses was to take the elders of Israel with him and to take his rod and go before the people. Jehovah directed him to go to a certain rock on Horeb. THe name "Horeb" means desert place and it is another name for Mount Sinai.
Exodus 17:4-6 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
The seasonal transition has begun and we are starting to see some flashes of color among the green foliage. There are certain wildflowers that grow and bloom along the sides of many roads in the country this time of year that are also appearing.
In northeast Ohio, fall is a vivid illustration of what the Lord Jesus Christ taught about plowing, sowing, planting and harvesting. We see the fields change from freshly plowed, to new sprouts of corn, wheat, barley, alfalfa, or soy beans. We see them grow and mature and change color as they become ready for picking or harvesting.
The words of Christ in the text below are understood within the context of Matthew 13 and the parable of the Seed and the Sower. The seed that is sown is the word of God.
Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Yesterday we looked at the events that were occurring as the Hebrews moved on from the Red Sea from Marah's bitter waters to the restful shade of Elam.
We noted the pattern of complaining by the Hebrews even though God was acting powerfully on their behalf. God's view of their grumbling and complaining and murmuring was Divine Displeasure. They were complaining about what Jehovah had graciously provided for their needs. It was an overt display of ingratitude.
We learned that complaining and murmuring is an offense to Holy God and we must be careful not to complain about what has been provided for us by God. We must realize that what God provides for us is enough for us.
We learned that Jehovah is always at work whether we see it or not and that He uses a crisis to test or prove our faith.
Exodus 17:1-7 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Reading the text above from Exodus 17 is the first paragraph that leads up to the name Jehovah Nissi. Notice that they travelled according to Jehovah's command. The text seems to indicate that Jehovah spoke to Moses and Moses told them what to do, in this case taking a journey.
God was ordering their steps and was leading them to faith and dependency upon His infinite ability to provide for their needs.
Exodus 17:1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
There is no indication of the distance involved in this journey nor of the terrain involved, whether filled with obstacles, merely rugged or passable. The name "Rephidim" means to rest or stop. The text simply states that "there was no water."
Exodus 17:2-3 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
We already know that a lack of water is a huge life issue for the Hebrews and their livestock. They began "chiding" which is from a word that means to throw words at someone, to hurl accusations, engage in verbal wranglings and complaining. This is part of that pattern we have seen in the context of the name Jehovah Nissi.
The Hebrews were "tempting" the LORD. This is the idea of having doubts that Jehovah can provide for their needs even though He has done marvelous works many times previously. The text below from Psalm 78 shows the great offence of the people murmuring against the provision of Holy God.
This text has 9 verbs describing what Jehovah did for His people and yet their response was one of unbelief.
Psalm 78:52-57 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
The situation worsened. The people thirsted and murmured more loudly against the LORD and against Moses. They actually accused Moses of bringing them to Egypt to die in the wilderness. In effect they were accusing Jehovah of leading them out of captivity to kill them off in the wilderness.
The pattern of Moses was to lay his problems before the LORD in dependency.
Moses did what he needed to do and he cried out to Jehovah. He pleaded for relief and called for immediate help from his faithful God. Jehovah quickly instructed Moses regarding what he should do and the instructions are particularly noteworthy.
Moses was to take the elders of Israel with him and to take his rod and go before the people. Jehovah directed him to go to a certain rock on Horeb. THe name "Horeb" means desert place and it is another name for Mount Sinai.
Exodus 17:4-6 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Jehovah will stand before the rock.
This rock must have been a known formation of unique appearance. God said He would stand in front of Moses at that particular rock. This is not the last time that Moses was told to bring water out of the rock. Numbers 20:8-11 contains another account.
Gideon was instructed to offer a sacrifice to Jehovah upon a rock and the sacrifice was consumed by fire in the presence of the Angel of the LORD. (Judges 6)
Moses was told to strike the rock with his rod.
One of the ways that God is frequently described in the Old Testament is as a rock, often as "My rock" or "our rock."
"My rock" is used 12 times in scripture. God is called a "Rock" many times in the Bible.
The Rock which represents God and means that God was going to be struck by the rod. The rod was a symbol of Divine Judgment each time that it was used beginning with the Egyptians. Do not miss this truth, Dear Readers. The Rock was to be smitten. This word means to strike with enough force to slay or kill.
Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
Deuteronomy 32:15-18 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
This Rock is a picture of Jesus Christ.
Notice that Paul says this Rock followed Israel in the wilderness experience and that the Rock is Christ. It is a picture of Jehovah's promise not to leave nor forsake us in this life or the next.
1 Corinthians 10:1-3 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our
fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
The Messiah was to be smitten. The text from Job was fulfilled when Jesus Christ hung on the cross.
Job 16:10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
The prophecy of Isaiah speaks clearly of the suffering Messiah as He took away the sins of the world.
Isa 53:4-6 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Jehovah promised that water would gush out of the rock for the people.
Recall that the name Jesus means Jehovah saves. John's gospel shows us that the death of Christ on the cross (Messiah being smitten) would result in a copious outpouring of living waters (the Spirit of God).
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst
again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a
well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 7:37-40 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
A word of warning.
This section ends with Moses giving 2 names to the place where the rock was located. Massah is from a word meaning "to try," or "tempt," and "trial" or "temptation." Meribah is from a word meaning "to chide, quarrel," and having "contention, chiding, strife."
Moses is placing the grace and mercy of God supplying water for their needs in stark contrast to the unbelief and complaining spirit manifested by the Hebrews.
Exodus 17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding
of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the
LORD among us, or not?
Points to Ponder....
- The pattern of complaining when hardship is encountered continues.
- The willingness of God to meet the needs is constantly on display.
- God stood before the rock as Moses struck it with his rod.
- This act clearly points forward to the work of Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Grace and mercy are evident because God bore the penalty for our sins and poured out abundant blessings.
- We must heed the warnings about the despicable nature of complaining about God's provision for us.
I pray that we begin to cast aside doubt and fears and in faith turn to our Mighty God because His is able to supply all our needs through Jesus Christ. He is the Rock of our Salvation and the Rock that goes with us through this life. He is the Rock of endless supply who promised to faithfully provide for His sheep.
Bob
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