Exodus 16-17
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Exodus 16-17 • Israel turns their back on Egypt and Pharaoh and the Red Sea and begins to SLIDE 16/17-1 move eastward o Re!ecting on their entire time in Egypt and the Exodus, it’s truly a remarkable story § Surely, God could have accomplished His purposes with less drama and special effects § Therefore, the drama had a purpose and was part of God’s purposes o The manner of God’s work was designed to communicate an eternal message § The details of the drama were carefully crafted by the Lord to create pictures for coming events § For example, we’ve already noted how the judgments on Egypt and redemption of Israel picture the coming salvation of Israel in the last days of Tribulation § And how the Passover pictures Christ § And last week we added another picture created by the Red Sea crossing • God redeems those in bondage to sin through a call to leave the world and come to the holy mountain of God, that is Zion • And along the way to that meeting, we experience a baptism through water § These pictures haven’t ended • Far from it...they are just beginning • In fact, they continue until the very end of Deuteronomy • The drama of the Exodus and the 40 years of wandering are absolutely stuffed with pictures of later events in God’s prophetic plan § We will see still more tonight © 2012 – Verse By Verse Ministry International (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution. Exodus 16-17 2 of 22 • The nation is now moving from the seashore of the Gulf of Aqaba to Elim, their #rst stopping point on the way to Mt Horeb, the mountain of God SLIDE 16/17-2 Ex. 15:27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters. o The mention of Elim gives us an opportunity to revisit something I taught in the lesson on the Red Sea crossing concerning place names in the Exodus story § The exact locations of most of the place names in the Exodus story have been lost to history § In a few cases, we have some geographical basis for estimating their location § But in many cases the generally accepted sites associated with the Exodus are #ction o For example, the locations mentioned after the crossing like Marah and Elim are traditionally place on Egypt’s eastern border with Sinai SLIDE 16/17-3 § Mt Sinai itself is either located in extreme northern Sinai or southern Sinai, depending on which traditional view of the crossing location you ascribe to § The very reason the Sinai Peninsula is called Sinai is because tradition has placed the mountain of Moses there § Historically, the entire peninsula was called Paran, not Sinai SLIDE 16/17-4 § In other words, the mountain didn’t take it’s name from the peninsula; the peninsula took it’s name from the mountain • And the mountain was assigned this location through guesswork and tradition o The point to remember is that as we study through this account, you may decide to consult a map, which is #ne § But understand that the locations should be taken with a large dose of salt § Since I have already expressed my point of view on the location of the Red Sea crossing, then naturally I’m going to locate these places accordingly © 2012 – Verse By Verse Ministry International (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution. Exodus 16-17 3 of 22 § For example, we learned a couple of lessons ago that Israel crossed into Midian as they left Egypt • So naturally, I believe the location of Elim was somewhere directly east of the gulf of Aqaba in Midian • Don’t be surprised if Bible maps tell you otherwise, but just be aware that there is no archeological evidence to support any location...it is entirely speculation • I have based my speculation on my best understanding of scripture • As Israel walks into the desert, their attentions shifts from fear of Pharaoh and his army to more mundane concerns o They reach a resting place in the desert where they came for sometime § At this point they #nd twelve springs and seventy date palms § The word for Elim is the plural for tamerisk tree, which can be a cedar or palm tree • The Israelites name the location for the trees in this area o When we hear the numbers 12 and 70, we can’t help but notice the Biblical signi#cance § Both 12 and 70 are too perfect to be coincidence; it testi#es to God’s provision § Moses led the people to this oasis, which the Lord prepared § I assume Moses knew where to #nd this garden spot, based on his previous years in Midian • The precise number of springs and trees communicates that God had prepared Moses for his role as leader • Even ensuring Moses knew where to #nd water in the desert for Israel § The message to Israel was simple: the God that rescued you will continue to provide for your needs o The very fact that Moses chose to count the trees and springs and report his count in scripture tells us that the number had signi#cance to Moses © 2012 – Verse By Verse Ministry International (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution. Exodus 16-17 4 of 22 § Both numbers are associated with God ruling through men § Moses recognized that his leadership was God directed and God had Moses’ back • Israel camps here for about three weeks before setting out again, still traveling to the mountain of Moses Ex. 16:1 Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. Ex. 16:2 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. Ex. 16:3 The sons of Israel said to them, “ Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” • One month from their exodus from Egypt, the nation sets out from Elim and enter the wilderness of Sin, and never has a place been more aptly named o It is located between Elim (on the west) and Sinai, that is Mt. Horeb § Here we #nd Israel grumbling again § The word grumbling means to murmur, a form of complaining that is done behind the leader’s back § This is worse than direct confrontation, since it can lead to organized opposition and insurrection o The irony is obvious to us § A few days earlier, the Lord had demonstrated by providing 12 springs and 70 shady palms that He would make provision for Israel through the leadership of Moses § Now here’s Israel murmuring against Moses’ leadership § They see God but forget; they hear His words, but do not believe o They say if they have to die, they would have rather died as slaves in Egypt with meat and bread than to die with freedom but nothing to eat § The nation is longing for their past life, the life they had prior to God’s redemption of the nation © 2012 – Verse By Verse Ministry International (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution. Exodus 16-17 5 of 22 § Jesus taught concerning this principle of disciples longing for the former life Luke 9:57 As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” Luke 9:58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Luke 9:59 And He said to another, “ Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” Luke 9:60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “ No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” o Each protest was self-evidently a pathetic excuse hiding a more serious barrier to following Jesus: unbelief § Jesus draws a conclusion from these three excuses using the analogy of working the #eld on a farm § Working the plow behind a team of oxen was unpleasant and demanding work • It was far easier to stay in the farm house, where the world offered comfort • But follow the Lord in His work meant leaving the comforts of that life behind § If someone walked to the #eld, placed his hand on the plow, but longed for the chance to return to the farm house, they were revealing themselves to be posers • They may have walked out to the #eld, but their heart wasn’t in the work o So it is for this generation of Israel § The Lord has freed a nation, but the individual members of that nation are not responding in faith to God’s work § And their repeated longing for life in Egypt is proof they are not #t for the kingdom of God © 2012 – Verse By Verse Ministry International (www.versebyverseministry.org) May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution.