Reflection by the Rev'd Dr. Deborah Broome

Water in the desert

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled 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?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do for this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”           Exodus 17:1-7

We all need water.  We can’t live without it.  Indeed we die much sooner from thirst than we do from a lack of food.  Without water, life can’t be sustained.  We know this.  The Israelites in the wilderness knew this.  They were journeying from place to place, on their way to a new life – but mentally, they were having trouble adjusting.  They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.  So they complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink!”  God had led the Israelites to safety through the Red Sea, had provided manna for nourishment, but they were still focused inwards, still acting like slaves, arguing and complaining and wanting to go back to Egypt.  It wasn’t wrong for the Israelites to be thirsty – it was the desert after all – but Moses and God saw this more as an issue of trust.  The words of the Israelites said “We’re thirsty” but their hearts said “Is God really here?” “Is the Lord among us or not?”

And so they grumbled and complained.  They grumbled at God – why did you bring us out of Egypt?  They complained against Moses – why have you brought us here?  You’re supposed to be our leader – why aren’t you meeting our needs?  It’s a failure of nerve, a lack of trust: doubting that God was with them, doubting that God cared for them.  It’s easy to criticise the Israelites for their misguided efforts in following and trusting God.  The evidence had been vividly clear that God was with them and would take care of them.

Their story, however, is a bit like our own.  As we go through life we sometimes find ourselves focusing on our problems.  Something goes wrong, or even not quite according to plan (our plans) and our hearts fill with anxiety, worry, dread.  How this can be happening?   We ask that same question:  is the Lord among us or not?  We question God’s presence and God’s promises to love and protect us.  We wonder what God is doing.  We argue and we test.  We too camp out in Massah and Meribah. 

The faith of Moses shows that this isn’t just another miracle story with God doing the impossible.  It’s a story of trust that God is always with us.  We don’t need to doubt God’s presence in our lives – God really is there, and God really does care.  Instead of focusing on our problems Moses’ faith encourages us to focus on God.   Instead of worrying over the details of life, we’re invited to trust God’s love.  The water the Israelites clamoured for, the water that God provided, is a symbol for the life that God, the fountain of life, is forever wanting to give us.

Photo credit: Kenny Eliason, Unsplash