God deli\u00adbera\u00adte\u00adly leads his peo\u00adp\u00adle through the desert to test them. The test does not come out of mali\u00adce, but to streng\u00adthen the faith and trust of the peo\u00adp\u00adle. A pie\u00adce of wood makes bit\u00adter water sweet. This expe\u00adri\u00adence points to the wood of the cross, on which Jesus over\u00adca\u00adme the bit\u00adter\u00adness of our lives, our aban\u00addon\u00adment, for\u00adsa\u00adken\u00adness and even the bit\u00adter\u00adness of death. It also ans\u00adwers the ques\u00adti\u00adon of how we can beco\u00adme an oak of righ\u00adteous\u00adness ins\u00adtead of a bit\u00adter person.<\/p>\n
The pas\u00adsa\u00adge through the Red Sea, which Paul will later use as an image for bap\u00adtism, is fol\u00adlo\u00adwed by Miriam\u2019s song of tri\u00adumph over God (Exodus 15:1\u201321). The first theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal mes\u00adsa\u00adge of Jewish and Chris\u00adti\u00adan tra\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon comes from the mouth of a woman. After the mar\u00advell\u00adous mira\u00adcle of crossing the water, the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel begin their jour\u00adney through the desert. In the Bible, the desert often repres\u00adents a place of test\u00ading and puri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon. Here, far from the dis\u00adtrac\u00adtions and secu\u00adri\u00adties of life, the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes are con\u00adfron\u00adted with their depen\u00addence on God. They have no resour\u00adces to pro\u00advi\u00adde for them\u00adsel\u00adves and must learn to trust in God\u2019s care. \tWhe\u00adre are you curr\u00adent\u00adly (or in the past) in a place of bitterness? God deli\u00adbera\u00adte\u00adly leads his peo\u00adp\u00adle through the desert to test them. The test does not come out of mali\u00adce, but to streng\u00adthen the faith and trust of the peo\u00adp\u00adle. A pie\u00adce of wood makes bit\u00adter water sweet. This expe\u00adri\u00adence points to the wood of the cross, on which Jesus has to deal with the bit\u00adter\u00adness of our lives, our\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[98],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7909","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nGod\u2019s tri\u00adals and our trust
\n\u00abThen Moses led the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes away from the Red Sea and they went into the wil\u00adder\u00adness of Shur. For three days they wan\u00adde\u00adred through the desert wit\u00adhout fin\u00adding water. When they came to Marah, they final\u00adly found water. But they could not drink it becau\u00adse it was bit\u00adter. That is why the place was named Marah\u00bb (Exodus 15:22\u201323 NLB<\/span>).
\nIt was not a way\u00adward path that the peo\u00adp\u00adle took. No, God led them straight into this dif\u00adfi\u00adcult desert situa\u00adti\u00adon with the bit\u00adter water. His navi\u00adga\u00adti\u00adon device, con\u00adsis\u00adting of a pil\u00adlar of fire and a cloud, brought them into this uncom\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble situation.
\nJewish com\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtors are con\u00advin\u00adced that the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal mea\u00adning of the Lord\u2019s Pray\u00ader was not: \u00abLead us not into tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb, but rather \u00ablead us into tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb. The Gen\u00ade\u00adva trans\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon reads: \u00abLead us not into tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb. This means that we should not fail or grum\u00adble in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult situa\u00adtions in life. But \u2013 it is true, God leads his peo\u00adp\u00adle through the wil\u00adder\u00adness with full intent to test them. The test does not come out of mali\u00adce, but to streng\u00adthen the people\u2019s faith and trust. God wants to prepa\u00adre the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes for life in the land of Canaan.
\nSome peo\u00adp\u00adle mista\u00adken\u00adly belie\u00adve that Jesus cyni\u00adcal\u00adly obser\u00adves from afar how we humans cope with the inhos\u00adpi\u00adta\u00adli\u00adty of the desert. Many, many years ago, we released trout into a well near the reser\u00advoir in Romans\u00adhorn. On the after\u00adnoon of the boys\u00bb choir, the\u00adre was a relay race befo\u00adre the fish were eaten. The slip\u00adpery fish kept slip\u00adping out of the children\u2019s hands. We enjoy\u00aded wat\u00adching the fish wriggling on the gra\u00advel and strugg\u00adling in their hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon. It was youthful exu\u00adberance that I am asha\u00admed of today. Some peo\u00adp\u00adle think that God is like that: He leads us into dif\u00adfi\u00adcult situa\u00adtions and wat\u00adches cyni\u00adcal\u00adly as we strugg\u00adle through them. No, when God leads a fol\u00adlower into the desert, He accom\u00adpa\u00adnies him full of empa\u00adthy and does ever\u00ady\u00adthing to ensu\u00adre that he remains vic\u00adto\u00adrious and that his trust in Him is strengthened.
\nNo water for three days, the mood at rock bot\u00adtom. Then \u2013 sud\u00adden\u00adly water in sight. Chee\u00adring, peo\u00adp\u00adle mobi\u00adli\u00adse the last of their strength, only to dis\u00adco\u00adver that the water is und\u00adrinkable. Bit\u00adter, what an emo\u00adtio\u00adnal rol\u00adler\u00adco\u00adas\u00adter ride! In our lives, too, we some\u00adti\u00admes come across \u00abbit\u00adter waters\u00bb \u2013 chal\u00adlenges and tri\u00adals that test our trust in God. Fail\u00adure at work, in rela\u00adti\u00adonships, phy\u00adsi\u00adcal or men\u00adtal ill\u00adness, pain. The\u00adre are many a bit\u00adter pill to swal\u00adlow along the way.
\nA true Good Fri\u00adday fee\u00adling. A fee\u00adling of the disci\u00adples who felt aban\u00addo\u00adned and betray\u00aded after Jesus\u00bb arrest and exe\u00adcu\u00adti\u00adon. A fee\u00adling that Jesus also had to strugg\u00adle with that night in Gethsemane.
\nThe tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon to grumble
\n\u00abAnd the peo\u00adp\u00adle murm\u00adu\u00adred against Moses, say\u00ading, What shall we drink?\u00bb (Exodus 15:24 LUT<\/span>).
\nIns\u00adtead of trus\u00adting in God, the peo\u00adp\u00adle grum\u00adble against Moses. Grumbling is a sign of mis\u00adtrust and ing\u00adra\u00adti\u00adtu\u00adde. It is natu\u00adral and easy to com\u00adplain in the face of dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adties and to ques\u00adti\u00adon God\u2019s gui\u00addance. The\u00adre is a say\u00ading that the desert makes a per\u00adson bit\u00adter or bet\u00adter. Grumbling defi\u00adni\u00adte\u00adly makes you bitter.
\nIn such situa\u00adtions, we are faced with the gre\u00adat tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon that ever\u00ady\u00adthing is the fault of others \u2013 the fault of Moses, our part\u00adner, our par\u00adents, our fel\u00adlow human beings and first and fore\u00admost the fault of God, whom we fol\u00adlow. We just stand the\u00adre, wit\u00adhout hope, wit\u00adhout faith that the path still leads on, that we could still go fur\u00adther, that God could still do something.
\nOut of this Good Fri\u00adday fee\u00adling, we start to grum\u00adble, to grum\u00adble \u2013 against Moses, against the priest, against God. This does not help us and does not chan\u00adge our situa\u00adti\u00adon, but it is human. Basi\u00adcal\u00adly, it is not\u00adhing more than an expres\u00adsi\u00adon of our power\u00adless\u00adness, dis\u00adap\u00adpoint\u00adment and bitterness.
\nGod\u2019s care and healing
\n\u00abMoses cal\u00adled on the LORD<\/span> for help. Then the LORD<\/span> show\u00aded him a pie\u00adce of wood. After Moses had thrown the wood into the water, the water beca\u00adme drinkable. [\u2026]\u00bb (Exodus 15:25 NLB<\/span>).
\nMoses demons\u00adtra\u00adtes what makes us bet\u00adter, not bit\u00adter, in times of deso\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon. In the midst of bit\u00adter\u00adness and hope\u00adl\u00adess\u00adness, he turns to God. To the living God who brings life \u2013 even in places whe\u00adre, accor\u00adding to human per\u00adcep\u00adti\u00adon, only death, cha\u00ados and bit\u00adter\u00adness pre\u00advail. God does not remain distant and silent, but ans\u00adwers, helps and heals. He shows Moses a pie\u00adce of wood, which he throws into the water, and the water beco\u00admes sweet. God responds and pro\u00advi\u00addes a solu\u00adti\u00adon to the hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon. And what is per\u00adhaps even more important: Moses does what God tells him to do. Despi\u00adte the bit\u00adter\u00adness around him and per\u00adhaps also within him. The bit\u00adter water beco\u00admes sweet through the wood. What would nor\u00admal\u00adly have cau\u00adsed death and des\u00adtruc\u00adtion now refres\u00adhes an exhaus\u00adted peo\u00adp\u00adle and beco\u00admes a sign of God\u2019s life-giving and saving power. The wood is a sym\u00adbol of God\u2019s heal\u00ading and care.
\nAs fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus, we read this text in the light of Good Fri\u00adday. Today, God points us to the wood of the cross, whe\u00adre Jesus over\u00adca\u00adme the bit\u00adter\u00adness of our lives, our aban\u00addon\u00adment, for\u00adlorn\u00adness and even the bit\u00adter\u00adness of death. The wood of the cross beco\u00admes a sign of hope for us and stands for Jesus\u00bb vic\u00adto\u00adry over the bit\u00adter\u00adness we expe\u00adri\u00adence in our life\u2019s strug\u00adgles and tri\u00adals. From Jesus\u00bb suf\u00adfe\u00adring comes sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon, strength, hope and life \u2013 even eter\u00adnal life \u2013 in the midst of the bit\u00adter\u00adness of earth\u00adly life.
\nGod\u2019s ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions as a source of life
\n\u00ab[\u2026] In Mara, the LORD<\/span> gave them regu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons and laws and put them to the test, say\u00ading: \u00abLis\u00adten to me, the LORD<\/span> your God, and live as I plea\u00adse: obey my com\u00admandments and regu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons! Then I will not let you suf\u00adfer from the dise\u00ada\u00adses that I brought upon the Egyp\u00adti\u00adans, for I am the LORD<\/span> who heals you\u00bb \u00bb (Exodus 15:25\u201326 NLB<\/span>).
\nWe do not want to beco\u00adme bit\u00adter, but bet\u00adter. The way to achie\u00adve this is for peo\u00adp\u00adle to ori\u00aden\u00adta\u00adte their lives accor\u00adding to God\u2019s ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions. God intro\u00addu\u00adces hims\u00adelf here with the name Yah\u00adweh Rapha (the LORD<\/span> who heals). The way to a deeper, super\u00adna\u00adtu\u00adral heal\u00ading of body, soul and spi\u00adrit is by fol\u00adlo\u00adwing God\u2019s word. Jesus pro\u00admi\u00adses: \u00abBut if you remain united with me and my words remain in you, you can ask for wha\u00adte\u00adver you want and it will be gran\u00adted to you!\u00bb (John 15:7 NLB<\/span>). It is the way to Yah\u00adweh Rapha, the place of heal\u00ading from all bitterness.
\nThe next stage of the wil\u00adder\u00adness jour\u00adney has deep sym\u00adbo\u00adlic signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce: \u00abThen they tra\u00advel\u00adled on to Elim, whe\u00adre the\u00adre were twel\u00adve springs and 70 palm trees. The\u00adre they cam\u00adped by the water\u00bb (Exodus 15:27 NLB<\/span>). God leads the peo\u00adp\u00adle to a place cal\u00adled Elim, whe\u00adre the\u00adre are twel\u00adve springs of water and 70 palm trees \u2013 a place of refresh\u00adment and abun\u00addance. This shows that God not only pro\u00advi\u00addes for imme\u00addia\u00adte needs, but also pro\u00advi\u00addes long-term pro\u00advi\u00adsi\u00adon and blessing.
\nThe word Elim is the Hebrew word for God (el). Elim is the place of God\u2019s pre\u00adsence. The num\u00adber of divi\u00adne per\u00adfec\u00adtion is seven. The 70 palm trees the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre also point to God and his pro\u00advi\u00adsi\u00adon. The twel\u00adve springs, one for each of the twel\u00adve later tri\u00adbes of Isra\u00adel, show that God has every per\u00adson of His peo\u00adp\u00adle in mind. Let us camp tog\u00ade\u00adther in Elim!
\nInte\u00adres\u00adt\u00adingly, the root word el is also found in the Hebrew word for oak (elon). The goal of disci\u00adple\u00adship is: \u00ab[\u2026] and that they may be cal\u00adled \u00aboaks of righ\u00adteous\u00adness\u00bb and \u00abplan\u00adting to glo\u00adri\u00adfy the LORD<\/span>\u00bb \u00bb (Isai\u00adah 61:3 NLB<\/span>). As fol\u00adlo\u00adwers, we are to come to Elim, into the pre\u00adsence of God, and beco\u00adme oaks of righ\u00adteous\u00adness our\u00adsel\u00adves. El (God) is to beco\u00adme part of our name, our iden\u00adti\u00adty. We come to Elim, or beco\u00adme oaks of righ\u00adteous\u00adness, when we do not grum\u00adble in the tri\u00adals of the desert, but ali\u00adgn our\u00adsel\u00adves with God and his word. Oak of righ\u00adteous\u00adness or embit\u00adte\u00adred man \u2013 the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence could not be grea\u00adter. It is in the desert that it is deci\u00added what kind of fol\u00adlower we will deve\u00adlop into.
\n\u00abDear brot\u00adhers, when your faith is tes\u00adted in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult situa\u00adtions, rejoice. For if you pro\u00adve your\u00adsel\u00adves in this, your pati\u00adence will grow. And through pati\u00adence you will endu\u00adre to the end, for then your faith will reach full matu\u00adri\u00adty and be per\u00adfect, and you will lack not\u00adhing\u00bb (James 1:2\u20134 NLB<\/span>). The decisi\u00adve fac\u00adtor here is the wood, the cross of Jesus, which makes bit\u00adter\u00adness sweet. Just as God led Isra\u00adel through the wil\u00adder\u00adness and gave them refresh\u00adment in Elim, He will also lead us through our chal\u00adlenges and bring us to places of rene\u00adwal and bles\u00adsing. God leads not in, but through temptation.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead Bible text: Exodus 15:22\u201327; James 1:2\u20134<\/p>\n
\n\tAre the\u00adre expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces that have made you bit\u00adter or others that have made you bet\u00adter? Why did it go one way or the other?
\n\tWhy is the\u00adre bit\u00adter water in this world at all? Who is the cau\u00adse of it? Why does God lead us into such bottlenecks?
\n\tWhat lies bet\u00adween Mara and Elim? What does this mean for our own lives?
\n\tWhat con\u00adcre\u00adte step towards Elim is next for you?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"