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Light
from the Sidra |
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What
a roller-coaster Israel is riding in our Sidra! From the heights to the
depths. What heights they ascended to when the LORD led them through the
sea on dry ground and then destroyed the Egyptians before their very
eyes. How they sang his praise! But then they went down to the depths
complaining that there was no water or food. When
God provided food and water in abundance at Elim, when he sent quails
and gave manna each morning, when he promised health to Israel and
blessed them with the gift of Shabbat they were once again on the
heights. Then down again, complaining at Meribah. Yet God gave the
people water in abundance out of the rock and defeated Amalek for them. Looking back on
it, we can say that Israel had so much to be grateful for—and there can be
no doubt that many of the people were thankful. After they saw the
final defeat of their great oppressors they sang God’s praise with
words like, “The LORD is my strength
and my song, and he has become my salvation; he is my God and I will
praise him!” As they moved on they came to water, but it was bitter and
could not be drunk. So God healed the waters of Marah, not only to
quench their thirst but also to illustrate his promise that he would
heal all their diseases if they obeyed him. What a promise! Who would
not welcome that? Then he led them to an oasis abundant in water and
dates. And so it goes on. What more could a people ask for? Deliverance
from their enemies and all their needs met. How good God was to Israel! How sad, then, to
see Israel demonstrate so much ingratitude and unbelief. So much
kvetching and testing God. Some say it was the mixed multitude alone
who complained, but it does not say that in the Sidra; it simply says
“the people” — and that
included the people of Israel. No, there can be no excuses; many of the
Israelites complained again and again. What they lacked was faith. They
had seen God’s mighty power at the Red Sea; they saw him provide for
them time and again. But the next time they were in need they did not
trust him. It was not wrong to ask God to help them when they were in
need; what was wrong was to ask in a way which indicated that they
thought God had forgotten them. So they moaned against Moses, as though
it was his fault. Worst of all, they challenged God. Was he really
around? Then he should prove it and do something to help them. What
arrogance! Was God their servant? Moses does not say that it was only a
few who tested God, so it must clearly have been the majority of the
people. When we look back
over it all we have to say how patient and good the LORD was to Israel
then. His care for the nation was all out
of his mercy, as Moses wrote in the song, “He has become my salvation”.
Our safety is due to God alone. So how can we
today escape the same mistakes as the people then? What can we do to
avoid lack of faith? How do we stop complaining? This is serious. Too
many people think kvetching about God is a joke, something Israel is
allowed to do. Not at all! The first thing we have to understand is
that unbelief is something to be continually resisted because it will
always be with us. The story of Rephidim shows this. Moses called God
“Adonai Nissi”—the LORD my Banner—and he went on to
explain the meaning of this name. A hand was attacking God’s throne and
there would be a war, but this war was to be forever. This is surely a
picture to us of the war against sin, unbelief and complaining—things we are
always tempted to do. Pharaoh may be dead and gone, but another enemy
is always around, an enemy like Amalek, an enemy to be fought against
from generation to generation. If you know anything about your own soul
you will know this struggle goes on and on. The question is: are you
winning that fight? Be honest. Unless
you have deceived yourself into believing that you never lack faith and that you never complain you will have to
admit you are not. However, there is Good News. There is someone who can help. Who is He? We will learn
more about him later in the Book of Exodus, but in Sidra Beshalah we
begin to learn something about him. He was the one who was in the
pillar of cloud and fire protecting Israel. It was He who spoke to
Moses, telling him how to save Israel and provide for them. He is the
messenger from God who tells us what God requires of us. Some call him
“Metatron”, but we will use the name Moses gave him, “Malakh Adonai”,
the Angel of the LORD. We can still
receive his help today. |
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