Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Growing older is not easy
• Examples
• There are many blessings
• Respect
• Lev 19:32
• Timothy was to respect older men and women
• Grey hair is the splendor of old age
• As you grow old there are dangers and blessings
• Examples: (inc Noah, Moses, Hezekiah)
• Ecc 7:10 - there can be a tendency to cynicism/nostalgia
• Ex 17:7 - "Is the LORD among us or not?"
• A danger for both young and old alike
•  The Israelites doubted God
• Overview:
• The evidence that God was with them
• The problem was unbelief
• The solution is to remember who God is

The evidence that God was with them

• The people had obeyed God but they felt God was not with them
• God led them by a pillar of cloud at day and fire at night
• God had opened the red sea, all their enemies had been destroyed
• 15:22 - just three days later their attitude had changed
• They were complaining because the water was bitter (15:24)
• God changed the bitter water to sweet water
• God led them to a place of 70 palm trees and 12 wells (15:27)
• God leads them to the Wilderness of Sin and their food runs out
• They were complaining again (16:3)
• They looked back to Egypt's food and forgot their slavery
• They were doubting God
• God provides bread (manna) from heaven
• They want meat also - so God gives quail from heaven
• God gives every evidence of Himself to Israel
• One more trial (chapter 17)
• God was testing them
• They fail the test asking "Is the LORD among us or not?"
• They blame God (and others)
• They were not trusting in the living God

The problem was unbelief

• Do not harden your hearts
• The people came to the worst conclusions (v3)
• When God is testing us, we must wait upon Him
• Psalm 106
• Do we see what God is doing? (106:7)
• Are we thankful for what God has done for us? (106:7)
• They had forgotten who God was (106:13)
• Explanation
• They did not wait upon/for God counsel (106:17)
• Do we listen to God
• The people became very angry
• They were ready to stone Moses (v4)
• Anger can be expressed in different ways
• Do not test God - Psalm 95:8
• God's people can harden their hearts
• Due to unbelief
• 1 Cor 10:9-12
• A commentary
• Do not be like these people who tempted God

The solution is to remember who God is

• Remember who God is
• God vindicated His servant (v5)
• We have the Word of God - which is our sole authority
• We are to fear and reverence Him
• Psalm 78:15, 16, 20
• God would bring streams and rivers, gushing and overflowing from the rock
• Psalm 81:16
• He would have brought honey from the rock
• 1 Cor 10:4
• They drank of the Spiritual rock - Jesus Christ
• Whether you are young or old, look to the Rock in times of testing and temptation
• Remember all of God's promises
• Exceedingly, abundantly, above what we can think
• Do not become cynical
• Do not despise the day of small things
• Praise God

Closing Remarks