In what ways do we "test the LORD" like the Israelites in Exodus 17:3? Setting the Scene Exodus 17 finds Israel only weeks removed from the Red Sea. God has parted waters, sweetened Mara’s bitterness, and daily rained down manna. Yet “the people thirsted there for water, and they grumbled against Moses” (Exodus 17:3). Their complaint grows into a charged question: “Is the LORD among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7). Scripture names the place Massah (“testing”) and Meribah (“quarreling”), marking their attitude as testing God Himself. What “Testing the LORD” Meant in Exodus 17 • Doubting God’s presence despite undeniable evidence • Demanding provision on their timetable, not His • Interpreting current hardship as proof of divine abandonment • Treating God as the One on trial rather than the faithful Deliverer Ways We Test the LORD Today 1. Complaining Instead of Trusting – Fixating on present lack (“Why haven’t You…?”) while overlooking past deliverances (Philippians 2:14; Psalm 78:17-22). 2. Demanding Signs Before Obedience – “If You really want me to do this, prove it first.” Jesus exposes this mindset in Matthew 12:38-39. 3. Questioning His Nearness in Difficulty – Equating comfort with God’s favor and hardship with His absence (Hebrews 13:5-6). 4. Redefining His Goodness by Our Expectations – Assuming God must align with our plans or He isn’t good (Romans 8:28; Isaiah 55:8-9). 5. Ignoring Past Mercies – Letting present pressure erase yesterday’s miracles, just as Israel forgot the Red Sea (Psalm 103:2). 6. Flirting with Sin, Presuming on Grace – “God will forgive; I’ll indulge.” Paul warns, “We should not test Christ, as some of them did and were killed by snakes” (1 Corinthians 10:9). 7. Bargaining Rather Than Yielding – Treating prayer as negotiation: “Answer this and I’ll serve You.” This mirrors Israel’s transactional posture. Protective Practices That Foster Trust Rather Than Tests • Remembering Works of God – Regular testimony and gratitude keep past faithfulness vivid (Psalm 77:11-12). • Feeding on His Word Daily – Scripture recalibrates expectations to His promises, not our preferences (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). • Choosing Praise in Pressure – Praise shifts focus from lack to the Lord (Habakkuk 3:17-19). • Submitting Without Preconditions – “Not my will, but Yours” (Luke 22:42) ends the impulse to test. • Walking in Community – Fellow believers remind us of God’s track record when our memories fade (Hebrews 3:12-13). Closing Reflection Testing the LORD is ultimately a crisis of trust. The wilderness reveals whether we will interpret God through our circumstances or interpret our circumstances through God’s unchanging character. The same faithful God who split the sea stands beside us; the choice is ours: grumble at Massah or trust at Meribah’s rock and watch living water flow. |
    |