We thirst

  Exodus 17.1-7    Water From the Rock    courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

 ¹ The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ² So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
   Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”
 ³ But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
 ⁴ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
 ⁵ The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶ I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ And he called the place Massah^[a] and Meribah^[b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Footnotes:

1. Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing.
2. Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.

For a working preacher, there is an almost immediate connection made between this text and the crucifixion scene in John 19 when Jesus announces from the cross, "I am thirsty".

What we have here is a people who are thirsty.  When you are traveling in that portion of the Middle East, getting thirsty is both a regular and potentially life-threatening experience.  The air is so arid that it takes little to dry you out.

So although it is our inclination to read this text about the Israelites in the desert with a touch of condescension about their continuing complaining to Moses about their discomfort, we need to take into account that we have little experience with this kind of thirst, nor the negative impact of having no drinkable water available.

Furthermore, as their leader, Moses can only expect that they would bring their complaints and concerns to him.  Not that I'm saying that leaders enjoy or desire this kind of constant need, but it is what it is and heeding the needs of your people is your call as a leader.

Moses chooses to see this as a test of God:  the God who had already provided safety from Pharaoh and food when needed.  And I suppose there is some truth in that - were the Israelites going to trust God to provide or not?  But at the same time, a relationship requires on-going communication between parties;  Israel makes sure that the message gets to God through Moses that they need some water. 

God doesn't seem to be upset by this little drama, in fact, God promises to be present with Moses as he breaks open the rock to quench the thirst of the people.  (this imagery is used in the hymn, Rock of Ages)  Perhaps this is more a text about Moses' lack of confidence in God's continuing care.  Later Moses is refused entry into the promised land by God because he struck the rock in anger.  Somehow there is a failure here on Moses' part.

For me as a preacher, however, it is the imagery of I thirst from the crucifixion that opens up a path to communication with God.  Remember in Matthew that Jesus speaks about those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.  Now all these references come from different books of the Bible (which means they might give some insight into each other, but were not intended to be interpreted as a part of a whole). 

What could Israel be thirsting after?  Could they, in fact, along with their need for water be in need of God's discernible presence?  Is it Israel who needs God standing with Moses as he strikes the rock?

I read an article once that said we often eat when in fact we are not hungry but thirsty.  I'm thinking that the low grade thirst that grows and persists is hard to identify as such, and this would point me to a similar situation in our modern lives: an unhappiness that we can't name, can't figure out its origin, don't know how to erase.  A thirst......could it be for God's presence?

These simple stories from the OT give us a window to look at how different people, under different circumstances, relate to God, and grow in their faith, their commitment.  These OT people really point us to look into a mirror and see ourselves.  [except forthe fact that the men are all wearing dresses and sandals.]  But, they are us....aren't they?