Pray the word with David Platte is a resource from Radical.net.

Exodus chapter 17, verse 7, and he called the name of the place Masa and Maraba because of the

quarreling of the people of Israel and because they tested the Lord by saying, is the Lord among us or

not? So this is the last verse in this section of Exodus chapter 17 that tells the story of

God's people who he just provided, right before this story, bread from heaven when they were in

need of food, God provided bread from heaven, mana to feed them on a daily basis. Well, now they

get to a place where they are in need of water and immediately begin quarreling with Moses. That's

the word we see a couple of different times in Exodus chapter 17 quarreling, complaining to Moses.

And Moses said to them, this is back in verse 2, why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?

And then verse 3 says, but the people thirsted there for water and the people grumbled against

Moses and said, why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock

with thirst? So here are God's people. Again, remember the context, they've been delivered out of

slavery in Egypt. They've been brought through the Red Sea on dry ground when they were hungry,

God has given them food from heaven. And now, as soon as they face a need for water, they're grumbling

and complaining, not trusting that God will provide for them. Like, it's almost easy for us to

look back at the story and think, what were they thinking? Why didn't they trust God? But this is

where we need to see a mirror of our own hearts and the tendency we all have to forget the faithfulness

of God. And this is why, just like Exodus chapter 16 is quoted and referred to at different

points in the Bible, the same thing happens with Exodus chapter 17. God intends for us to look back

and learn from this story. I think about Hebrews chapter 3, Psalm 95. Let me read from Psalm

chapter 95 verse 7. The Bible says later, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture

on the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as it mariba,

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