Was God Aware There Was going To Be No Water ?

Dusty

Inactive
Was God Aware There Was going To Be No Water ?

Yes of course God knew in Exodus 17 when the Israelites were going from place to place that there would be no water or no food . But still we see the Israelites still grumbling and complaining to Moses.

Does that mean that God leads us to different places in order to see how much we trust Him ? Yes again .The more we go through brings us closer to God and the realization that He is God .

I think that God specifically sent the people there to test them , to see if they would turn to God first.

God wanted to show the Israleites who He had appointed as their leader and also the fact that He is in control.
 
Amen ta that Dusty... Them Israelites had already been shown what testing was by their captivity and eventual release by Pharoah. That trip they made was a real plan ta check up on their faith in God and ta see who could cut it and who couldn't.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

By the way - If I remember correctly, when them Israelites were in the Wilderness, didn't the National Guard and Red Cross have water tankers parked every 15,000 'cubits' along side the road to Massah and Meribah? :D
 
Why did Moses hit the rock ?

The apostle Paul tells us why " They were all baptised into Moses (meaning identification with Moses) in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food ( Manna )and drank the same spiritual drink ( Which was the water that God provided) for they drank from the spirititual rock that accompanied them , and that rock was Christ " 1 Corinthians 10:2-4 .

Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 18:31
For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God?
Psalm 18:46
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
 
Yes of course God knew in Exodus 17 when the Israelites were going from place to place that there would be no water or no food . But still we see the Israelites still grumbling and complaining to Moses.

Does that mean that God leads us to different places in order to see how much we trust Him ? Yes again .The more we go through brings us closer to God and the realization that He is God .

I think that God specifically sent the people there to test them , to see if they would turn to God first.

God wanted to show the Israleites who He had appointed as their leader and also the fact that He is in control.



I have to wonder how tribulation brings one closer to God?

How does poverty make one more spiritual?

How does sickness teach you something?

How does death bring forth life?

You grow closer to God by getting to know Him in His Word.
Your faith grows by planting it. By applying it.
Sickness is part of the death cycle which is part of Satan's world.

Not to knock anybody, this thing about tribulation bringing us closer to God sounds like myth. So what am I missing?:confused:
 
I have to wonder how tribulation brings one closer to God?

Because when we are tested and tried that is when we really find out who our source is and who God really is .

How does poverty make one more spiritual?
It gives us a dependance on God and Him alone to supply our needs

How does sickness teach you something?

It teaches us that life is precious and that God is in control and we need to put our hope and trust in Him and Him alone . It also teaches us that prayer changes things .

How does death bring forth life?

Because Jesus Christ conquered death ... I can be set free.

You grow closer to God by getting to know Him in His Word.
Your faith grows by planting it. By applying it.
Sickness is part of the death cycle which is part of Satan's world.

Not to knock anybody, this thing about tribulation bringing us closer to God sounds like myth. So what am I missing?:confused:

No myth, Deni .... all you have to do is look at the apostles and see what they all went through for the sake of the gospel . Christ alone is worthy and we were not promised a rose garden .

You can even read the lives of missionaries who suffer for the gospel and they will tell you it is worth it all and it brings them closer to the heart of God .

What about the people in China who are persecuted for the gospel ... they come out stronger than they were before. and say for me to live is Christ ... to die is gain.
 
Not to knock anybody, this thing about tribulation bringing us closer to God sounds like myth. So what am I missing?
confused.gif

You can't get the impurities out of gold without heat.
Friction, heat, fire, iron sharpens iron, that's what lifes about brother!

Do you know that when you get sick, your body was designed to develop additional antibodies that make you resistant to that same sickness. Sickness can make you stronger.

When you work out, run or lift weights, you actually damage your muscles and tendons to some degree. They heal bigger and stronger.

Poverty will not build your faith, but when someone who has nothing at all, still feels love, compassion, respect, appreciation, then that person learns that those things do not come from posessions, and that person is wise. Much wiser than a rich man who thinks respect can be purchased.

Only a sinner can learn forgiveness and how to forgive.

God told Moses to use His Word and His Word alone.

Moses in his frustration and lack of faith relied on his own works, and he struck the stone twice with his staff.

God still provided that living water as He had promised to do, but Moses, because he placed his faith in his own works, and not in the power of Gods Word suffered, and was made stronger as a result.

God's plan is always restoration, and redemption.

Always. :)
 
You can't get the impurities out of gold without heat.
Friction, heat, fire, iron sharpens iron, that's what lifes about brother!

Do you know that when you get sick, your body was designed to develop additional antibodies that make you resistant to that same sickness. Sickness can make you stronger.

When you work out, run or lift weights, you actually damage your muscles and tendons to some degree. They heal bigger and stronger.

Poverty will not build your faith, but when someone who has nothing at all, still feels love, compassion, respect, appreciation, then that person learns that those things do not come from posessions, and that person is wise. Much wiser than a rich man who thinks respect can be purchased.

Only a sinner can learn forgiveness and how to forgive.

God told Moses to use His Word and His Word alone.

Moses in his frustration and lack of faith relied on his own works, and he struck the stone twice with his staff.

God still provided that living water as He had promised to do, but Moses, because he placed his faith in his own works, and not in the power of Gods Word suffered, and was made stronger as a result.

God's plan is always restoration, and redemption.

Always. :)


Sorry folks The bible says the Word does all of that.

We learn through sickness when we lean on the Word to kick it out.

We learn through poverty when the Word comes out of our mouths.

We learn through death not at all. Death is not the source of life. ]

We can learn things but none of the above lead to life.

They are all part of the curse. They are not of the Blessing that God blessed us with.
 
What about the people in China who are persecuted for the gospel ... they come out stronger than they were before. and say for me to live is Christ ... to die is gain.

They come out stronger, my friend, because they stand on the Word. The Word is their strength. Not persecution
 
Sorry folks The bible says the Word does all of that.
They come out stronger, my friend, because they stand on the Word. The Word is their strength. Not persecution
My friend, I don't think anyone would disagree that the power comes from the Word and not the action itself.

I don't want to get into doctrinal debate here so that I do not disrupt the unity of the forum, but would you agree that Baptism is powerful?
Life changing?

If we can agree on that, then where does the benefit come from?
The water?
I get the water from the same place everyone else does. Right out of the tap. Nothing special about it, it's just water.

The power, and the benefit come from the Word of God, and Gods promise to fulfill His Word.
The same is true of the Eucharist. Without the Word, it is just bread and wine.

So, how do we benefit from suffering? The same way. Though the suffering does take place, the true power and benefit are from the Word of God. And not solely from the activity itself.

Look at Davids confession in Psalm 119:71
Do you see how God had a reason for that?
In Psalm 119:67 God teaches and strengthens through obedience. Struggle.

Hebrews 12:6 reminds us that God does discipline those He loves. He has a reason for all of this. Again, it isn't the discipline, or the action itself, it is God's promise to strengthen and refine us through it. :)

If I have to take a belt to one of my kids, it isn't the belt that makes them stronger, it is the promise of consequence that will keep them from making that same mistake again.

In these processes, God refines us all. Isaiah 48:10 Again, it is Gods Word, Gods promise that sanctifies us through these tribulations.

Much of the reason for this is not as much for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others. God makes some of us stronger through trials, testing and tribulations, so that we are better equipped to face challenges as we guide others along His path...
Hebrews 12:12
1 Thessalonians 1:6
1 Thessalonians 2:2
1 Thessalonians 3:2

James 1:2 reminds us all that God does these things and that through the almighty power of His holy Word we will grow in resolve and in commitment to Him.

Again...
The Word is their strength. Not persecution
I would agree with your statement completely.
The benefit comes from the power of Gods promise. His Word.
And not solely from the activity. :)
 
Thanks CSchultz for that explanation and I fully agree that of course we need the Word and the power behind the Word . It is life to our very being . The Word is like a two edged sword.

But what I am saying is that we are tested and go through persecution for our benifit and to make us stronger by standing on the promises of God . And How do we do that ? Of course again through the Word and with prayer . Without persecution , sickness or trials we need to question our Christianity if we do not have them .

Yea thou I walk through valley of the shadow of death , I will fear no evil . Each time we go through a valley we come closer to God and His will for us . Each time we go through a valley we know there is a mountain top waiting for us at the end . Each time , each time .... God in His mercy and grace holds our hand , giving us strength to go through a sickness , a death of a loved one , a rebelious child , whatever the trial , and we become clay in the Potter 's hands ... He is moulding us shaping us ... making us into the person that He wants to use in His service to tell others, to comfort others to tell others of our experience of how God brought us through what ever we had to go through .

We become better prayer warriors, better witnesses , better people to help others in their time of need. We all need to go through these times in order for our Master to say .... Well done thou good and faithful servant.
 
The Word is like a two edged sword.
Very true!
Very true!
In fact, scripture describes the Word as a sword at least dozens of times.

Without persecution , sickness or trials we need to question our Christianity if we do not have them .
Yes indeed. I would say to the person who faces no conflict at all that they may want to be cautious as to whom they are walking with.
Satan doesn't toy with the souls he has. It is the Christians who he tries to trip up. Christians pose a threat to his plans.

We become better prayer warriors, better witnesses , better people to help others in their time of need. We all need to go through these times in order for our Master to say .... Well done thou good and faithful servant.
AMEN and AMEN!

What a glorious thing that will be to hear from the mouth of God.
 
Thanks CSchultz for that explanation and I fully agree that of course we need the Word and the power behind the Word . It is life to our very being . The Word is like a two edged sword.

But what I am saying is that we are tested and go through persecution for our benifit and to make us stronger by standing on the promises of God . And How do we do that ? Of course again through the Word and with prayer . Without persecution , sickness or trials we need to question our Christianity if we do not have them .

Yea thou I walk through valley of the shadow of death , I will fear no evil . Each time we go through a valley we come closer to God and His will for us . Each time we go through a valley we know there is a mountain top waiting for us at the end . Each time , each time .... God in His mercy and grace holds our hand , giving us strength to go through a sickness , a death of a loved one , a rebelious child , whatever the trial , and we become clay in the Potter 's hands ... He is moulding us shaping us ... making us into the person that He wants to use in His service to tell others, to comfort others to tell others of our experience of how God brought us through what ever we had to go through .

We become better prayer warriors, better witnesses , better people to help others in their time of need. We all need to go through these times in order for our Master to say .... Well done thou good and faithful servant.


So What you are saying here is "God will make you sick to teach you something"?
 
So What you are saying here is "God will make you sick to teach you something"?

I don't think anyone is saying that at all! As a matter of fact I don't think anyone in this thread believes that God deliberately sends bad stuff anyone's way to teach us something. However, stuff happens! Think about what Jesus Himself said: In the world you shall have tribulations; cheer up, I have overcome the world!(Paraphrasing a little...)

The point is our attitude during a trial is what's more important than anything and you can not learn to trust God in times of need if you never have any need! Jesus knew that satan is alive and well on plane Earth and he will do everything in his power to give us trouble!

Otherwise why would He tell us we will have tribulation while we live here? The way you learn to lean on God and the way your faith grows is by having a need seeing God meet it and gaining experience in this particular arena!

Have you ever notice how the prayers of new believers seem to always get answered really fast? I believe, and this is personal opinion so don't get all doctrinal on me, one of the reasons is because God knows baby Christians don't yet have any experience with Him, they have not yet built a solid foundation in who they are in Christ so in order to not loose them in the forst month or so, He allows them to have a lot of props.

After a while though, once we grow and mature we also experience a lot more waiting and our relationship with God becomes more that of a son or daughter with the Father rather than a child aithe the Father!

Laura
 
So What you are saying here is "God will make you sick to teach you something"?

Give me a break , Deni .... No body said that . Sickness is a lot of causes and we cannot blame sickness on God . Where in the world did you ever get that from ?

Please stop mis- interpreting my post and turning it around . Sorry but I am not happy with your statement.
 
I don't think anyone is saying that at all! As a matter of fact I don't think anyone in this thread believes that God deliberately sends bad stuff anyone's way to teach us something. However, stuff happens! Think about what Jesus Himself said: In the world you shall have tribulations; cheer up, I have overcome the world!(Paraphrasing a little...)

The point is our attitude during a trial is what's more important than anything and you can not learn to trust God in times of need if you never have any need! Jesus knew that satan is alive and well on plane Earth and he will do everything in his power to give us trouble!

Otherwise why would He tell us we will have tribulation while we live here? The way you learn to lean on God and the way your faith grows is by having a need seeing God meet it and gaining experience in this particular arena!

Have you ever notice how the prayers of new believers seem to always get answered really fast? I believe, and this is personal opinion so don't get all doctrinal on me, one of the reasons is because God knows baby Christians don't yet have any experience with Him, they have not yet built a solid foundation in who they are in Christ so in order to not loose them in the forst month or so, He allows them to have a lot of props.

After a while though, once we grow and mature we also experience a lot more waiting and our relationship with God becomes more that of a son or daughter with the Father rather than a child aithe the Father!

Laura

Well said thanks and well balanced . God Bless you Laura.
 
Take a look at 2 Cor. 12:7 on this subject. "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations (see preceding verses) there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness", so that Christ's power may rest on me...for when I am weak, then I am strong".

The sickness (whether it was malaria, eye problems or epilepsy, to name but a few ideas on what the "messenger of Satan" was) was a messenger of Satan, but was used by God to strengthen the character of the great Apostle. (To study this subject further read Job. 2:10).

God bless us all as we learn together.
 
Amen .... Thanks Jeanann...... When I am weak ... I am strong . It sounds like an oxymoron but when we understand that , that is when we can let God rule and reign in our lives and let Him work through us .
 
Yes of course God knew in Exodus 17 when the Israelites were going from place to place that there would be no water or no food . But still we see the Israelites still grumbling and complaining to Moses.

Does that mean that God leads us to different places in order to see how much we trust Him ? Yes again .The more we go through brings us closer to God and the realization that He is God .

I think that God specifically sent the people there to test them , to see if they would turn to God first.

God wanted to show the Israleites who He had appointed as their leader and also the fact that He is in control.

I believe God knows without needing to test.

What God does sometimes however is lead people into places where they become totally dependent on Him for their survival and when God does supply their needs their trust in God grows and they can then face the world with confidence.


Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
I believe God knows without needing to test.

What God does sometimes however is lead people into places where they become totally dependent on Him for their survival and when God does supply their needs their trust in God grows and they can then face the world with confidence.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Exactly Adstar , that happens to all of us so that we can grow more dependant on Christ and His love and grow in our Christian walk .

But I think that is an example for us . The Israelites were always grumbling and complaining instead of praising God for where He brought them from and the many miracles that they saw God do.
 
I look at it not so much that God is trying to find out something about us (which, as Adstar said, He already knows) as it is that tribulation reveals to us our own nature and the state of our faith.
 
Back
Top