After three days of walking through the desert, when they finally found water, it turned out to be bitter. This is how the sermon about Israel begins: shortly after their miraculous crossing of the sea, they find themselves in the desert and discover that their real problem is not a lack of water or bread, but a lack of trust. God sends manna for only one day and forbids them from storing it, because He is not concerned with the stomach, but with the heart, which He is reshaping. The speaker adds his own story: the morning when he ran out of money for a loaf of bread, and his cousin returning from the night shift at the bakery, who that day, for no reason, took two. Listen, if your tomorrow looks like a desert today.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Right after crossing the sea, the Israelites sang, "The Lord is my strength and my song" (Exodus 15:2), yet after three days in the desert they were grumbling. What do you think changed their attitude so quickly?
- God gave manna for only one day at a time and forbade storing it up (Exodus 16:4). What was He teaching a people just freed from slavery through this daily dependence?
- The speaker said God brought Israel out of Egypt in one night, but taking Egypt out of their hearts took a long time. Where in your life do you still notice the mindset of your old bondage?
- At Massah and Meribah the question was, "Is the Lord among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7). When does that question rise up in your heart, and what helps you answer it?
- The story of the cousin who unexpectedly brought an extra loaf of bread changed how the speaker saw God's provision. What experience of God's care in your own life reminds you that He knows your needs?
- Every morning the Israelites had to choose whether to trust God for one more day. What concrete step of trust regarding money, family, or the future can you take this week?
