The Israelites complain to Moses, test God
Bible Accent: Moses
Saint for Today: St. Tutilo
Puzzle
The Israelites complain to Moses, test God
For reading of Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Israelites had been wandering for a very long time since the Lord allowed them to escape the slavery of Egypt. They had complained to Moses that they were hungry, so God provided manna from heaven for them to eat. But they were still not satisfied and they complained to Moses again, because there was not enough water. They said to him, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses answered them. “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to a test?” The people of Israel gave Moses a reply that surprised and frightened him. “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?”
Moses said that he would take their petitions to the Lord. He found a quiet place away from everyone and talked to God. “What shall I do with this people?” he asked. “A little more and they will stone me!” The Lord gave Moses instructions about what to do in order to meet the needs of the Israelites.
“Go over there in front of the people, along with some of the elders of Israel, holding in your hand, as you go, the staff with which you struck the river. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.”
So Moses returned to the people and called them together, along with some of the elders, as God had commanded him. He brought them to the rock in Horeb in order to obey the Lord. He said a prayer, and then he hit the rock with his staff.
Just as the Lord said it would happen, the rock broke open and immediately water began to pour out of it, more than enough for everyone to drink and to be able to feed the livestock.
After this new miracle that God had performed for them, they named this place Massah and Meribah, because this is a place where the people quarreled with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
READ MORE ABOUT IT:
Exodus 17
Q&A
1. Why were the people angry with Moses? 2. How did God provide water for Israel?
Bible Accent: Moses
Moses is one of the most important figures of the Old Testament. His mother, in order to prevent him from being killed by Pharaoh, set him afloat in a basket, hoping that someone would find him. That someone turned out to be Pharaoh’s own daughter, and Moses’ mother was asked to be his nursemaid. Later, God spoke to him from a burning bush, and the ministry of Moses began. He went before Pharaoh and asked for the release of the Israelites from slavery. Pharoah refused, so God sent a series of plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh gave up. The Israelites left Egypt and wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, until they finally reached the land that God had promised would become their homeland. The Book of Exodus is full of exciting stories and miraculous events.
Saint for Today: St. Tutilo
Tutilo (850-915) received a quality education in a respected monastery in St. Gall in Switzerland. Two of his classmates also became monks and remained in the monastery. Tutilo was appointed head of the cloister school. He excelled in many fields of study and was skilled in poetry, public speaking, architecture and several artistic disciplines. Music, though, was his deepest love, and he wrote music to go with some of the hymns and chants of the monastery. King Charles knew of Tutilo’s talents, and regretted that such a genius spent all of his time in the monastery. Tutilo did not like publicity, and did not like to hear compliments about his work or his musical performances. He was a shy man who dedicated his life and his talents to the Lord. We honor him on March 28.
Puzzle
