THE CHRISTIAN’S WARFARE

Text- Exodus 17:8-16

Introduction

This evening I am going to continue with my series of sermons that I have been preaching on the names of God.  The name we are going to examine tonight is Jehovah-Nissi and our text is found in Exodus 17:8-16.

Only a few weeks have passed since Israel was at Marah, the place of bitter waters where God revealed himself as "Jehovah the Healer".

From Marah Israel journeyed to Elim.  As Israel continued their journey we find in Exodus chapter 16 that they came to the "Wilderness of Sin" and there because of their hunger for food they once again grumbled at Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 16:3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." (NIV)

As a result of their grumbling, God sent manna from heaven to satisfy their need for food.

After leaving the Wilderness of Sin we find Israel in Exodus chapter 17 coming to a place called "Rephidim".

Exodus 17:1-4 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."

Here at Raphidim we are told that there was no water to drink and so the people again began to quarrel with Moses and accused him of planning this against Israel.

As a result Moses once again cried unto the Lord and the Lord heard his prayer and miraculously provided water for the thirsty multitudes by having Moses strike the rock at Horeb.

Exodus 17:5-8 The Lord answered Moses, "Walk on ahead 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 and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"   8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

After this experience we find the occasion that resulted in God revealing himself as Jehovah-Nissi which literally means, "The Lord is my banner" or “defender”.

As we look at our text today there are some very valuable lessons we can learn from Israel’s war time experience that we can apply to our own spiritual battles.  This morning I would like us to look at three things we must do in order to win our daily spiritual battles.