Christian teaching

Sunday school lesson

Review. Last week we saw how Psalm 95:1-7a calls us to worship the Lord. God is worthy because he is the creator – both of the world (vs. 3-5) and of us his people (v. 7). These acts demonstrate how great God is. But also, simply because God is our creator and we are his, we ought to offer up praise to God. This is the right response. Finally we give thanks because this same God who made all things, “is our God” (v. 7), not some other idol or false god.

We also noted how there is a progression in this Psalm, much like what happens in a worship service: First we are called to sing, give thanks and make a joyful noise (vs. 1-2). Second we are called to bow and kneel (v. 6). Finally, we are called to listen to a message from God.

Read Psalm 95:7b-11.

“[7b] Today, if you hear his voice, [8] do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, [9] when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. [10] For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.’ [11] Therefore I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

Commentary. These verses have a structure to them, just like we saw in the first part of Psalm 95. vs. 7b-9 form an inverted outline and vs. 10-11 parallel each other. Take a moment to look at the chart below: 

Our verses today, although brief, have rightly been compared to a sermon. And if they are a sermon they are based on the two stories mentioned in v. 8 – the story of Massah in Exodus 17:1-7 and the story of Meribah in Numbers 20:2-13. These stories are very similar, and in both God provides water for his people from a rock.

The word Massah means “testing.” The word Meribah means “quarreling.” In Exodus 17 Moses names that place both Massah and Meribah, while in Numbers 20 Meribah is mentioned as a place name. We will refer to the first as the Massah story and the second as the Meribah story. 

The tone of this sermon is a real contrast with the first part of Psalm 95 which is upbeat and joyful. It gives a strong warning to avoid the mistakes made by the people of God in these two wilderness stories.

Psalm 95 tells us that in both instances Israel “put me to the test and put me to the proof” (v. 9). They tested God. Read the following Scriptures to see what Israel did:

• Exodus 17:1-3 “. . . there was no water for the people to drink.  Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 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?”
• Numbers 20:2-5- “Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”

Interestingly Psalm 81:7 tells us that God was also testing them. God let them experience these difficulties to see how they would respond to him.

The phrase “for forty years” (v. 10) refers to the time of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness. The story of Massah (Exodus 17) would have been near to the beginning of this time. The story of Meribah (Numbers 20) would have been near to the end of this time. That generation of Israelites was known for their fighting with God from beginning to end.

Vs. 10-11 show that the result of such disobedience to God is judgment. “God loathed that generation.” God was angry. God excluded them from the promised land.

V. 11 tells us that God swore an oath in his wrath. The content of this oath was that “they shall not enter my rest.” Deuteronomy 9:22-24 relates the Massah story to the story of the spies in Numbers 14. It is here that God swears that none of that generation would enter the land (Numbers 14:20-35). Failure to obey God’s voice is cited in Numbers 14:22 as the reason for this. Psalm 95:7-8 tells us to listen to God’s voice.

The word wrath is not mentioned in the stories of Massah and Meribah. However, Deuteronomy 9:22-24 speaks of the Lord’s “wrath” in connection to Massah, and Psalm 106:32 speaks of God’s “anger” in connection with Meribah.

God’s rest (v. 11) can refer to several things. It can look back to God’s Sabbath rest after the creation of the world (Genesis 2:2-3). It can also refer to the temple, the place where God rests (1 Chronicles 28:2, Psalm 132:14, Isaiah 66:1). Or it can refer to the land of promise, which was often called God’s rest (Deuteronomy 12:9, Joshua 1:15, 1 Kings 8:56). In the context here, the last one seems to be at the forefront. God does not allow them to come into the rest of the promised land.

Questions:

Question 1: What did Israel do wrong in the stories of Massah and Meribah? How does our Scripture describe what they did wrong (vs. 7b-9)? They quarreled and tested God. Grumbled. Asked, “Why? Why? Why?” Demanding.

Psalm 95 says they hardened their hearts to God so that they didn’t listen; they put God to the test and to the proof.

This is the core issue – they assumed that God could not handle this. Unbelief. No confidence in God. And this showed up in their complaining and quarreling. We’re gonna die!

They took the stance that God had to prove himself to them, which is what it means to test God.

Question 2: What should they have done when confronted with their desperate situation (no water in a desert)?  They should have known that God can take care of them. And if God led them into a place with no water, God had the ability to provide water for them.

They should have trusted God. They should have come to God in confidence – “OK God, how would you like to work through this problem. We know you are able.”

Question 3: How does the end of v. 9 – “though they had seen my work” play into God’s judgment of them? They knew better. They had seen already many great miracles. There was no need for God to prove himself to them. They had no excuse.

Question 4: How do we test God? What are some examples? In our difficulties – instead of trusting God and saying, “OK God, how would you like to work through this problem we know you are able?” we stand back and say God why did you let this happen? We complain. (this is not a discerning “why?” but a complaining “why?”). We assume God isn’t able to take care of us. We demand that God prove himself trustworthy to us. It doesn’t matter what God has done in the past – “Prove yourself again Lord!”

Question 5: V. 7b says, “If you hear his voice.” What do you think God is trying to say? Trust me. Look to me. Keep doing what I have commanded you. Don’t harden your heart to this so that you start to complain, argue, and put me to the test.

Question 6: If we are not allowed to test God (also Deuteronomy 6:16), why is God allowed to test us? God doesn’t need to prove himself. God is able and completely faithful. It is we who need to prove ourselves. Will we be faithful? Will we rely on God? This is very much a question.

God’s motive is also different. God does it for our own good. We want peace and no problems – and complain if we don’t have this. But God wants us to grow and become more faithful. And so he allows us to have problems. So that we can learn. *God loves peace, but loves even more that we learn to trust in him.

Large group discussion of answers.

Final thought: “Today” in v. 7b is a word of grace. Yes, the generation in the wilderness failed. But it is a new day for God’s people “today,” that is, all of us who hear this message from Psalm 95. And we are being invited to get it right. To trust God in our times of testing. To have faith. To move forward in obedience to God even when it is hard.

Jesus, in his wilderness testing (Matthew 4/Luke 4), quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 – “you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” This verse is a part of our complex of Scriptures connected to the sermon in Psalm 95. Jesus trusted God. He listened to God. He did not harden his heart. He got it right. And he is our example and can be our help in our times of testing.

How will you respond “today” in your difficult situations?

Handout – Two rock -water stories