God's miracles are all around us. But for many of us they don't meet our expectations. When some might say they don't see any evidence of miracles, the fleeing Israelites at Massah occurs when they complained to Moses about their thirst,
1. The entire community of the children of Israel journeyed from the desert of Sin to their travels by the mandate of the Lord. They encamped in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.
2. So the people quarreled with Moses, and they said, Give us water that we may drink Moses said to them, Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?
3. The people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and they said, Why have you brought us up from Egypt to make me and my children and my livestock die of thirst?
4. Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, What shall I do for this people? Just a little longer and they will stone me!
5. And the Lord said to Moses, Pass before the people and take with you [some] of the elders of Israel, and take into your hand your staff, with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6. Behold, I shall stand there before you on the rock in Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel.
7. He named the place Massah [testing] and Meribah [quarreling] because of the quarrel of the children of Israel and because of their testing the Lord, saying, Is the Lord in our midst or not?
Shemot 17
Instead of expecting angels or God Himself to appear before us performing a miracle, we should look instead at events and see if maybe God is acting subtley inside them. A story of how this might work appeared on an episode of "The West Wing:"
FATHER CAVANAUGH
You know, you remind me of the man that lived by the river. He heard a radio
report
that the river was going to rush up and flood the town. And that all the
residents
should evacuate their homes. But the man said, 'I'm religious. I pray. God
loves me.
God will save me.' The waters rose up. A guy in a row boat came along and
he shouted,
'Hey, hey you! You in there. The town is flooding. Let me take you to safety.'
But the
man shouted back, 'I'm religious. I pray. God loves me. God will save me.'
A helicopter
was hovering overhead. And a guy with a megaphone shouted, 'Hey you, you
down there.
The town is flooding. Let me drop this ladder and I'll take you to safety.'
But the
man shouted back that he was religious, that he prayed, that God loved him
and that
God will take him to safety. Well... the man drowned. And standing at the
gates of
St. Peter, he demanded an audience with God. 'Lord,' he said, 'I'm a religious
man,
I pray. I thought you loved me. Why did this happen?' God said, 'I sent you
a radio
report, a helicopter, and a guy in a rowboat. What the hell are you doing
here?'
Though fictional, this story is very much like my own incident this last Shabbos with the bee and wondering if leaving my place of residence violated Shabbat Law:
Keeping the Sabbath
Posted : 30 Jul, 2011 08:39 AM
A question that comes up every Shabbos is the thing about not leaving one's place of residence:
29. See that the Lord has given you the Sabbath. Therefore, on the sixth day, He gives you bread for two days. Let each man remain in his place; let no man leave his place on the seventh day - Exodus 16
To which my question is this: I live in an apartment. The building is completely circular. On the interior of the circle is all the recreational stuff like sandpit volleyball, the clubhouse, clay tennis courts, walking paths, and the pool. Is going out to the pool for a swim 'leaving my place of residence?' In other words, does the command mean we should stay indoors, or just 'where ever we live - however those borders are defined?'
later that day I posted this:
Keeping the Sabbath
Posted : 30 Jul, 2011 05:09 PM
True story follows...As if to answer my question about remaining indoors, while sitting outside just a few minutes ago alittle common honeybee began buzzing me getting me up out of my chair and taking anever-ending series of steps and hops back away from it (not killing it an Einstein quote coming to mind about how if ever honeybees went extinct, the human race would follow within 4 years from a lack of pollenation.) This was one seriously persistant bee as it just kept coming at me finally settling on my chair I'd been sitting on. Lifting and shaking the chair to get it off and hopefully send it on its way it resumed coming after me! Finally I just came back inside but not before suffering the embarassment of the security guard standing nearby saying, "Guess a bee is having some fun with you eh?" To which I replied, "There is! It's lucky I like bees!" Then quickly went back inside. :)
I've not had such a clearly religious experience in over 20 years, but because of this thread earlier today, and my going outside my place of residence while still the Sabbath, I can't help but regard this as a proper and genuine sign. It's like the angel responsible for bees (I assume there's one as there's one specifically for birds) whispered in its ear to shoo me back inside. :)
Question answered. :)
Instead of testing God, or expecting a personal encounter with Him, look instead for God to reveal Himself only to those who seek Him.
Rashi says that this is referenced only to the manna gatherers. The limit set by the Soferim (Rabbis) was 2000 cubits. However the Torah law was set at twelve mil (about 9 miles-exactly the size of the Camp of Israel). The intent was that the manna gatherers should not go out to gather manna because there was enough on the sixth day to last through the seventh.
True story follows...As if to answer my question about remaining indoors, while sitting outside just a few minutes ago alittle common honeybee began buzzing me getting me up out of my chair and taking anever-ending series of steps and hops back away from it (not killing it an Einstein quote coming to mind about how if ever honeybees went extinct, the human race would follow within 4 years from a lack of pollenation.) This was one seriously persistant bee as it just kept coming at me finally settling on my chair I'd been sitting on. Lifting and shaking the chair to get it off and hopefully send it on its way it resumed coming after me! Finally I just came back inside but not before suffering the embarassment of the security guard standing nearby saying, "Guess a bee is having some fun with you eh?" To which I replied, "There is! It's lucky I like bees!" Then quickly went back inside. :)
I've not had such a clearly religious experience in over 20 years, but because of this thread earlier today, and my going outside my place of residence while still the Sabbath, I can't help but regard this as a proper and genuine sign. It's like the angel responsible for bees (I assume there's one as there's one specifically for birds) whispered in its ear to shoo me back inside. :)
Question answered. :)
Instead of testing God, or expecting a personal encounter with Him, look instead for God to reveal Himself only to those who seek Him.
POIC:
Jeff:
Why would you allow Ha-Satan to use a little bee to keep you first from Knowing the Love of GOD to set you free from being bound to and under the LAW.( No one apart from Yeshua has ever,nor could ever fully keep the LAW and the PROPHETS).
Second:
The enemy of GOD used the bee to keep you from knowing and enjoying FREEDOM in YESHUA.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Third:
The enemy of GOD has you bound to fearing a bee.
Ha-Satan used a little bee to keep you from knowing that YHWH has placed the fear of man into His creation.
Gen 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
Forth:
The enemy has kept you from knowing that you are able to call upon YHWH,even using His name withou FEAR of retribution.
Gen 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Psa 116:12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
Psa 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Fifth:
The enemy of YHWH has kept you from truly knowing and understanding this Scripture.
Psa 103:1 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psa 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psa 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
MARVELOUS JEFF! JUST MIGHTY MARVELOUS!!! I Praise God for you.
Just a Side Bar: Sometimes while we are waiting for God, He is usually ALWAYS waiting on us to take action and move out from our hidding places, and forward in our faith, trusting and believing that He will do what He said He will do in us and for us!
Beautiful post Jeff:applause::glow::yay::dancingp::dancingp:
