p. 6 | REPHIDIM by Ellen G. White

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Dec 12, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 48.

REPHIDIM.

By Ellen G. White

AND all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink. . . . And the people thirsted for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst.'

It was by the express command of God that the children of Israel encamped at Rephidim. He knew of its lack of water, and He brought His people thither to test their faith. But how poorly they proved themselves to be a people whom He could trust. Again and again He had manifested Himself to them. With a high hand He had brought them out of the land of their captivity, slaying the first-born of all the families of Egypt to accomplish their deliverance. He had fed them with angels' food, and had covenanted to bring them into the promised land. Now, when brought into difficulty, they broke into rebellion, and complained that Moses had brought them and their children out of Egypt that they might die of thirst in the wilderness.

The lesson is for us. Many think that in the Christian life they will find freedom from all difficulty. But every one who takes up the cross to follow Jesus comes to a Rephidim in his experience. Life is not all made up of pleasant pastures and cooling streams. Trial and disappointment overtake us; privation comes; we are brought into trying places. Conscience-stricken, we reason that we must have walked far away from God, that if we had walked with Him, we should not have suffered so. Doubt and despondency crowd into our hearts, and we say, The Lord has failed us, and we are ill-used. Why does He permit us to suffer thus? He can not love us; if He did, He would remove the difficulties from our path. Is the Lord with us or not?

But of old the Lord led His people to Rephidim, and He may choose to lead us there also, in order to test our loyalty. He does not always bring us to pleasant places. If He did, in our self-sufficiency we should forget that He is our helper. He longs to manifest Himself to us, and to reveal the abundant supplies at our disposal, and He permits trial and disappointment to come to us that we may realize our helplessness, and learn to call upon Him for aid. He can cause cooling streams to flow from the flinty rock.

We Shall Never Know

until we are face to face with God, when we shall see as we are seen and know as we are known, how many burdens He has borne for us, and how many burdens He would have been glad to bear, if with child-like faith we had brought them to Him.

The experience of the children of Israel has been put on record to help us. 'These things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.' The Lord brought the children of Israel into trying places to test their faith. He had promised to lead them into the promised land, and if they had waited patiently for Him, reviving their faith by recounting His great goodness and wonderful works in their behalf, He would have shortened their test. But they forgot their Leader. Murmuring and complaining, they vented their wrath upon Moses, forgetting that their emergency was God's opportunity.

Do not imitate the conduct of the children of Israel at Rephidim by showing unbelief when brought into difficulties. 'There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it.'

God's Love Is Revealed

in all His dealings with His people; and with clear, unclouded eyes, in adversity, in sickness, in disappointment, and in trial we are to behold the light of His glory in the face of Christ, and trust to His guiding hand. But too often we grieve His heart by our unbelief. Our faith is short-sighted and we allow trial to strengthen our natural tendency to distrust. Brought into straight places, we dishonor God by murmuring and complaining. We should seek instead to help those in need of assistance, those who are seeking for light, but know not how to find it. Such have a special claim on our sympathy, but how often, instead of trying to help them, we pass by on the other side, intent on our own troubles.

God loves His children, and He longs to see them overcoming the discouragement with which Satan would overpower them. Do not give way to unbelief. Do not magnify your difficulties. Remember the love and power that God has shown in times past. He 'so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'

'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?' Christ has proved Himself an all-powerful helper. He knows all about our trials, and in the hour of need can we not believe that He is as willing to help as in times past? No amount of tribulation can separate us from Him. If He leads us to Rephidim, it is because He sees that it is for our good. If we look to Him in trusting faith, He will turn the bitterness of Marah into sweetness. His word to us is, 'I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.'