Doubt, Grumbling, Weakness, and Quarreling

Yesterday, I taught at a Women of The Word Workshop on Exodus.

One theme was the idea of the Israelites being in the Wilderness to be tested (Exodus 15:25, 16:4) and the parallel of how we can sometimes feel like we are in the wilderness being tested.

As God's timing would have it, I was in the midst of my wilderness trial with my husband's job loss while studying Exodus.  I remember asking my Bible Study ladies to pray for me and truly sensing that I was being sustained by their prayers as the Israelites prevailed when Moses' hands were lifted by Aaron and...what was that other guy's name?

I went to look up the story and found it in Exodus 17, when Israel was fighting the Amalekites, the only battle scene in the book.  Oh, that's right, the other guy's name was Hur.  I want to remember that Hur, Hur, Hur.

When I get to chapter 31, as I'm studying Exodus, the LORD explains to Moses that he has called two men to be the main craftsmen of the tabernacle.  Verses 1 and 2 say, "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah."  Hur!

Hur is mentioned again and this time we find out that he is from Judah, the royal, kingly line that the Messiah is going to be born through (Genesis 49:10.)

So, those verses in chapter 31 cross reference me back to Hur mentioned in Exodus 17 and as I read chapter 17, I'm struck...

To back up, I had a similar insight when I studied Deuteronomy, which could be why it stood out to me.

To jump ahead, Exodus 18 is about Jethro's advice to Moses regarding the delegation of judges over groups of people so Moses is not responsible for judging all the quarrels.

Backing up again to the theme of the Wilderness testing in Exodus...and in our lives.  We know that Jesus was lead into the Wilderness to be tested (Matthew 4:1-11) and that He had victory in each test.

The people of Israel enter the Wilderness in  Exodus chapter 16.  In chapter 19, they are called to the wilderness at Sinai.  As the people of Israel are lead into the wilderness, before the laws given at Mount Sinai, they are tested through hunger (ch.16), thirst (17:1-7), a battle (17:8-16), and disputes (ch.18).  The people of Israel responded in doubt, grumbling, weakness, and quarreling.  Jesus is the perfect picture of everything we need to respond to life's trials and tests.

In Exodus 17:8-16, the weak Moses is held up by Aaron and Hur.  Moses represents the prophet of God (Dt. 18:15), Aaron represents the priestly line (Ex. 28:1), and Hur represents the kingly line (Ex. 31:2).  Exodus 17:13-16 declares that Israel conquered the Amalekites.

The people of Israel failed in their response to their testing, but the picture of Exodus points to the needs met in the One who demonstrates perfection in each test...Bread from Heaven (ch. 16), Water from a Rock (17:1-7), Prophet, Priest, King, Conqueror (17:8-16) and Eternal Judge (Ch.18)!  Everything they need for their testing, before they enter Sinai to receive the good guidance of their laws.

Everything we need for our testing as we seek to follow the guidance of Christ, our Bread from Heaven, Living Water from a Rock, Prophet, Priest, King, Conqueror, and Eternal Judge!


  
(An interesting, and related, side note is that the other main craftsman for the tabernacle mentioned in Exodus 31, Oholiab, is from the tribe of Dan, who shall judge his people (Genesis 49:16).  So, there is one man from the line of Kings and one man from the line of Judges who will oversee the building of God's dwelling place!)