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(5) The Waters of Marah and Meribah

  (5) The Waters of Marah and Meribah ① The Bitter and Sweet Waters of Marah Exodus 15:22-27 “ Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went into the Desert of Shur, and they went three days ’ journey in the wilderness, but found no water. They came to Marah, but they could not drink its water, because it was bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah. The people grumbled against Moses, saying, “ What shall we drink? ” So Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which he threw into the water, and the waters became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he tested them, saying, “ If you diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God and obey him, and do what is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his decrees, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer. ” They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water a...
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Question 122: What is the meaning of the first petition?

  Question 122: What is the meaning of the first petition? Answer: "Hallowed be thy name" means that we first know God, sanctify Him, and glorify Him, and that His omnipotence, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and truth may shine forth in all His works. It also means that we pray that God will direct our lives — our thoughts, words, and actions — so that His name may not be profaned by us but may be honored and praised alone. "Hallowed be thy name." The Father's name is Jehovah in heaven, and on earth Jesus. The fact that the name is hallowed is not the noun "name," but that Jesus is holy. Because Jesus is holy, those who enter into Christ are also holy. The holy Jesus possesses authority in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:18-20 “ Then Jesus came and said to them, ‘ All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spi...
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Question 120-121

  Question 120-121 Question 120: Why did Christ command us to address God as "Our Father"? Answer: At the beginning of the prayer, Christ taught us to believe and revere, like a child, the most fundamental principle of prayer: that God has become our Father through Christ. Just as earthly fathers do not reject their children's requests for earthly things, so God the Father will not reject what we ask for in faith. In Matthew 3:16-17, “ When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. And behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, ‘ This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ’” Jesus was originally God in the kingdom of God, but he came to this world as the Son of God. Philippians 2:6-8, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a ser...
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Question 119: What is the Lord's Prayer?

  Question 119: What is the Lord's Prayer? Answer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who debt us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The prayer the Lord taught us is just one example. He tells us not to memorize the Lord's Prayer and recite it like a mantra, but to pray it according to our own circumstances. The content of the Lord's Prayer is a prayer for the Father's name, the Father's will, spiritual food, deliverance from sin, and deliverance from Satan's temptations and evil. The Father's name is Jehovah in heaven, and on earth Jesus. The hallowing of the name is not the noun itself, but rather the reverence and exaltation of Jesus. People are focusing on the name, but this is misguided. The Father's ...
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Question 118: What has God commanded us to pray for?

  Question 118: What has God commanded us to pray for? Answer: We are to pray for all our physical and spiritual needs, as contained in the prayer our Lord Christ taught us. Jesus told us to seek first the righteousness of God's kingdom. Building heaven on earth should be the primary purpose of prayer. Believers must pray in connection with establishing God's kingdom, and God will answer these prayers. Praying for worldly blessings will yield no results. When we ask for heavenly blessings, God will answer—that is, He will fill us with the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul describes his experience of going to the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12. However, he then prayed for the removal of a thorn in his flesh, but God did not answer. The thorn in his flesh represents the mind manifested in the physical body (the old self) that Satan targets. Only by carefully examining whether the believer's prayers are directed toward heaven or earth can they be answered. Believers are those w...
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Question 116-117

  (Prayer) Question 116: Why should Christians pray? Answer: Because prayer is our greatest expression of gratitude to God. Furthermore, God hears the prayers of those who earnestly seek His grace and the Holy Spirit, believing and giving thanks that He will answer them. First, the reason Christians must pray to God is to communicate with Him. Communication is not one-sided; it involves dialogue and intimacy. Thus, Christians come to understand God's will, and God hears their prayers and sends the light of the Holy Spirit, empowering them. Second, if believers do not pray to God, their fleshly heart will rise. Therefore, we must always respond to God's word with a spiritual heart. Through prayer, believers are filled with the Holy Spirit and can suppress their fleshly heart. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (adiareiptos). Adiareiptos means "without ceasing."   Question 117: How should we pray so that God will hear our prayers?...
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Question 115: If no one can keep the Ten Commandments in this life, why does God so strictly command them?

  Question 115: If no one can keep the Ten Commandments in this life, why does God so strictly command them? Answer: First, because the longer we live, the more we become aware of our sinfulness, and the more we become aware of our sinfulness, the more we seek Christ for forgiveness and justification. Second, so that we may implore the grace of the Holy Spirit to be more and more renewed in the image of God, until we attain perfect obedience, which is our goal after this life.   There may be times when you wonder why God requires believers to keep laws they cannot keep. We must analyze each of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and consider the meaning of God's words. Therefore, we must realize how elementary and base the dichotomy between those who must keep the law and those who do not is. The Law consists of a whopping 613 rules. Among them, the people were required to observe numerous other rules, including the Ten Commandments, the moral law, ceremonial laws, and civ...
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