This Sunday I’m preaching primarily on Exodus 17. And while reading this text, meditating upon this text, and even writing my sermon for this text, it struck me that there was something I wanted to say about this text, that didn’t really fit with the direction of the lectionary entry as a whole, but which was never the less an important thing to say about and from this text during the season of Lent. So I came here to say it.
What I want to say about this text, is that Exodus 17:1-7 functions if you will, as a spiritual allegory not only for the life to those so sit in darkness, and dwell in the shadow of death that is the dry, hot blaze of the scorching desert heat. But it also functions, if you will, to instruct us in regard to what some would call “sanctification” or “spiritual progress” or “growth in holiness” etc, and the way in which that concept (however its named or defined) is undertaken.
You see, just like Israel, we have been in slavery to sin. We have been captive in spiritual Egypt. We could not free ourselves but, God, who is our redeemer has rescued us, liberated us, redeemed us, freed us, etc, through the substitutionary death of the Paschal Lamb.
Here also I would like to make a note that just as for the Israelites, so also with us it is the case that the death of the paschal lamb, without one’s partaking of its flesh, will not benefit them and they are struck dead –
But anyways, through the substitutionary death of this paschal lamb, AND our necessary partaking of that death through Baptism and the Eucharist received with a living faith, so then we are sent out in freedom into the desert of Sin (or Zin for those who want to ruin our fun) as we begin our journey through this desert of sin, and barrenness, and suffering, toward the rest that is had in the promised land.
And in this desert, Israel begins to complain and they begin to grumble. It was better when we were in slavery to sin they said. At least we had water to drink and food to eat. God has taken us out of slavery to die in this desert. So on so forth.
And isn’t that an exact picture of our own experience? We’re freed from slavery to sin, and sent out into the world, the desert of sin as pilgrims on the way to the promised land, and it’s there that we find ourselves longing to go back to Egpyt. Longing, to again be slaves.
And this is pictured in John 8. Isn’t it?
Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. But those whom the Son sets free shall be free indeed
and Paul in Gal 5; it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
We have been freed from sin, but now that we are free, we find that we don’t quite like being free. We long for the days we spent in Egpyt. Being free to do those things that we were slaves to. Living in those ways that we were used to living. DOing those things we were used to doing. But now that we are free from sin, we find ourselves still longing for sin, and desiring to sin.
And so, we struggle through the desert of Sin, looking to the Law to make this journey easier. Looking to Moses to deliver salvation and respite from the arid heat of our temptation. And this is what Lent looks like for so many people. Lent comes and they see it as a time wherein they’re supposed to be holier than the rest of the year. Where they’re supposed to quell their sins and subdue them and grow in holiness. They want to grow, to progress, and to succeed against their temptations. And so the way that those people usually try to do that is by lapping up more laws for themselves. Laws of fasting. Laws of abstinence. Laws of this and of that. OR, turning back to the Laws they already had. Striving to recall and meditate upon the decalogue and the sermon on the mount. Striving for perfection. As though if they would just recall God’s commands. ANd delight in His laws that then they would no loner sin.
But it doesn’t work. It was never going to work. For the Law was not given to DECREASE SIN BUT TO – INCREASE IT (Romans 5:20). It’s there to stir up the sin within you that you might more fully know what you are and have always been, that you are utterly unable to save and to help yourself, that you turn to Christ who gives you all things needful. The Law is the ministry of death it is given to kill. And yet so many of us still for one reason or another find ourselves looking for it in our search for life.
And yet the one thing, the only thing that gives life to us, is the death of that Paschal lamb, again, renewed, remembered, and made present again in our lives continuallly as the Father offers us Christ and all of His benefits every single day through His Word and every single service through His sacraments. For water did not come from Moses giving Laws, but from Moses striking the rock. And THAT ROCK is Christ (1 Cor 10:4), who was struck by the Law unto death for you, and for the forgiveness of your sins. And from the Law striking that rock which is Christ, out from His side has poured water and blood. Streams of living water. Streams of water and blood from His life-giving death, that we might Drink of His victorious gift of eternity, of forgiveness, of reconciliation and justification and holiness and salvation. That we might drink of His death and receive from it eternal life. For Christ has died, and He has risen from the dead, trampling down death BY death. And on those in the tombs, He has bestowed life. To those in darkness He has bestowed light. To those in the desert, He has poured out a flow of abundant and life-giving water.
And that – not the law, is the water along the way that will refresh our souls and strengthen our hearts against sin, and sanctify us, “progress us in holiness” or whatever it is that you want to call that thing that God is doing to you as He transforms and conforms you into the image of His Son, our Lord, Jesus the Christ.
You want to set one Law for yourself this Lenten season? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, make that law, the law of the reception of God’s grace through Word and Sacrament. Set a time each day to read Scripture and to pray the daily offices. Go to the Eucharist more than just on Sunday. If you’re a Lutheran make use of the Wednesday night Lenten Vespers. If you’re something else, then perhaps you have a daily Eucharistic service at your church. Use these gits. Fan these gifts into flames. Because the Gospel, not the Law, is what sustains you on this journey. The Gospel, not the Law is what gives life to those who are dead. The Gospel, not the Law is what sanctifies us. The Gospel, not the law is what gives us progress and spiritual victory along this sojourn on our way to the heavenly Liturgy.
So dig into that. Receive that water that has flowed out of the side of the Rock that was struck. And drink deeply of it. Because there, and only there (not in the law, not in fasting, not in abstinence, not in giving things up, but only in the life-giving death of Christ for you) will you find the Water along the Way
