DRYSDALE UNITING CHURCH
Sunday 22 October 2017 – Early Word Message
© Claire Sierakowski
Lectionary:Exodus 33: 12-23
DOG Depend on God.
I am not an authority on rock music, so I am not going to talk about any bands like INXS or Guns n Roses...... instead I’m going to talk about dogs n Moses.
I am a dog lover, and over the years Peter and I have had a lot of wonderful dogs. Some we’ve had from puppies, but most of them have been rescue dogs. Whenever a loved old dog dies, we wait a few weeks and then are drawn to the RSPCA or Lost Dogs Home. Somehow we just know which poor waif belongs with us, and the marvellous thing about getting a rescue dog is...... as soon as you walk out of the shelter with your new companion, it belongs. The dog seems to sense that you are its saviour, and it will be dependent on you, be faithful to you, and if necessary defend you with its life.
DOG doesn’t only spell dog...... it means DEPEND ON GOD
The Old Testament readings for the past few weeks have been about Moses leading the people of Israel through the desert on their way to the land God had promised them. I’m not sure whether Moses actually liked dogs, but as they travelled, he did a fair bit of dogging. DEPEND ON GOD. They camped at many places on their journey...... when they were at Rephidim it wasn’t a very good camp site because there was no water to drink, and they were very thirsty. Imagine how they must have felt. These people weren’t driving around the desert in an air-conditioned Land Cruiser as we might. Oh no! Those poor Israelites had to pack up their tents and walk. Sometimes when we go camping and Dad stops the car at our camp site, he lifts out our tent, tables and chairs and sleeping bags, and he probably says “OK, everyone has to carry something”. We only have to carry our gear maybe a hundred metres or even less, but imagine how tired and cross the Israelites were when they had trudged many kilometres across the desert to their new campsite, only to discover it had no water...... you could say they’d had a dog of a day!
Moses their leader was even more cheesed off. He was dog tired and I expect he’d had to carry a fair bit of gear himself, as well as the heavy responsibility of being in charge of a group of people who never stopped complaining. They grizzled because they had no water, and when Moses rebuked them and warned them not to test God, they complained even more. Poor Moses was dog tired himself; he’d had a dog of a day and he was frankly worried that if he didn’t produce the goods in the water department, the mob might turn nasty and start chucking stones at him. So what did Moses do? Well of course he prayed. In fact the Bible tells us he prayed earnestly! Let’s face it; it’s no use being half hearted when we pray. Do you think God would be prepared to answer the prayers of someone who said “Hey God, I’m feeling pretty fed up with these Israelites and all the responsibilities you keep handing me...how about you cut me a bit of slack?”
No! God wants us to be sincere when we pray. He wants us to trust Him and believe in Him. He wants us to DOG DEPEND ON GOD in all circumstances.
Throughout their wanderings in the desert, Moses continued to depend on God. When there was no food, Moses prayed and depended on God, and food was miraculously supplied, just enough each day.
The Israelites weren’t as faithful – many times they didn’t depend on God, and as we heard last week, they even made a gold idol of a calf to follow when Moses was away from them. Moses was furious – well it was a pretty low down dog of an act the people did, so he took the idol and burned it in the fire. God was also furious. He was so mad He told Moses he wouldn’t go with them. Of course the people were very sorry – isn’t it amazing how we are always sorry when we have been caught out doing the wrong thing?
Moses was feeling pretty depressed by this time, but as we’ll hear in today’s reading, he remembered DOG Depend on God, so again he pleaded with the Lord, and so because he was pleased with Moses and his faith, God promised His Presence would be with them on their journey, even though no one – not even Moses was permitted to see His face. Moses would feel His presence and be comforted. As we travel our journey through life, God will not permit us to see His face either, but we can see where he has been in the beauty he has created. We can have that same close relationship with God, and we can feel his presence with us if we just take time to be still and tune in.
We can all have the comfort Moses experienced.
When we feel we are no good at anything, when other people at school or work are prettier, more talented or popular, or better at sport...we can DOG Depend on God.
If we have no friends, if some people bully us, or write nasty things about us on facebook.....DOG Depend on God.
When everything seems hopeless...... DOG Depend on God.
When we don’t know where to turn.....DOG Depend on God.
Because when we reach the point where we only have God, then we will understand that God is all we need.
DOG...... DEPEND ON GOD