Delivered from bondage, yet you doubted His might,
“Give us water!” the thirst for faith, they implore,
As Moses heard cries, in the dark of night.
Why did you bring us here, to this barren land?
To perish from thirst, with our cattle too?
Moses beseeched the sky, with trembling hand,
“What shall I do with this doubting crew?”
The rock was struck, the waters then flowed,
A test of faith, a lesson to be shown,
God's provision in the desert abode,
Yet doubts lingered, in hearts of stone.
Massah and Meribah, named in their test,
The people of Israel, with wavering cries,
Challenged their God, their faith under arrest,
In the face of trials, where belief lies.
In Psalm 81, the echoes resound,
A people unyielding, in stubborn pursuit,
If only they'd listen, in faith they'd be found,
But rebellion persists, their hearts to refute.
The prayer of Jesus, lead us not astray,
From the trials that test our weakened resolve,
In Meribah's shadows, we kneel and pray,
For deliverance from doubts that absolve.
*************^******************
Explanation:
The poem "The Testing at Meribah" delves into the biblical narrative of the events at Meribah, focusing on the Exodus 17 account where the Israelites doubted God's provision for water in the desert. The poem captures the tension between faith and doubt, highlighting the struggles faced by the Israelites as they grappled with their trust in God.
Each stanza reflects a different aspect of the story, from the initial cries for water to Moses' plea to God for guidance. The themes of testing, faith, and deliverance are interwoven throughout the poem, mirroring the complex emotions and challenges faced by the ancient Israelites.
By drawing parallels with the petition in the Lord's Prayer to be delivered from temptation or testing, the poem connects the biblical narrative to broader themes of human frailty and the need for divine intervention. Ultimately, "The Testing at Meribah" serves as a contemplative reflection on the intricacies of faith, doubt, and the merciful hand of God in times of trial.
I was baptised on January 19, 1980. Not long after that (a couple of years, maybe) I was asked a question which has continued to reverberate in my memory and mind since then.
I was asked, "How can you love someone who lets you suffer?"
According to the article, it is stated that, ' "Many scholars have pointed out that "temptation" might not be the best word here. "Trial" or "testing" is better."
Also, an article (circa 1984 ?) in my church's magazine about the Lord's Prayer explained that a better meaning of "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" would most likely be, "keep us from sore trial".
This seems to fit with what this article presentation is intimating.
Another question I have about this petition to not bring us to the time of "trial/testing" is that since God knows our frame, He "pitieth us - a "vapour" that 'appears for a while' - and therefore He knows (omniscient, omnipotent) how any of His creation will respond and cope with any trial/testing that He brings upon us. So why/how would such a trial/testing be brought upon His creation?
One reason might be - and I have come to think this constitutes a large part of what God's plan in creation entails, and what God is doing - and that is to grow, change, develop mankind (eventually) from the fallible, faulty, incomplete being He created - both in the Garden of Eden, as well as mankind's later "fall" to whatever level of capacity/capability/functionality God reduced/lowered him to - have mankind become the/a New Creation/New Man/Renewed in mind (and other aspects), so as to be made fit for entrance into the Kingdom of God, the realm of God, the New Jerusalem; in short, to enjoy Godly life.
1 Corinthians 10: 131 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (NKJV) implies that any trial or testing is limited and designed (by God) with some purpose in mind.
That purpose, I submit, is for the growth, change, etc. as mentioned above, of people (called out ones at this time and age) God is changing and making New so as to enter into His Kingdom/family/Government.
Yes, God saves and changes people into new creations fit and qualified to enter and live life in His Kingdom Family Realm.
As frail, faulty, limited beings it is only reasonable to fear hardship and our inability to pass the "test".
It is also therefore reasonable to complain ( I believe) when undergoing trials and tribulations - Jesus did at Gethsemane ("Take this cup from me"); Job did; as well as David and the 40 percent of Psalms that are Psalms of Lament.
Title: The Testing at Meribah
Yvon Roustan ©
I tested you at the Waters of Meribah,
Where faith was tried under desert skies,
In the wilderness, the people's hearts saw,
Their doubts and fears, beneath glaring eyes.
The Lord your God led you from Egypt's shore,
Delivered from bondage, yet you doubted His might,
“Give us water!” the thirst for faith, they implore,
As Moses heard cries, in the dark of night.
Why did you bring us here, to this barren land?
To perish from thirst, with our cattle too?
Moses beseeched the sky, with trembling hand,
“What shall I do with this doubting crew?”
The rock was struck, the waters then flowed,
A test of faith, a lesson to be shown,
God's provision in the desert abode,
Yet doubts lingered, in hearts of stone.
Massah and Meribah, named in their test,
The people of Israel, with wavering cries,
Challenged their God, their faith under arrest,
In the face of trials, where belief lies.
In Psalm 81, the echoes resound,
A people unyielding, in stubborn pursuit,
If only they'd listen, in faith they'd be found,
But rebellion persists, their hearts to refute.
The prayer of Jesus, lead us not astray,
From the trials that test our weakened resolve,
In Meribah's shadows, we kneel and pray,
For deliverance from doubts that absolve.
*************^******************
Explanation:
The poem "The Testing at Meribah" delves into the biblical narrative of the events at Meribah, focusing on the Exodus 17 account where the Israelites doubted God's provision for water in the desert. The poem captures the tension between faith and doubt, highlighting the struggles faced by the Israelites as they grappled with their trust in God.
Each stanza reflects a different aspect of the story, from the initial cries for water to Moses' plea to God for guidance. The themes of testing, faith, and deliverance are interwoven throughout the poem, mirroring the complex emotions and challenges faced by the ancient Israelites.
By drawing parallels with the petition in the Lord's Prayer to be delivered from temptation or testing, the poem connects the biblical narrative to broader themes of human frailty and the need for divine intervention. Ultimately, "The Testing at Meribah" serves as a contemplative reflection on the intricacies of faith, doubt, and the merciful hand of God in times of trial.
Peter Grach
I was baptised on January 19, 1980. Not long after that (a couple of years, maybe) I was asked a question which has continued to reverberate in my memory and mind since then.
I was asked, "How can you love someone who lets you suffer?"
According to the article, it is stated that, ' "Many scholars have pointed out that "temptation" might not be the best word here. "Trial" or "testing" is better."
Also, an article (circa 1984 ?) in my church's magazine about the Lord's Prayer explained that a better meaning of "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" would most likely be, "keep us from sore trial".
This seems to fit with what this article presentation is intimating.
Another question I have about this petition to not bring us to the time of "trial/testing" is that since God knows our frame, He "pitieth us - a "vapour" that 'appears for a while' - and therefore He knows (omniscient, omnipotent) how any of His creation will respond and cope with any trial/testing that He brings upon us. So why/how would such a trial/testing be brought upon His creation?
One reason might be - and I have come to think this constitutes a large part of what God's plan in creation entails, and what God is doing - and that is to grow, change, develop mankind (eventually) from the fallible, faulty, incomplete being He created - both in the Garden of Eden, as well as mankind's later "fall" to whatever level of capacity/capability/functionality God reduced/lowered him to - have mankind become the/a New Creation/New Man/Renewed in mind (and other aspects), so as to be made fit for entrance into the Kingdom of God, the realm of God, the New Jerusalem; in short, to enjoy Godly life.
1 Corinthians 10: 131 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (NKJV) implies that any trial or testing is limited and designed (by God) with some purpose in mind.
That purpose, I submit, is for the growth, change, etc. as mentioned above, of people (called out ones at this time and age) God is changing and making New so as to enter into His Kingdom/family/Government.
Yes, God saves and changes people into new creations fit and qualified to enter and live life in His Kingdom Family Realm.
As frail, faulty, limited beings it is only reasonable to fear hardship and our inability to pass the "test".
It is also therefore reasonable to complain ( I believe) when undergoing trials and tribulations - Jesus did at Gethsemane ("Take this cup from me"); Job did; as well as David and the 40 percent of Psalms that are Psalms of Lament.
Regards,
Peter Grach