We are in chapter fifteen of Exodus with our word for today. נָסָה put someone to the test, give experience, train, try, prove, venture. It is used 36 times in the Old Testament. We see our word used in the sense to put to the test in order to ascertain the nature of something, including imperfections, faults, or other qualities. David refuses the offer to use Saul’s armor because he didn’t have experience with it yet. 1 Samuel 17:39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I have not נִסָּה֒ tested them.” So he took them off. We see Solomon being tested to determine how wise he was. 1 Kings 10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came לְנַסֹּת֖וֹ to test Solomon with hard questions. God warns about not testing him in the sense of seeing how much one can get away with not following him. Deuteronomy 6:14-16 Do not follow other gods...Do not put the Lord your God to the נִסִּיתֶ֖ם test as you did at Massah. Psalm 78:56 But they put God to the וַיְנַסּ֣וּ test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.
Most of the time it is God doing the testing. God tested Abraham to see if he loved his son more than God. Genesis 22:1-2, 12 Some time later God נִסָּ֖ה tested Abraham…Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you…Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” God tested to see if his people would follow him even with other influences living close to them. Judges 2:21-22; 3:4 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to נַסּ֥וֹת test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did…They were left לְנַסּ֥וֹת to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses. Deuteronomy 13:3 The Lord your God is מְנַסֶּ֞ה testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 15:23-26 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he נִסָּֽהוּ tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” God knows that most of the time he has to let us experience what he is trying to teach us. So he allowed his people to be in a situation where they faced not having any water to drink that was drinkable. Then God showed up to remind them that he could be trusted and would be there to meet their needs. Then he gives them this test to see if they will trust him the next time they run into challenges that they needed God if they would trust him instead of grumbling or other sins as a response of unbelief. I’ll close with this great passage from Psalm 26 that reminds us of our need to be always ready to trust God. Psalm 26:1-3 Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. וְנַסֵּ֑נִי Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.
