Exodus 17
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”
3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5 The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah[a] and Meribah[b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
The Amalekites Defeated
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[c] the throne of the Lord,[d] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing.
- Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.
- Exodus 17:16 Or to
- Exodus 17:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
Quarreling with God’s Chosen Leader
Exodus 17:1-2
The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”
Do you see Moses’ question here? He’s saying that quarreling with God’s chosen leader is testing God. Rejecting God’s chosen leader is saying that God isn’t wise enough to know who to choose. Making things difficult for God’s chosen leader is trying God’s patience.
I’m not saying we need to assume that every leader became a leader because they were chosen by God. There are some people in leadership who should not be. I’m not saying we should obey a leader when they’re clearly in the wrong. Jesus said we can know a true and false prophet by their fruit.
Moses, however, was used by God multiple times to do miracles in the sight of all Israel. If you have a leader whose ministry is clearly bearing fruit, who is obviously being used by God, be very careful when challenging them, because you may be challenging God.
Remember and Trust
Exodus 17:3
But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
I read this passage and think, “The Israelites should have had more faith! Can’t they remember how God provided for them when they needed food? Why can’t they trust that He’ll supply drink as well?”
We don’t ever have to be afraid or wonder IF God is going to meet our needs. We can look back and see how He’s provided for us in the past and trust that He’ll do it again. He has a great track record. He has never failed. The only thing we need to wonder about is HOW God is going to meet our needs. When we come to Him with an attitude of trust, we can eagerly expect His provisions and blessings. We can be excited to see what God is going to do rather than being anxious about our needs.
Getting Hit by Stones, or Hitting the Rock?
Exodus 17:4-6
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
I think it’s funny that since Moses was afraid the people were going to stone him, God said, “Go hit a rock.” The Lord was turning Moses’ fear into victory.
Can I ask you, what are you afraid of? Take courage. Your God can turn any situation around in unexpected ways.
Helping Each Other Help Each Other
Exodus 17:8-13
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
There are three roles being filled in this story. Joshua was fighting the battle. Moses was helping Joshua win the battle by lifting his hands in prayer and blessing. But Moses needed help so that he could continue helping Joshua! Moses, the leader, needed support from others to keep Joshua going.
Do you see the point? If we want our church’s or our ministry’s efforts to continue to be successful, we need to have people filling each of these three roles. We need people to go do the work, we need leaders to direct and call God’s blessings on the work, and we need people to support the leader so that the leader can continue to support those doing the work.
Which of these roles are you called to? Hands-on worker, leader, or supporter? Embrace the role the Lord has given you and fill it diligently!
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