Water from the Rock
Study note
The Israelites traveled from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water. Once again the people quarreled with Moses and accused him of bringing them out of Egypt to die of thirst. Moses cried out to God, saying the people were almost ready to stone him. God told Moses to take some elders and his staff to a rock at Horeb. When Moses struck the rock, water poured out. Moses named the place Massah, meaning 'testing,' and Meribah, meaning 'quarreling,' because the people tested the Lord by asking, 'Is the Lord with us or not?'
1 The whole Israelite community left the Sin wilderness. They moved from place to place wherever the Lord led them. They stopped at Rephidim, but there was no water to drink at all. And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
2 The people confronted Moses: "Give us water!" Moses answered, "Why are you fighting with me about this? Why are you putting the Lord to the test?" Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
3 But the people were very thirsty. They kept grumbling against Moses. "Why did you drag us out of Egypt? Did you want us, our children, and our animals to die of thirst?" And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
4 Moses called out to the Lord in frustration: "What am I supposed to do with these people? They are one step away from stoning me!" And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
5 The Lord told Moses, "Walk out in front of the people. Bring some of the Israelite leaders with you, and carry the same staff you used to strike the Nile." And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
6 "I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Hit the rock, and water will come pouring out for the people to drink." Moses did this with the leaders of Israel watching. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7 Moses gave this place two names. He called it Massah, which means "testing," and Meribah, which means "quarreling." He did this because the Israelites had picked a fight with him. They challenged the Lord by asking, "Is the Lord among us or not?" And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Victory Over the Amalekites
Study note
The Amalekites, a nomadic people descended from Esau, attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses sent Joshua to lead the fighting while he went to the top of a hill with the staff of God. Whenever Moses held up his hands, Israel was winning. When his arms got tired and dropped, the Amalekites started winning. Aaron and Hur sat Moses on a stone and held up his arms until sunset. Joshua defeated the Amalekites. God told Moses to write this down as a memorial and declared that He would be at war with Amalek for all generations. Moses built an altar and named it 'The Lord Is My Banner.'
8 While the Israelites were still at Rephidim, the Amalekites arrived and attacked them. Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 Moses told Joshua, "Pick out some fighting men and go into battle against the Amalekites. First thing tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill holding God's staff." And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
10 Joshua followed Moses' orders and engaged the Amalekites in battle. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the hilltop. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 Whenever Moses kept his hands raised, Israel's side was winning. But the moment his hands dropped, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 As Moses' arms grew exhausted, Aaron and Hur grabbed a large stone and set it beneath him to sit on. Then the two of them stood beside him — one on each side — holding his arms up. His hands stayed steady all the way until sunset. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 Joshua and his men beat the Amalekite army completely in battle. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 The Lord told Moses, "Write a record of this on a scroll so it will be remembered. Make certain Joshua hears this: I will completely wipe out every trace of the Amalekites from the earth." And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
15 Moses constructed an altar there and named it "The Lord Is My Banner." And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi:
16 Moses said, "The Lord has made a solemn promise. He will fight against the Amalekites through every generation." For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.