Exodus 17:1-16 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage, Exodus 17:1-16, is full of powerful lessons, so many in fact that there’s probably one lesson for every hour of your workday today. You may want to read this message in pieces, taking it in bit by bit throughout the day. Get ready! Let’s go!
Exodus 17:1-5 (NIV)
1 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, “Walk on ahead 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.
On verses 1-5: Once again the Israelites grumble against Moses, complaining about a lack of water. Moses asks God what he should do with these angry, grumbling people, and I like the LORD’s response to Moses. The LORD tells Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people.” (v5) When people are grumbling, walk ahead of them. Don’t become their follower, moving forward only when they move forward or going only when they tell you to go. Walk ahead of them and you’ll see things that they don’t see and be better positioned to lead them.
Exodus 17:6a (NIV)
6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb…
On verse 6a: Notice God wasn’t back there where all the complainers, critics and grumblers were. God was out in front, up ahead of Moses. When you hang out with complainer, critics and grumblers you’re only going backward. When you run to God you’re moving ahead and going forward.
Exodus 17:6b (NIV)
6 …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.
On verse 6b: God tells Moses to strike the rock and says that water will come out of it for the people to drink. Paul would refer to this picture later on in 1 Corinthians 10:4-5 when he says about the Israelites in Exodus: that they “…all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”
Not only was the LORD feeding the Israelites physically through these miracles. Even more, the LORD was teaching them spiritually through these miracles. So when Moses struck the rock and water came out, as Paul seems to suggest in 1 Corinthians 10:4-5, it wasn’t just physical water gushing out quench their physical thirst; even more, the LORD’s teachings, like living water, were gushing from the rock that is Jesus Christ to feed their spiritual hunger. And yet the Israelites would still turn away from God and fail to trust Him.
What can we learn from this? First, every miracle is a lesson from God in disguise. When you experience a miracle, be sure you understand the lesson God is trying to teach you through the miracle.
Second, you may be well provided for physically, and you may have access to the greatest Bible teaching and Gospel preaching that there is, but how blessed you are is not a measure of your spiritual maturity or a guarantee that you will be saved in the end. What counts is how you respond to the water (both physically and spiritually) that God gives to you. Do you treasure it or do you take it for granted? Do you respond to those blessings by pressing into God and worshiping Him more? Do you use it to help others or do you use it for self-satisfaction purposes only? What matters even more than the blessings God gives us is how we respond to those blessings.
Exodus 17:7 (NIV)
7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
On verse 7: The place where water came out of the rock was originally called Rephidim, which means “a place of rest. But because the Israelites quarreled with Moses and tested God with their grumbling, Moses renames that place “Massah” (which means “testing”) and “Meribah” (which means “quarreling”). It goes to show that when we insist on quarreling with others and testing God’s patience, we can turn environments that were meant for rest and peace into places of unrest and dissension.
Especially after all the ways that God has been good to you and me, let’s be careful not to test the Lord’s patience with an attitude of unbelief. It’s okay to have honest questions, but it’s not okay to keep doubting God even after He has given you reason after reason to trust in Him.
Exodus 17:8-11 (NIV)
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.
On verses 8-11: In response to the Amalekites attacking the Israelites, Moses tells Joshua to choose some men and fight the Amalekites, while Moses goes up to the top of a hill to pray. What can we learn from the fact that the Israelites would start winning when Moses lifted his hands and would start losing when he lowered his hands? Here are a few lessons I learn:
1. We don’t win our battles simply by depending on our own strength, but by depending on God’s power.
2. The battle is often won behind the scenes where no one sees rather than in the foreground where everyone sees.
3. It takes a team to win the biggest battles of our lives. We can’t do it on our own.
Exodus 17:12-13 (NIV)
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.
On verses 12-13: After reading about incident after incident where the Israelites grumble against Moses, it is so refreshing to see two people – Aaron and Hur – in Exodus 17:12 treating their God-given leader well. Instead of throwing stones at their leader, Aaron and Hur placed a stone underneath Moses to support him. Instead of pointing the finger at their leader, they held up Moses’ arms to keep him steady.
How about you? How do you treat your God-given leaders? Is your attitude toward them one of complaining, second-guessing and pointing fingers? Or do you do your best to treat your leaders well, follow them, pray for them, support them, encourage them, and not take them for granted?
Because Aaron and Hur treated their leader Moses well, the entire Israelite army was victorious and accomplished their mission (Exodus 17:13). In the same way, when you love and support your leaders well, you put your church in position to be victorious and to accomplish your God-given mission together.
Exodus 17:14 (NIV)
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 memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
On verse 14: Why did the LORD want to make sure that Joshua heard that this victory over the Amalekites would be recorded (v14)? It’s because the LORD knew that Joshua would be the next leader of Israel after Moses, and this record would serve to remind Joshua that the battles he would fight belong to the LORD.
Exodus 17:15 (NIV)
15 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.
On verse 15: The Hebrew name for “The LORD is my Banner” is Jehovah-Nissi. What does it mean for the LORD to be your banner? Just like when people cheer on their favourite sports teams with flags and banners, just like when people put up banners to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions, so the LORD is worth living for, cheering for and celebrating.
Exodus 17:16 (NIV)
16 He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
On verse 16: Why does Moses say that the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation? Is there no hope for future generations of Amalekites? This is because for the next several centuries, the Amalekites would be a thorn in the side of the Israelites, raiding the Israelites, and mercilessly attacking the youngest and most vulnerable among the Israelites. So much so that in some Jewish circles “Amalekite” is used as a symbol to represent any evil enemy that has tried to annihilate the Jews. God, like a protective father, is committed to defending and protecting His children against those who seek to prey on them.
Thank You Heavenly Father for being my banner, my protector, and my strength in battle. Instead of going backwards and hanging with grumblers and complainers, may I move forward by finding You, the One who goes before me. I pray I wouldn’t miss the lessons You are trying to teach me through the miracles You’ve done in my life. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
