Israel now set out from the Desert of Sin, travelling from place to place as the LORD commanded, Exodus 17:1 / Numbers 33:12-13. It was the Lord who commanded them to go to Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink, Exodus 17:1. No water for the people to drink is not an imaginary problem; the people are right to be concerned.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is the second of three episodes in which the water problem was dominant. The first was at Marah, Exodus 15:22-25, and the third was at Meribah near Kedesh, Numbers 20:10-13.’
Though the people focused their complaints against Moses, Moses understood that their problem was against the Lord. Why do you tempt the Lord? Exodus 17:2.
But the people then contended with Moses, showing they responded to the problem in the flesh. And at this point, turning back to Egypt was not an option; they needed water to live, Exodus 17:3, and Moses was desperate to answer their complaint.
It seems that their complaining here becomes more intense since they were desperate for water, even to the point of Moses asking God what to do with these people. They wanted to stone him, Exodus 17:4.
The lack of water isn’t Moses’ fault, yet as the leader of Israel, he must lead them to the answer. Moses cried out to the Lord, Exodus 17:4. Moses knew the people were being unfair, but he still had to lead while under the pressure of unfair attack, and he did the right thing by turning to God.
Although they desperately needed water, they had forgotten all the provisions of the Lord in the past. And so it was at this point in their journey that God’s patience with them turned from enduring their complaints to punishment for their lack of faith.
At this point, Israel was completely in the will of God, yet there was no water to drink! Just because we are having problems, it doesn’t mean we are out of the will of God.
When we have a problem, instead of thinking I’m in a desert, it’s not surprising there isn’t much water here. We need to look to God to meet this need, instead of doing what Israel did, and that is looking for someone to blame. That solved nothing!
And remember that it was at this event when Moses received water after striking the rock that it was going to become a foreshadowing of where we get the real living water, that is, from Christ, according to John 7:37 / 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 / Galatians 3:1.
God tells Moses how water will be provided. He is to go out in front of the people, taking with him some of the elders of Israel and take in his hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go, Exodus 17:5.
Most importantly, God would be with Moses through this difficult challenge of his leadership, Exodus 17:6. God had Moses use what had been successful before, the staff.
This no doubt gave confidence to Moses to use what had been proven useful, Exodus 17:6. God says when Moses strikes the rock, water will come out of it, Exodus 17:6 / John 7:37-39.
Unger, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The smitten Rock beautifully illustrates the death of Christ, resulting in the outpoured Spirit because of an accomplished redemption.’
The plan made no sense, but Moses had to operate in obedience to God. The wisdom of the plan could only be seen in its ultimate success.
Jamieson, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The greatest of the miracles of Moses, because it was done without ostentation and in the presence of a few chosen witnesses.’
Certainly, Moses couldn’t pick up that rod without remembering the power of God; the confidence he received by picking up the rod was a confidence in God, not himself.
Moses still had to lead, even in a difficult situation. A leader under attack may find it easy to shrink back from leadership, but God still wants leaders to lead! At the same time, Moses needed to lead in concert with the men of wisdom the Lord had given Israel.
God required faith in Moses, the leader, to do such a thing in front of the nation and the elders, Exodus 17:6, which meant Moses had to have a lot of trust in God, think how foolish he would look if it failed!
Now Moses could lead boldly! Naturally speaking, this rock may have held an artesian spring which God caused to burst forth when Moses struck the rock. To give drink to that many people would have required the Niagara Falls.
After God provides water, Moses names the place as a rebuke to the children of Israel. Naturally speaking, this rock may have held an artesian spring which God caused to burst forth when Moses struck the rock.
To give drink to that many people would have required the Niagara Falls. God remembered the way Israel tested Him at Massah and Meribah, recalling it in Deuteronomy 6:16 / Deuteronomy 9:22 / Deuteronomy 33:8.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This second instance of complaining about lack of water was more serious than the first because God had provided good water for them earlier in the desert, Exodus 15:25.’
What made this incident so important to God? Because they tempted the Lord by saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ In a time of difficulty, the children of Israel, directly or indirectly, doubted the loving presence and care of God among them.
Later, when Israel remembered God’s provision in the wilderness at the Feast of Tabernacles, they had a specific ceremony where they recalled this miracle of water from a rock, John 7:37-38.
The living water Jesus spoke of was the Holy Spirit, John 7:39. It is no less miraculous for God to bring the love and power of the Holy Spirit out of our hearts than it is to bring water out of a rock, our hearts can be just as hard! Jesus was struck with Moses’ rod, the curse of the law, and from Him flows water to satisfy our spiritual thirst.
Here we read that God brings victory to Israel over the Amalekites. Amalek battles Israel, the power of Moses’ prayer. The method of attack used by Amalek was despicable, Deuteronomy 25:17-18.
With his armies, Amalek attacked the feeble and weak who were in the rear of the Israelite company, Exodus 17:8. Though the Amalekites were descendants of Esau, Genesis 36:12 / Genesis 36:16, they had forsaken their fear of the God of Israel and so had felt no guilt about attacking the people of God.
This was an unprovoked attack by Amalek against Israel. Moses calls Joshua to lead the armies of Israel into battle, Exodus 17:9. This is the first mention of Joshua, Exodus 33:11. We find him doing what he does until the time Moses passes from the scene, Joshua is serving Moses. Joshua did as Moses said to him.
Moses supports the work behind the scenes in prayer, but the fate of Israel in battle depends on Moses’ intercession. Tomorrow, Moses will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in his hands, Exodus 17:9.
Joshua went with Moses, Aaron and Hur to a hill that overlooked the valley where the battle between Israel and the Amalekites took place, Exodus 17:10. Joshua was first known as Oshea, Numbers 13:16, and his name means, ‘Jehovah is salvation’.
Hur is the grandfather of Bezaleel, who was later inspired to build the tabernacle, Exodus 31:1-5 / 1 Chronicles 2:18-20. With the presence of Aaron and Hur, Moses was able to accomplish His part in the victory, illustrating that Moses also needed the help of others to stand by him. Good leaders know that they must always work in the company of others on whom they can lean.
The words ‘held up his hand’ describe the Israelite posture of prayer, Exodus 17:11, as we might bow our heads and fold our hands. It’s likely that he held up the rod of God in his hand as a sign to the people. But with both hands being raised, this would be a position of prayer, Psalms 28:2 / Psalms 63:4 and 1 Timothy 2:8.
In other words, Moses recognised that God was the source of help and protection and the Israelites needed to depend upon God and God alone, especially if they wanted to defeat their enemies. And so in this incident, God was reaffirming the position of Moses, as well as His preservation of Israel through Moses.
Esses, in his commentary, says the following.
‘As long as our hands are lifted up in praise, in worship, in thanksgiving, no matter what the circumstances, the Lord and His people will prevail. But the minute we put our hands down and stop praising God, the enemy overcomes us. In all things we have to praise God and give thanks to Jesus Christ.’
Dummelow, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Moses praying on the hill while the people are fighting in the valley is an emblem (or type) of Christ interceding in the heavenly places for his people struggling upon earth, Hebrews 4:14-16.’
When Moses prayed, Israel won; when he stopped praying, Amalek prevailed, Exodus 17:11. How could this be? How could life or death for Israel depend on the prayers of one man?
God wants us to pray with this kind of passion, believing that life and death, perhaps eternally, may depend on our prayer. In his early days, Moses thought the only way to win a battle was to fight. Now he will let Joshua fight, while he does the more important work, pray for the victory.
In order to prevent anarchy in the years to come, God wanted Moses to be considered the authority through whom He worked to bring Israel to the Promised Land.
The events were to be recorded for future generations to remember, and the memory of the event would certainly play a part in reminding the people of what Amalek had done to the weak and feeble of Israel at a time when they were most vulnerable. In the future, the Amalekites would be completely annihilated from history for this attack against Israel.
When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, Exodus 17:12. Moses’ hands are strengthened in prayer. Aaron and Hur come alongside Moses and literally hold his hands up in prayer, Exodus 17:13; they help him and partner with him in intercession. Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword, Exodus 17:13.
Though this was Moses’ work to do, it was more than he could do; the battle of prayer could not be won by him alone. He needed others to come alongside and strengthen him in prayer.
Prayer is sometimes easy, other times it is hard work. This is why Paul describes the ministry of Epaphras as always labouring fervently for you in prayers, Colossians 4:12, and why Paul says we must continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving, Colossians 4:2.
Because of this work of prayer, Israel was victorious over Amalek. We are left with no other option than to say that if Moses, Aaron, and Hur had not done the work in prayer, the battle would not have been won, and history would have been changed.
How much victory is lacking because God’s people will not pray? When Jesus accomplished the greatest victory over Satan, His hands were stretched out. And after the victory, Moses built an altar and named it, ‘the Lord is my banner’, Exodus 17:15. And so God not only delivered His people from the Egyptians, but He also delivered them from the hands of the Amalekites.
God tells Moses to write 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, Exodus 17:14.
Rawlinson, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The original has ‘write this in THE book.’ It is clear that a book already existed, in which Moses entered events of interest, and now he was divinely commanded to record in it the great victory over Amalek, and the threat uttered against them.’
Kaiser, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is the first of five instances in the Pentateuch where we read that Moses wrote down something at the Lord’s command, Exodus 24:4 / Exodus 24:7 / Exodus 34:27 / Numbers 33:1-2 / Deuteronomy 31:9 / Deuteronomy 31:24.’
Though Moses knew his prayer was important, he wasn’t foolish enough to think that he had won the battle, in worship, he builds an altar and praises the name of ‘Yahweh-Nissi, that is to say, ‘The Lord is My Banner’, Exodus 17:15.
Nissi refers to a flag or a banner, this is the idea of God, victorious in battle. The same word is used of the serpent on the pole in Numbers 21:8-9. See also Psalm 60:4 / Isaiah 11:10. Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation, Exodus 17:16.
Because of God’s strong command to battle against Amalek until they are completely conquered, many see the Amalekites as a picture of our flesh, which constantly battles against the spirit and must be struggled against until completely conquered, Galatians 5:17.
Israel was disobedient to the command to constantly wage war against Amalek in the days of Saul. This was the primary act of disobedience that cost Saul the throne, 1 Samuel 15:2-9 / 1 Samuel 28:18. In the future, the Amalekites would be completely annihilated from history for this attack against Israel, 1 Chronicles 4:41-43.
Let me bring to your attention two other ongoing miraculous events which had already begun. These two miracles are often overlooked, and at this point in time, the Israelites didn’t know about them yet.
In Deuteronomy 29, where we find God making a covenant with the Israelites in Moab, Moses records two miracles which have been going on for forty years. For forty years, the Israelite’s clothes and their shoes didn’t wear out, Deuteronomy 29:5.
Do you think they noticed that their clothes and sandals never wore out? I can imagine a man saying to his wife, ‘You know, darling, it’s been a long time since we provided our children or even each other with some new clothes or shoes.’
Now think about this for a moment, God preserved them with water, He preserved them with food, and He preserved them with clothes. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus reminds us that there are certain things we shouldn’t be worried about, food, drink or clothing, Matthew 6:31.
Jesus is not talking about paying our mortgage or our mobile phone bill; He’s talking about God supplying our most basic needs for life. And when we stop relying on God and trusting that He will meet those needs, then that becomes sinful.
God was supplying the daily basic needs for the Israelites, and He still does it today for Christians. We need to recognise that because the Greek word used for worry is ‘merimnao’, which literally means distraction.
If we are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, then we can’t allow ourselves to become distracted by the basic necessities of life. We must trust that God is going to supply those basic necessities.