Exodus 17:1-16
Q.1. Why did God repeat the trial of thirst? How did Israel respond this time? How bad did it get for Moses? What did God instruct Moses to do? How was this failure recorded? – (Exo.17:1-7)
God led Israel through another waterless wilderness, to test their faith in Him. As in previous times, they again turned against Moses (Exo.17:1-3 c.f. Exo.15:22-24 & 16:1-3. Their arguments were the same, and they took offence when Moses asked – Why do you test the Lord? (Exo.17:2). God’s people need to learn that no amount of complaining will deflect Him from His purpose of conforming us to the likeness of His Son (c.f. Rom.8:29). This time Moses feared that the people would stone him to death, and he cried out to God (Exo.17:4). The Lord instructed him to take with him some of the elders of Israel, and the staff he had used to strike the Nile River in Egypt. He promised – Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink (Exo.17:6 c.f. Exo.17:5; Jn.4:14; 7:37-38). Moses marked the place of this rebellion with the names Massah i.e. test, and Meribah i.e. quarrel (Exo.17:7). Paul, under inspiration of God, wrote of Israel, that – all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from the spiritual rock which followed them; and that rock was Christ (1 Cor.10:4). He applied it to us – now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved (1 Cor.10:6).
Q.2. Who started the next conflict? How did Moses propose to fight Amalek? What was the outcome of the battle? Who was God to Israel? Was God’s treatment of Amalek extreme? – (Exo.17:8-16)
Israel was vulnerable when Amalek attacked the stragglers on the fringe. He did this because – he did not fear God (Dt.25:18 c.f. Dt.25:17-19; 1 Sam.15:1-2). God laid out a battle plan when the Amalekites attacked Israel. Moses would pray with staff in hand, while Joshua led the troops (Exo.17:9). When the hands of Moses grew tired, Aaron and Hur sat him on a rock, and supported his arms (Exo.17:10-12). In this way, Israel prevailed over Amalek (Exo.17:13). Amalek was the grandson of Esau, of whom it is written that he despised his birthright (Gen.25:34 c.f. Gen.36:9-11). There was an irrational hatred from Esau’s descendants towards Jacob’s descendants, that would continue throughout history. This explains God’s opposition to the Amalekites – 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven” … and he said, “The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation” (Exo.17:14 & 16) The margin explains the reason – because his hand is against the throne of the Lord (YAH). Fundamentally, the hand of Amalek was against the rule of God. Then Moses – built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner i.e. ‘Jehovah Nissi’ (Exo.17:15). The nation had rallied to the Lord, and fought under His protective banner, as Moses prayed. This is how believers engage in spiritual warfare, under the banner of protection provided by our Great High Priest, Who intercedes for us (Eph.6:10-18; Heb.4:14-16).