Exodus 17:1-16 NKJV
17 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”
So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?”
3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
There are two scenarios in today’s reading. In the first, the Israelites – again, true to form – complained that there was no water to drink while camped at Rephidim. Moses rightly chastised the people and accused them of tempting the Lord by complaining. They even reprised their earlier lament by asking if Moses had brought them out into the wilderness only to be killed off. Again, the Israelites had forgotten how miraculously God had thus far taken care of them; they were overcome by and focused only on their circumstances.
And again, God provided for the complainers and ingrates by blessing them with the miracle of water from a rock which Moses was commanded by God to strike. This teaches you to trust God even when your circumstances dictate otherwise. Trust his Word and not your emotions or feelings of doubt. Repent of your sins and receive Christ’s forgiveness in the Absolution and Supper.
In the second scenario, the Amalekites came to fight against Israel. Moses told the people that he would stand on a hill with his arm outstretched and holding God’s rod. The Israelites prevailed while Moses’ arm was up but failed when it was down. Aaron and Hur provided a stone for Moses to sit on, and each of them held up one of Moses’ arms for the rest of the day so that Joshua defeated the Amalekites.
This reminds you to hold up your faithful pastor in prayer and help him provide for himself and his family. By supporting your faithful pastor, you are supporting the faithful preaching of God’s Word and the right administration of His sacraments for the good of God’s people as they fight against the devil the world, and the sinful flesh. Rejoice that the Lord is your strength and shield, and that you are privileged to support His work.
Let us pray: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.