Exodus 17 Water from the Rock
1 At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. 2 So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.
“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?”
3 But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
It began that morning when all the water skins were empty. Throughout the Israelite camp, nobody had any water left. The next crisis was about to hit. When God began supplying quail and manna, Moses thought he would be free from the Israelites’ complaints. WRONG! As soon as water becomes an issue, the Israelites are right back at it, whining and accusing Moses. Not satisfied with mere whining, they repeat the same accusations over again, claiming that Moses has BROUGHT them out of Egypt, as if they didn’t leave Egypt freely and joyfully. And nobody is lifting a finger to defend Moses or deflect these accusations. Even though there are elders in the group who should exert leadership, they too are hanging back and crying out with the rest.
4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”
5 The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.
7 Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”
This time, God orders Moses to call some of the elders of Israel to accompany him when he strikes the rock, releasing a gushing spring of water. These elders are the same men who should have been quieting the people and comforting them before going to Moses, but they too have been hanging back, hoping that Moses would come up with a miracle and they might just quietly hide in the crowd. A test has come, and while Moses has performed well, these men have failed miserably. Had these men been truly acting as leaders, they could have calmed the people and then gone to Moses to inquire how God was going to address this most recent problem. There was no need for the situation to escalate to the point of people threatening to stone Moses.
Why does God order Moses to have the elders join him as he strikes the rock? God knows these guys are a pack of wimps. But God wants these men to witness His divine power because eventually, they are going to be deputizing for Moses and solving problems as they conduct local courts. God is beginning to develop these men as leaders, even though they don’t realize it.
The situation is solved when Moses strikes the rock and water begins gushing out; however, it’s doubtful that either the elders or their people learn very much apart from the idea that if they scream loudly enough, Moses will do something. Moses feels God’s power move through him to split the rock open and cause the water to gush, so he has peace. But the Israelites as a group have lost the chance to gain the peace that comes from trusting God to act. These people are enjoying a kind of peace; however, it’s not the type that will last. And as soon as the next crisis comes, the situation will repeat itself.
Most of us behave very similarly to the Israelites. We get into a jam, cry out for God’s help, and are relieved when He delivers us. But we fail to realize that if we begin by expressing our trust in God, we can have peace throughout the crisis, rather than only having it once the crisis is over. And what if God wants us to assume positions of spiritual leadership? As long as we are behaving like small children, God cannot elevate us to the level of leaders, for He can’t trust us to care for anyone, not even ourselves.
May God help us to trust Him so that we can lead others to trust Him as well.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You even when obstacles appear impossible. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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