Exodus Chapter 17

Water from the Rock

            ¹ Then the LORD told the community to travel from the Wilderness of Sin and camp at Rephidim. They didn’t have any water and ² complained to Moses, “Give us some water.”

            “Why are you complaining to me and testing the LORD?”

            ³ But they were thirsty, “Why bring us up from Egypt to let us, our little ones, and our livestock die from thirst?”

            ⁴ Moses called out to the LORD, “What am I going to do with them? They’re about ready to stone me.”

⁵ “Go stand in front of them. Take some of the elders and the staff you used to strike the Nile. ⁶ I’ll stand in front of you on the rock at Horeb/Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for them to drink.”

Moses did that. ⁷ He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites “quarreled” with him and put the LORD on trial, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Ex 17:1-7

Defeating the Amalekites

            ⁸ Amalek came to attack Israel at Rephidim, ⁹ so Moses told Joshua, “Choose men and go fight Amalek. Tomorrow, I’ll station myself on the hill with God’s staff in my hand.” ¹⁰ Joshua did that; Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; when he let it come down, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But his hands got heavy; so they put a boulder under him to sit on; Aaron and Hur supported his hands. His hands were steady till sundown. ¹³ Joshua outfought Amalek and his people with the sword.

¹⁴ Then the LORD told Moses, “Write this in a scroll to remember. Tell Joshua I’ll completely wipe out the memory of Amalek.” ¹⁵ Moses built an altar and named it The LORD Is My Banner [Yahveh-nissi]. ¹⁶ He said, “The LORD has sworn he’ll be at war with Amalek endlessly.”

Ex 17:8-16