July 9, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Exodus and Romans? Here’s today’s reading:
Exodus 17 (NIV)
Water From the Rock
1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?”……Continue Reading
The Israelites after arriving in Rephidim are now again complaining against Moses that they don`t have any water to drink. God despite their complaining again shows them mercy. God tells Moses to bring his rod and to bring the elders of Israel with him. God instructs Moses to smite the rock that He tells him to. Moses does and water comes out to provide for Israel. Then came Amalek to fight against Israel. God then fights for Israel but He uses the rod of Moses to defeat Amalek and his army. Aaron and Hur take part when Moses gets tired by holding up Moses hands on each side. Meanwhile Joshua leads some men and they get the victory over Amalek. It doesn`t say how many men but probably not all the men. Maybe just a select few. The Lord won this battle but used some men to do what they could do. But God really didn`t need any help. He just had men take part in it. God chose to limit Himself to Moses holding up the rod. How do we apply this to ourselves? Perhaps by us bringing up our prayers before God. God bless.
Exodus 17
Exodus 17
Verse 12 makes me think of James 5:16. We all need help to walk with the Lord. Help from God of course…but also from other believers. God never intended following Him to be a solo endeavor, because God Himself IS community (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), and He grafts us into His community when He saves us.
Exodus 17
Exodus 17
How quickly the Jews forget the power that God has and His care for them. What a lesson for us not to complain or quarrel because we are afraid or lack resources and don’t know how God is going to act. We can believe and look how God will answer and make provision for our lives. How faithful and able He is to work, we just need to be open to how He will do it and how long He will take. And what a great picture at the end of the chapter of how we share in the work of God together. Each has a part to play and things work best when we play our part, whether we are Moses holding the staff, Aaron and Hur supporting Moses, or Joshua and the army on the battlefield. Makes me think of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
Exodus 17
Patience.
Didn’t we just read in Chapter 16 that God fed the people manna and quail for 40 years?
I suppose they do need water too, but they are questioning Moses and whether God is with them.
”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?”“
Exodus 17:7 NKJV
I think of myself being worried about so many things and wondering how specific needs will be met. The Israelites were thirsty and are a picture of impatience and lack of faith. I have much to learn from them. Patience and faith.
Exodus 17
It is so easy to slip into a place of impatience when our needs aren’t being met, when we struggle to know where the money is going to come from and how the bills will get paid. Fear and worry are definitely tools of Satan used to distance us from God. These chapters do help us to see how quickly we can confuse “happiness” and true contentment. Trusting God even when it is scary brings us to a place of contentment and sometimes like we see at the end of the chapter God’s provision comes through the support of those around us. When we care for each other we are the hands and feet of God so we must be aware of each other as well to help one another through the difficult times.
Exodus 17