Exodus 17: 1-7
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. 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?”
But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
The Lord answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
A Thought
God had chosen Moses to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt. On their miraculous journey with the angel of God and the pillar of cloud leading, they had already seen the Lord deliver them through the Red Sea on dry land with the entire army of Pharaoh left dead on shore. After traveling in the desert, they are complaining. God then provided water and manna from heaven. After their complaining again, God provides quail to eat with the manna. As they travel farther to Rephidim where there is no water, the people quarreled and grumbled against Moses questioning whether their Lord is with them or not. Moses prayed asking what is he to do. After Moses obeys the Lord, water is then provided. We will also have a wilderness adventure. We can learn from Moses and the Israelite people that God is faithful; God will provide; We must pray, must obey, and trust God to lead us to find our way of salvation found in his word.
Our Prayer
Father we are a stubborn, quarrelsome people. Forgive us and teach us the way to humbly trust and obey you as we journey by faith with living water and manna from you to provide our complete salvation. Turn our complaining to trust and praise because you are with us. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
