February 15 Daily Devotional

Exodus 17

The children of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and pitched their tents in the highlands of Rephidim. They were now in a very rocky country, with mountains all around them. Again the people began to complain. Every day they were receiving their manna, but there was nothing to drink. No water could be found, not even a spring of salty water. In anger the people came to Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” Moses said, “Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?”

Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me?” The Lord told him he should take some of the elders of Israel and the rod that he used to smite the river; with this rod he should smite the rock in Horeb and water would come out of it, that the people might drink. Moses did so. He smote the rock in the sight of the elders of Israel, and a stream of water poured forth from the rock, so the people could drink. And Moses called the place Massah and Meribah (temptation and strife), because the children of Israel tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”

In the country around Rephidim lived a wild people who were called Amalekites. These people attacked the Israelites and made war on them. Moses chose a brave young man named Joshua to lead the army of Israel against their enemies. He told Joshua, “Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.” Joshua did so and fought with Amalek. But Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. While the battle was going on, Moses held up his hands in prayer, for he was a man of prayer and knew that “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

When Moses held up his hands, Israel drove back the Amalekites; but when he dropped his hands, the enemy seemed to be stronger than Israel and made headway. Moses tried therefore to hold up his hands, but they became so tired that he could not keep them up. Then Aaron and Hur (who is thought to have been Moses’ brother in law, the husband of his sister Miriam) stood beside Moses and held up his hands, until the Israelites gained the victory and the men of Amalek were overcome. It happened when the sun was setting on the western horizon. Moses and the children of Israel were thankful. Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah­Nissi (the Lord is my banner).