Water from the rock
1 The whole community of the people of Israel moved on from the desert of Sin going from place to place as Yahweh commanded, and encamped at Rephidim. But there was no water to drink.
2 The people complained to Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” But Mo ses replied, “Why do you find fault with me? Why do you put Yahweh to the test?”
3 But the people thirsted for water there and grumbled against Moses, “Why did you make us leave Egypt to have us die of thirst with our children and our cattle?”
4 So Moses cried to Yahweh, “What shall I do with the people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
5 Yahweh said to Moses, “Go ahead of the people and take with you the elders of Israel. Take with you the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6 I will stand there before you on the rock at Horeb. You will strike the rock and water will flow from it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the presence of the elders of Israel.
7 The place was called Massah and Meribah because of the complaints of the Israelites, who tested Yahweh saying, “Is Yahweh with us or not?”
Victory over Amalek
8 When the Israelites were at Rephidim, the Amalekites came and attacked them.
9 So Moses said to Jo shua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites in the morning. As for me, I will stand with God’s staff in my hand at the top of the hill.”
10 Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had directed, while Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.
11 It happened that when Moses raised his hands, the Israelites would win but when he lowered them, the Amalekites would have the advantage.
12 As Moses’ arms grew weary they placed a stone for him to sit on while Aaron and Hur on either side held up his arms which remained steadily raised until sunset.
13 For his part Joshua mowed down Ama lek and his people with the sword.
14 Yahweh then instructed Moses, “Write this in a book as something to be remembered, and make it known in the hearing of Joshua that I will wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 After that Moses built an altar and called it ‘Yahweh is my banner,’
16 for he said, “Raise up the standard of Yahweh; Yahweh is at war with the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
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Comments Exodus, Chapter 17
• 17.1 God puts Israel to the test in the desert: For how long will these common people be willing to follow an uncommon destiny? How far will their faith go? Israel also tempts God, that is, they ask him for signs because they do not have total confidence in him. They demand mir a cles: “If you are with us, show it, here and now.”
The Bible recalls this confrontation in the event of the water coming out of the rock. Moses, too, was put to the test in this place; see the same event related in Numbers 20.
In later times, the Jewish tradition saw in this rock a figure of God, the fountain of life, who was present among his people; the miraculous rock which accompanied them in their wanderings (see 1 Cor 10:4). God is the impenetrable Rock that retains its secret until it allows itself to be wounded and from its own wound life pours forth. Let us under stand that humankind, being sinful, loses real knowledge of God and for this reason cannot find him. But God becomes weak in the person of Jesus who, on dying, reveals the secret of God’s love and compassion for us. The gospel emphasizes that from the heart of Jesus, wounded by the lance, flowed forth blood and water, an image of the Holy Spirit (Jn 7:37 and 19:34).
• 8. The victory over Amalek completes these experiences of Divine Providence. Jo shua directs the battle, but Moses with his rod lifted, works wonders. From God comes the victory.
In this story, the Christian tradition has always recognized an image of prayer that obtains victories from God.
The prophet’s mission is not just to speak, but also to be an intercessor before God: 1 S 7:7; Jer 7:16; Ex 32:30.