WATER FROM THE ROCK

The Israelites traveled from the wilderness of Sin and camped in a place called Rephidim. In Rephidim there was no water to drink. The people came to Moses, demanding, "'Give us water to drink.'"SRme 1.526

Moses answered, 'Why are you complaining? Why are you putting the Lord to the test?'SRme 1.527

"But the people were very thirsty and continued to complain to Moses. They said, 'Why did you bring us out of Egypt? To kill us and our children and our livestock [animals] with thirst?`SRme 1.528

"Moses prayed earnestly to the Lord and said, 'What can I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.'SRme 1.529

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Take some of the leaders of Israel with you, and go on ahead of the people. Take along the stick with which you struck the Nile. I will stand before you on a rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.'SRme 1.530

"Moses. . .[hit the rock] in the presence of the leaders of Israel. The place was named Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites complained and put the Lord to the test when they asked, 'Is the Lord with us or not?'" (Ex. 17:2-7).SRme 1.531

God led the Israelites to set up their camp where there was no water because He wanted to test them. God wanted to know if the Israelites would look to Him in their trouble, or if they would grumble and complain as they had done in the past.SRme 1.532

The Israelites should have remembered the wonderful way the Lord had delivered them. They should have trusted Him when they had trouble. They should have known that God would not let them die from thirst. God had promised to care for the Israelites as His special people. But instead of humbly asking God to provide for their need, the Israelites blamed Moses for their trouble. They demanded that Moses get water for them.SRme 1.533

Again and again God had shown His power in a wonderful way. God wanted the Israelites to understand that all the good things they received came from Him. God could bless them with what they needed or He could take away the blessing, according to His own will. Sometimes the Israelites understood that God gives and takes away, and humbled themselves before the Lord. But when they became thirsty or hungry, they blamed Moses for their trouble. They acted as though they had left Egypt just to please Moses.SRme 1.534

Moses was heartbroken when he heard the Israelites' cruel complaints. The people seemed ready to stone him, so he asked the Lord what he should do. The cloud of God's glory rested directly before the rock. The Lord told Moses to strike the rock with the rod God had given him. When Moses hit the rock, God "split the rock open in the desert and gave them water from the depths. He caused a stream to come out of the rock and made water flow like a river" (Ps 78:15, 16).SRme 1.535

Moses struck the rock, but God stood by Moses and caused the water to flow from the solid rock. The Israelites had tempted God in their thirst and said, "If God brought us out here, why does He not give us water as well as bread?"SRme 1.536

By using the word if, the Israelites showed they did not believe God. Moses was afraid God would punish the Israelites for their wicked complaining. Once more the Lord had tested the faith of His people, and once again they did not pass the test. The Israelites grumbled because they were thirsty, so and they complained against Moses. God allowed the Israelites' enemies to make war on them because of their unbelief. God wanted to show His people that their strength came from Him.SRme 1.537