It’s a shorter chapter, though a great deal happens.
Section 1:
“But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘…I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.’ And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.” (v3-5a,6)
Israel quarrels with Moses, practically accusing him of murdering them – talk about ungratefulness. Yet, as He always does, the Lord provides for their needs – water from a stone.
The Israelites probably didn’t realize this at the time, but water from a rock foreshadows Jesus. “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.’ ” (Isa 28:16) “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.” ‘ ” (Jn 7:37-38) And here is the clincher: “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” (1 Cor 10:1-4)
Section 2:
“Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.” (v8,10-13)
I frequently find myself in Moses’ position – I don’t mean fighting a war, I mean lacking the strength and endurance to complete God’s calling in my life. Thankfully, Moses was not alone in this calling – he had two human helpers, and most importantly the Lord was on their side too. God gives us great callings (not all are world-changing or receive public recognition, but all callings are equally important in their own right) but He doesn’t leave us on our own – He will always give us exactly what we need to accomplish the calling. Maybe it’s a couple of buddies to lend us a helping hand and support us (sometimes literally), or maybe it’s training, inner strength, or some other support. No matter what He supplies, God will never call us to do something and then not help us accomplish it – that cruelty would be against the very nature of God. God will however call us to do something that will be impossible in our own strength – He does this intentionally, to remind us we need to rely on Him and others.
Father God, praise and glory be to You for Your trust in us. You call us to help build Your kingdom – even though You don’t actually need our help, You still choose to partner with us. This is a sign of true love. Just like a young father doesn’t need his child’s help to rake leaves, he will still allow the young child to help, in order that he may teach them and grow in relationship. Praise be to You, the Father of fathers, who models for us what it means to be parents (both literal and spiritual) in the lives of others. Thank You for the support You give us in each and every calling, especially for the brothers and sisters with which You bless us. Sure, we will have the odd quarrel, but in the end the blessings of having siblings far outweigh the troubles. Happy father’s day Father God.
~ Conqueror in Training