Series Introduction: 

In our scripture passage today, we join the Israelites on their journey through the harsh wilderness, having just escaped the bonds of Egyptian slavery. Initially filled with the joy of freedom, the Israelites soon struggled under the weight of hunger, thirst, and mounting doubts. As we’ve seen over the last few weeks, at Marah, they encountered bitter water and complained, only for God to transform it into sweetness. In the Desert of Sin, they grumbled about the lack of food, and God responded by miraculously providing manna and quail. Now, in Exodus 17, they face yet another trial with no water in sight, once again questioning God's provision. Ultimately, this journey through the wilderness serves as a powerful reminder of the trials we all face in life and the unwavering faithfulness of God, who continues to provide for us, even in our most challenging moments.

Scripture Reading: 

Exodus 17:1-16 (ESV)

All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 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, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, 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. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 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.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, as we gather to reflect on Your Word, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to the lessons You have for us today. Help us to see Your grace and mercy in the story of the Israelites, and let their journey inspire us to trust in Your unfailing love. May Your Spirit move among us, deepening our faith and drawing us closer to You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

I. The People's Grumbling and Testing of the Lord (Exodus 17:1-7)

Imagine the scene. The Israelites are exhausted, thirsty, and anxious. Their children are crying, their livestock are in danger, and there is no water in sight. Their immediate reaction is to turn their frustration toward Moses and question God's provision and presence among them.

How often do we find ourselves in similar situations? When we feel that our needs are not being met, whether it's financial struggles, health crises, or relationship issues, it's easy to fall into fear and doubt. We might begin to question, “God, where are you? Do you see my pain? Do you care about my situation?” 

Just as the Israelites grumbled against Moses and tested God, we, too can find ourselves grumbling and doubting God’s faithfulness. Yet, God calls us to trust Him even when the way forward is unclear. The author of Hebrews reminds us not to fall in the the same patterns of doubt and rebellion that the Israelites succumbed to in the wilderness:

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.'" (Hebrews 3:7-9)

Despite seeing God's miracles, the Israelites still doubted Him. This serves as a warning for us. We must not let our hearts become hard in the midst of difficulties. Rather, when we find ourselves in our own wilderness journeys, we must trust all the more in God’s unfailing love.

Let's revisit Exodus 17:3-4:

"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.'" (Exodus 17:3-4, ESV).

In desperation, Moses turns to God in prayer. Notice that Moses doesn’t try to solve the problem on his own, nore does he retaliate against the people. Instead, he seeks divine intervention. Moses' response teaches us the importance of turning to God in prayer when we face challenges. Before trying to find solutions on our own or letting frustration take over, we should seek God’s wisdom and help. 

Too often, we treat prayer as a last resort, turning to it only after all our efforts have failed. We exhaust every option to achieve our goals, and when nothing works, only then do we seek God's help. This is misguided. Prayer should be our first response, not our fallback. Prayer is our direct line to the Almighty, who is fully capable of handling any challenge we face. Rather than waiting until we’re at the end of our rope, we should begin with prayer, trusting that God’s power and wisdom can guide us from the start.

Despite the Israelites' grumbling, God provides a solution:

"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, 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. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”” (Exodus 17:5-7, ESV).

This act of providing water from the rock is a miraculous demonstration of God's grace. The rock at Horeb represents a place of judgment, yet from this place, life-giving water flows. 

This account points us to Christ. In John 7:37-39, Jesus declares:

 "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39, ESV).

Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 10:4, the Apostle Paul writes:

 "And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4, ESV)

If the metaphor isn't clear, let’s consider the profound connection between Christ and the Rock that we see in the scriptures. Just as the rock at Horeb was struck to provide water, so too was Christ struck on the cross. In John 19:34, we read how water poured from His wound, symbolizing the spiritual life and renewal offered through His death and resurrection. The rock at Horeb gave life-giving water to a sinful and doubting people, just as Christ, the rock of our faith, was struck down to give us the spiritual waters of new life in Him.

This is an incredible display of God’s grace. Despite our shortcomings, He offers us life through Christ's sacrifice. In times of need, rather than doubting or grumbling, we should turn to Him with faith, trusting that He will provide.

Moreover, as recipients of this grace, we are called to share the living water with others. Just as the water from the rock blessed the Israelites, the living water of Christ should flow through us, blessing those around us. 

II. Victory Through Our Advocate (Exodus 7:8-13)

We then read in Exodus 17:8-13 about the Israelites’ first encounter with the Amalekites in the wilderness at Rephidim. As Joshua led the men into battle, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a hill, where Moses, holding the staff of God, raised his hands in prayer and supplication. This act of faith was crucial in the struggle against their enemies.

The Amalekite attack was considered a grave sin, leading to their eventual doom (Exodus 17:14). However, it’s important to note that this assault occurred right after Israel’s own acts of doubt and rebellion at Massah and Meribah. This raises a profound question: who was truly to blame for the conflict? Was it the Amalekites for attacking God’s chosen people, or were the Israelites at fault for their persistent lack of faith in God’s provision?

It’s human nature to seek a single cause, but often, God's purposes are more complex than we realize. Persecution and hardship can arise from the evil actions of others. They can also be consequences of our own sins, allowed by God as a call to repentance and deeper faith. Sometimes, they might even be both or something entirely different that we haven’t considered. 

Understanding God's truth requires acknowledging its many dimensions. Are we suffering simply because we live in a broken world? Are our struggles a result of our own sins, prompting us to turn back to God? Are we facing trials because we are faithful to Christ in a world that opposes Him? Or is God using our difficulties to bring about a greater, unseen good? Often, we don’t know the answers, and that is why it’s called faith.

There is a real danger in trying to assign blame or divine meaning to tragedies like war, persecution, natural disasters, or personal loss. I once knew a man who had turned his life around after a rough past. He married and had a beautiful baby boy, but tragically, the child fell ill and died. Shortly after, someone who had a vendetta against the man suggested to the grieving father that his child’s death was God’s punishment for the father's past sins. This cruel remark devastated him, driving him away from faith for many years. 

We must be cautious about presuming to speak for God, especially in times of tragedy. When faced with tragic headlines or counseling someone through loss, I avoid playing the role of a prophet. Instead, I point them to the unwavering heart of God, which is always working for good. While we may not understand why God allows certain hardships, we can always respond with faith. We can turn to God in prayer, repent of our sins, lean on His strength, remember His promises, and trust our lives to His hands.

In every trial, whether it’s a global tragedy or a personal struggle, God calls us to faith. We may not know all the reasons for our suffering, but we can be certain of His love and His plans to bring good out of even the darkest situations. Let us trust in Him, not just in our understanding of events, but in His unchanging goodness and mercy.

Note that the Amalekites were a fierce and relentless enemy.While our battles today may not be against physical foes, we face equally daunting spiritual adversaries. As the Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12:

"... we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)

Even so, there are many parallels that we can draw to our own lives. Just as the Israelites needed more than their own strength to overcome their enemies, we too require more than our own might to prevail against the spiritual forces that oppose us. Moses’ act of standing on the hill, holding up the staff of God, symbolizes profound intercession and reliance on divine power. His uplifted hands are a powerful image of prayer and dependence on God, foreshadowing Jesus Christ, who, with outstretched hands on the cross, became our ultimate Mediator.

As Hebrews 7:25 tells us:

"Consequently, [Christ] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25, ESV)

Just as Israel prevailed when Moses’ hands were raised and faltered when they dropped, so too our victory is secured through Christ's enduring intercession. While Moses required Aaron and Hur to support his arms, Jesus, our greater Moses, upholds us by His own power. He needs no assistance to secure our victory. On the hill of Calvary, His outstretched hands won our salvation, and He continues to intercede for us at the right hand of God.

Consider the deeper symbolism: Aaron's name means "mountain of strength," and Hur's name means "fire." On Mt. Sinai, these two supported Moses, much like Jesus, our "mountain of strength," came with the Holy Spirit's fire to make the burdens of the Law bearable through His grace. As Jesus declared, "I have come to cast fire upon the earth" (Luke 12:49). This fire, the Holy Spirit, transforms the once heavy and unyielding commandments into sources of strength and life.

Moses' perseverance, holding his hands up until evening, prefigured Christ’s endurance on the cross until His burial and resurrection. Through His death and resurrection, we are offered new life and victory over all powers of darkness. With Christ’s strength and the Holy Spirit's support, we can bear our burdens, overcome our trials, and proclaim victory—not through our efforts, but through Christ's completed work and ongoing intercession. May we always look to Jesus, our ultimate Mediator, who continually intercedes for us and leads us to triumph.

While I believe this passage primarily points us to Christ, it also underscores the vital role of community support in our faith journey. Moses’ posture of supplication was crucial for Israel's success, but he could not sustain it alone. When his arms grew weary, Aaron and Hur stepped in, providing a stone for him to sit on and holding his hands until the battle was won. This teaches us an essential spiritual truth: we all need the support of one another.

Jesus emphasized this in His ministry. He gathered disciples in groups, assigned responsibilities, and sent them out in pairs (Matthew 10:1-4; 17:1; Luke 10:1). Later, the apostles called for the appointment of deacons to serve the needs of the community, allowing them to focus on preaching and prayer (Acts 6:1-7). As the gospel spread throughout the world, Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every city to continue their work (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5), and Paul often traveled with companions, recognizing that the work of ministry required many hands (Acts 15:23–16:5).

Christianity is not a solitary path. It thrives on the support, encouragement, and accountability that comes from being part of a faith community. As Hebrews 10:24-25 exhorts us:

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Moses’ experience teaches us that we cannot shoulder the burdens of life and ministry alone. We need our community to lift us when we are weary and to help us keep our hands raised in faith and prayer. Just as Moses relied on Aaron and Hur, we need each other. I urge you to actively seek and offer support within the church, building each other up in love and faith. Together, let us draw near to God and to one another, finding strength and victory through Christ and our shared fellowship.

III. Building an Altar and Remembering the Lord's Faithfulness (Exodus 17:14-16)

The Israelites’ victory over the Amalekites was not a result of their own strength or strategy—it was because God was with them. This triumph served as a profound lesson in God’s faithfulness, a lesson that the Lord wanted them to remember and cherish, especially as they faced future challenges. Recognizing their tendency to forget His faithfulness, God commanded Moses to memorialize this event for future generations.

In Exodus 17:14-16, we read:

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.' And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, 'A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.'" (Exodus 17:14-16, ESV)

God’s instruction to Moses to document this victory and recount it to Joshua was not just about recording history—it was about embedding His faithfulness in the collective memory of His people. This written account would serve as a reminder of God’s unchanging promise to be their protector and deliverer. By building an altar and naming it “The Lord Is My Banner” (Jehovah Nissi), Moses created a lasting symbol of God’s intervention and the divine source of their victory.

This altar, Jehovah Nissi, was more than just a monument; it was a declaration that God is their banner—their rallying point and emblem of victory. Just as soldiers gather under a banner in battle, the Israelites were to rally under the knowledge that their triumphs came from God alone. This act of naming and building served to continually remind them of God’s presence and power.

Reflect on how this applies to us today. When we recall and share how God has worked in our lives, we strengthen our faith and encourage others. Each testimony of God’s goodness and intervention is a powerful reminder that He is faithful and active, even when we can’t see it. If God has done something remarkable in your life, share it! Your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear to be reminded of God’s faithfulness.

Hearing how God has moved in our lives not only uplifts us personally but also fortifies the faith of our entire community. By declaring God as our banner, we acknowledge that our successes and strengths come from Him. Sharing these stories honors God and inspires others to trust in His power and provision. Let’s make it a regular practice to speak of God’s victories and His goodness. 

Remembering and celebrating what God has done for us isn't just about the past; it’s about empowering our present and future. It’s a call to constantly recognize and declare that our strength, our victories, and our very lives are anchored in His unwavering faithfulness. Let us gather under the banner of God’s love and proclaim His mighty works, encouraging one another and deepening our collective faith.

Conclusion

As we reflect on these passages, we see God's faithfulness and provision. Just as He provided for the Israelites and gave them victory over the Amalekites, He offers us living water through Christ and strength in our battles. Let us trust in God’s provision, engage in prayer, and remember His goodness. May we stand firm under His banner, sharing His grace with those around us. 

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, we thank You for the truths revealed to us through Your Word today. As we have seen, You provide for our needs and offer us living water through Jesus Christ. Help us to trust in Your provision and to turn to You in prayer during our times of need. May we always remember Your goodness and stand firm under Your banner. Empower us to share Your grace and love with those around us, being a light in this world. As we go forth, let Your presence guide us and Your Spirit strengthen us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.