Water From the Rock
At Rephidim the people quarrel over water and are ready to stone Moses, asking whether our Father is among them or not. He is told to strike the rock, and water comes. Then Amalek attacks, and Israel prevails only while Aaron and Hur hold up Moses' hands.
17 1All Israel's community left the Wilderness of Sin, journeying stage by stage as our Father commanded, and camped at Rephidim—but there was no water for the people to drink. 2The people argued with Moses: "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why argue with me? Why test our Father?"
3The people were thirsty there for water and grumbled against Moses, saying, "Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
4Moses cried out to our Father, "What should I do with this people? They're about to stone me."
5Our Father said to Moses, "Go ahead of the people. Take some elders of Israel with you, and take in your hand the staff you struck the Nile with, then go. 6I will stand there before you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." Moses did so as Israel's elders watched.
7He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the people of Israel quarreled and tested our Father, asking, "Is our Father among us or not?" a a v7 Massah means "testing" and Meribah means "quarreling" — the place was named for how the people doubted whether our Father was really with them.
Our Father Wins the Battle
8Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. 9Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us, and go out to fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with our Father's staff in my hand." 10Joshua did as Moses said and fought Amalek; Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the hilltop. 11Now whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; but whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12Moses' hands grew heavy, so they set a stone under him and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on each side, so they stayed steady until sunset. 13And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14Our Father told Moses, "Write this in a book as a reminder, and recite it aloud to Joshua: I will completely erase Amalek's memory from under heaven."
15Moses built an altar and named it "Our Father Is My Banner," b b v15 Moses named the altar "our Father is my banner" after Israel's victory over Amalek, won while his hands were lifted to our Father. 16and he said, "For a hand is on the throne of our Father: He will war against Amalek generation after generation." c c v16 "A hand upon the throne" is a war oath: Amalek struck first against our Father's rule, so he pledges to fight them forever.
