The people contended with Moses. The word in Hebrew for “contended” is (רִיב) which means to toss, grapple and wrangle. They complained about lack of water and accused Moses of having murder on his mind. Why did they grapple with him? He was not their Lord and Savior. Why did they tempt the Lord? Their lack of faith in God tempted God to bring on them the same plagues that He brought on unbelieving Pharaoh.
“So, Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.’ And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So, he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” Exodus 17:4-6
Moses took his need before the Lord. He didn’t tell the Lord what to do? He asked the Lord for counsel. The Lord instructed Moses what to do.
After Moses brought 2.5 million slaves out of slavery, they were ready to stone him. This passage reminds of how the Jerusalemites sung “Hosanna” to Jesus Christ on a Sunday and crucified Him on a Friday. Leaders may want to live in the accolades of their past but followers tend to rate them on a moment by moment basis?
In John 5:43, Jesus said, “I have come in My Father’s Name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” Anyone who is more concerned about their own name than the name of the Lord can be manipulated by conniving people.
In Matthew 5:11-12, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” With this blessing from the Lord, we can endure dislikes and departures of people because piling up stats for our name’s sake is not our motive. Our goal is to glorify the Lord whether by life or death.
The people need water. God told Moses to strike a rock with his wooden staff. In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul identifies the rock that Moses struck was a type of Christ. The striking of the rock represents Jesus being smitten on the wooden cross to provide for our souls the “living water” of eternal salvation.
Moses called the name of the place Massah (temptation) and Meribah (strife). The way to overcome temptation and strife is to turn to Christ rather than to contention and complaining.
“Now, Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.’ So, Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy. So, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So, Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.” Exodus 17:7-13
In Deuteronomy 25:17-18, Moses recounts this battle saying that the Amalekites attacked Israel’s rear ranks. Lacking the fear of God, the Amalekites attacked Israel’s weary stragglers as predators attack weak animals of a flock. What did Moses do? He raised the rod which represents the cross of Christ, as well as his other hand in prayer to God. As long as his hands were lifted to the Lord, Israel prevailed. So, when he grew weary, Aaron and Hur came to his sides and helped Moses to keep his hands up.
“Then, the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; for he said, ‘Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’” Exodus 17:14-17
Amalek made a fatal mistake that day. They joined with Satan against God’s people. Psalm 83:4 says, “They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” God promised to wipe the Amalekites out.
In 1 Samuel 15:1-3, the Lord told King Saul via His servant Samuel the prophet, “To go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.” Saul spared their king and the best of their animals. Thus, God rejected Saul and determined to replace him with David. Later, In 2 Samuel 1:6–10, an Amalekite tells David that he struck the final death blow to Saul.
“And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Then, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a foreign land’) and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, ‘The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh’); and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. Now, he had said to Moses, ‘I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.’ So, Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.” Exodus 18:1-7
Moses had been deprived of companionship with his wife and sons throughout the time of his confrontation with Pharaoh. Since the last time that he saw his wife and sons, he experienced hatred and threats from the King of Egypt, as well as hatred and death threats from the very slaves God sent him to rescue. He showed his father-in-law great respect and affection.
“And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. Then, Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now, I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.’ Then, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.” Exodus 18:8-12
Once upon a time, Moses was passing through Midian. He sat down to rest by a well. While there, he saw Jethro’s daughters being bullied by a group of shepherds. Moses chased the bullies away and helped the shepherdesses to water their flocks. When they got home, Jethro told them to invite Moses home for dinner. What could a priest of Midian offer to a former prince of Egypt? A daughter in marriage! Now, 40 years later, Jethro blesses the Lord for delivering his son-in-law and his people from Egypt. He testifies, “Now, I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods.” He made offerings and sacrifices to God. He invited Aaron and the elders of Israel to eat with him and Moses. Moses was blessed with a very good father-in-law.
“And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. So, when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?’ And Moses said to his father-in-law, ‘Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.’” Exodus 18:13-16
Now, Moses needed a rescuer. Jethro approached his son-in-law with questions. What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone? From morning until evening? Moses explained the “why” and “what” he did.
“So, Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you. You are not able to perform it by yourself. Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Moreover, you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of 1,000’s, rulers of 100’s, rulers of 50’s, and rulers of 10’s. And let them judge the people at all times. Then, it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So, it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.’” Exodus 18:17-23
Now, Jethro interjects his concern, “You will surely wear yourselves out.” He asks Moses to listen to him, offers him advice, and states confidently that God will be with him if he accepts his advice. Jethro advises Moses to take time and energy to select able men with the following qualifications: 1. They fear God, 2. Respect truth, and 3. Hate covetousness. Jethro advised Moses to create four tiers of judges: 1. Over 1,000’s, 2. over 100’s, 3. over 50’s, and 4. over 10’s. Moses would still be the final judge over cases that the lower courts could not resolve.
“So, Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people: rulers of 1,000’s, rulers of 100’s, rulers of 50’s, and rulers of 10’s. So, they judged the people at all times. The hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves. Then, Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.” Exodus 18:24-27
Moses was a great leader. His acceptance of good advice from his father-in-law was another demonstration of the good character traits that God had instilled in him. As for Jethro, Exodus 2:11-21 and 18:1-27 highlight his important role in the life of God’s servant Moses.
I conclude this article with a testimony from August 16, 1864.
In the summer of 1864, tens of thousands of Union POWs were dying of thirst at the military prison in Andersonville, Georgia. Many had died already. Some began to pray for a miracle. Suddenly, a spring erupted from the ground within the stockade.
Today, there is a memorial building to this event with two inscriptions on it: “The Prisoners’ cry of thirst rang up to Heaven. God heard, and with His thunder cleft the earth and poured his sweet water came rushing here,” and “God smote the hillside and gave them drink.”
On August 12, 2011, Irvin Rozier, Captain (Ret) U.S. Army wrote a poem entitled, “Providence Spring at Andersonville, Georgia” about this event:
“The much needed drinking water was there all along.
A prayer meeting was held and the men sang a song.
Cool refreshing water was what the prisoners needed.
And to their anguished cries the good LORD heeded.
Lord, in their deep need and despair they cried out to you.
And a great rain and thunderstorm arrived out of the blue.
You sent a huge bolt of lightning to strike the red earth.
It blew the ground apart and caused it to give new birth.
To a cool refreshing clear stream of water to drink,
To those prisoners of war who readily did sink,
To their knees in gratitude of Your help that day,
You answered their petitions in Your wonderful way!”
What stream do you need the Lord to provide for you today? Jesus says to ask...
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