Exo 17:1-16  Thou Shall Smite the Rock, and There Shall Come Water out of It

[Study Aired July 18, 2022]

Exo 17:1  And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 
Exo 17:2  Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 
Exo 17:3  And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 
Exo 17:4  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 
Exo 17:5  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 
Exo 17:6  Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 
Exo 17:7  And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not? 
Exo 17:8  Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 
Exo 17:9  And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 
Exo 17:10  So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 
Exo 17:11  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 
Exo 17:12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 
Exo 17:13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 
Exo 17:14  And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 
Exo 17:15  And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: 
Exo 17:16  For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. 

Chapter 17 focuses on two issues – the lack of water for the people of Israel to drink and the first battle that Israel fought after leaving Egypt. This was on the back of their experience with manna when they went through famine and murmured against Moses and Aaron. As indicated in the previous studies, the famine took place when they were in the wilderness of Sin after leaving Egypt. ‘Sin’ here means thorn or clay. This means that we start our walk with Christ being carnal or fleshly.

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 

After leaving the wilderness of Sin, the people of Israel moved on to Rephidim where they experienced lack of water and were attacked by the Amalekites. We can see clearly as the Israelites moved in the wilderness that they encountered problems upon problems. This is the experience of evil which the Lord has given to mankind in this life to humble them. 

Ecc 1:13  And I gave my heart to seek and to investigate by wisdom concerning all which is done under the heavens. It is an evil task God has given to the sons of men, to be afflicted by it. (LITV)

To the elect, this evil experience is the judgment we must go through to bring us to our desired haven which is to be found in Christ blameless. To the people of the world, including the physical churches of this world (Babylon), this evil experience does not lead to repentance. Rather, it hardens their heart as we see Israel rebelled against the Lord at every discomfort they encountered in the wilderness.

2Co 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 
2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Today’s study shows us the spiritual significance of this evil experience the Israelites encountered in Rephidim and how these all work for our good.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

Exo 17:1  And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.

The people of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and came to Rephidim which means ‘rests’ or ‘stays’. As shown earlier, Sin means ‘thorn’ or ‘clay’ which represents the flesh. As we start our journey in Christ, we are carnal or fleshly, due to the lack of the word of the Lord (lack of water) in Babylon as we enter the place of rest, symbolized by Rephidim, which is the church of the firstborn. This lack of water is the famine of the word of the Lord which is all part of the Lord’s design to cause us to faint for thirst.

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 
Amo 8:12  And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. 
Amo 8:13  In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. 

Our experience of this famine of the word of the Lord is due to the fact that the seven seals of the book had not been opened to us yet by the Lord for us to understand the revelation of Christ.

Rev 5:1  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 
Rev 5:2  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 
Rev 5:3  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 

Exo 17:2  Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 
Exo 17:3  And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 

In our carnal state, we tend to complain a lot against the Lord (represented by Moses) when we find ourselves in any undesirable situation. This is because of the mindset we had in Babylon where we were taught by our “men of God” that being children of God, life must be smooth and rosy without any adverse events. These “men of God” are murmurers as they walk after their own lusts, and we end up following their pernicious ways.

Jud 1:16  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

2Pe 2:10  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 

2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 

These “men of God” are also described as wells without water. Thus, they starved us of the word of the Lord as they did not have the capacity to give us water (the word of the Lord) to drink. As a result, we become worse off.

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 

The complaint in verse 3 by the Israelites that Moses had brought them out of Egypt to kill them, their children and their cattle with thirst is true in a positive sense. As the elect, the Lord wants an occasion to confront and put to death our old man, and one of His ways to do that is to bring about the famine of the word of the Lord (lack of water) which causes us to pursue the lust of the flesh, setting up the stage for the Lord to come and judge us.  Thus, He brings us out of the world (Egypt) to put to death the composite beast within us and its works, which are symbolized in verse 3 as our children and cattle.

Exo 17:4  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 

One of the lessons we can learn from the life of Moses is that He always consulted the Lord in every aspect of His engagement with the people of Israel. That is what it means to trust the Lord with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding. In all the issues that confronted Moses, he sought the Lord’s face regarding what must be done. That is what it means to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He shall direct our path.

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Exo 17:5  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 
Exo 17:6  Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 

As we have indicated in previous studies, the rod is Christ. The rock is also Christ. The smiting of the rock is the judgment that the Lord Jesus went through so that He might be presented as a sacrifice, Holy and acceptable to God on our behalf. As a result, out of Him flows the rivers of living waters which are able to quench our spiritual thirst.  As He is, so are we. This means that in this life we, His elect, represent the rock being smitten with the rod which is Christ. In other words, we, His elect, are going through fiery trials for the express purpose of causing the rivers of living water to flow out of us. This living water is the word of Christ. As explained in John 7:39, this living water is the Spirit. It is the spirit of the word of Christ which is able to quench our spiritual thirst. We are, therefore, the ministers of the spirit to quench the thirst of the people of God.

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 
Joh 7:39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Exo 17:7  And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

Meribah means ‘contention’. This contention by the children of Israel is not unique to them. At a certain period of our walk with Christ, we all have lived our lives complaining about any difficult situation we encountered. It is all because at that time our hearts were hardened by the false doctrines we imbibed, which, in the case of Israel, was symbolized by lack of water at Meribah.

Psa 95:8  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 
Psa 95:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
Psa 95:10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 
Psa 95:11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

Exo 17:8  Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 
Exo 17:9  And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 

Our exit from Babylon does not mean we have matured. It takes time to mature in the things of God. Our fight against the flesh is a war which the Bible describes as trying to break a bow of steel with our arms. Iron is hard and is almost impossible to break, but steel is several times harder than iron. It is, therefore, impossible to war against the flesh and be successful except the Lord does it on our behalf.

This is why the Lord led the Israelites toward the red sea so that He could demonstrate or teach them how to war – that is, depend on Him to destroy the enemy (old man) on our behalf. The coming forth of water from the rock for the people of Israel to drink is all part of the process of teaching our hands to war by equipping us to be able to confront the old man. As we indicated, this living water is the word of Christ which is the sword of the spirit. Teaching our hands to war means depending entirely on Him in our engagement with the flesh. As we had all experienced during the start of our walk in Christ, we failed miserably, because we were not equipped to deal with the flesh.

Psa 18:31  For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? 
Psa 18:32  It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. 
Psa 18:33  He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. 
Psa 18:34  He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

As a great teacher, our Lord puts us in a situation to practicalize what we have learned, that is, depend on Him to defeat the flesh on our behalf. This was what happened to Israel as the Lord sought an occasion to confront their enemies by causing the Amalekites to engage the Israelites in a battle.

Deu 1:30  The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; 

2Ch 20:17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

Exo 17:10  So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 

The name Joshua means ‘the Lord is salvation’. In verse 10, Moses represents Christ. When Christ becomes our salvation, which means when He comes to sit in the throne of our hearts and minds by dethroning the old man, we are obedient to Him as we see Joshua doing what Moses told him. Moses, Aaron and Hur signify the elect. The hill is Christ where we, His elect, receive our help from as shown in this verse:

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psa 121:3  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

This means that Moses, Aaron and Hur going up the hill means, as the elect, our victory over the flesh is taking refuge in Christ as our help. The Amalekite represents our old man or the flesh which fights against the growth of Christ in our lives.

Exo 17:11  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

In war, to raise up your hands means to surrender. It is as we surrender to Christ fully by allowing Him to do His work in our lives that we prevail over the flesh or the old man. As He is, so are we. In our Lord’s life here on this earth, He surrendered wholly to God to do all the works in Him.

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

To surrender to Christ is an act of faith which deals a decisive blow to our flesh. Here is what Paul had to say about this:

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 
Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

In Gal 2:21 above, we are told that we must not frustrate the grace of God. Frustrating the grace of God means trying to do things by ourselves and not depending on the Lord to work things out for us. When we depend on ourselves, our righteousness then comes from the law, which means that all that Christ did on our behalf means nothing to us. This was what was happening to the Galatians which Paul pointed out as follows:

Gal 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 
Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 
Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 
Gal 3:4  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

As we can see, immediately when Moses’ hands lowered, the Amalekites prevailed. Obtaining righteousness by the law which means working out our salvation by our own effort only strengthens the old man within to dominate us.

Exo 17:12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

This verse was written to underscore the importance of the body of Christ in our walk with Christ. Our ability to overcome the flesh is a collective effort of the body of Christ (His elect) as we see Aaron and Hur support Moses’ hands. If we stand alone in our walk with Christ, we shall fail miserably. We need what every joint supplies in order to prevail over the flesh. That is why we are admonished to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace within the body of Christ.

Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 
Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

The uplifted hands of Moses, which suggested his surrender to Christ, was done through Aaron and Hur together with Joshua in the battlefield to win the war against the Amalekites. Joshua being on the battlefield is equally significant in winning the war. In other words, every member’s experience is for the body and is relevant for our personal victory over the flesh.  The reason many get offended and leave the body is simply because they have not seen the revelation of the role the body of Christ plays in our walk with Christ.

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 
Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 
Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 
Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

This holding of the hands by Aaron and Hur continued until the sun went down. This means that we are to depend on the body to support us by what every joint supplies in our walk with Christ until the sun goes down in our lives – that is, until our earthly tent is destroyed (when we die).

Exo 17:13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 
Exo 17:14  And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

Although the Israelites were battling the Amalekites, their victory was dependent on the raised hands of Moses. It is the same today. Although we are in this battlefield of life encountering all kinds of adversities, our victory over the flesh is not dependent on us, it is Christ who is working it out.

2Co 6:4  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 
2Co 6:5  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 
2Co 6:6  By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 
2Co 6:7  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 
2Co 6:8  By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 
2Co 6:9  As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 
2Co 6:10  As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.  

The fact that this battle with the Amalekites is to serve as a memorial and written for our admonition is to let us know the way the Lord deals with our struggles against the flesh. We contribute nothing in this fight against the flesh. All we need to do is to raise our hands in surrender to Christ and He will do the work!! This reminds me of a song we were singing frequently when we were in Babylon:

All to Jesus, I surrender
All to Thee I freely give
I will ever love and trust You
In your presence daily live
I surrender all, I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed savior
I surrender all

Even ‘surrendering all’ to the Lord is His work!! We are vessels of clay in which the potter is molding us as He sees fit for His purpose.

Jer 18:3  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

It is insightful to note in verse 13 that Joshua defeated the Amalekites with the edge of the sword. The sword is the truth of the word of Christ which is the most powerful spiritual weapon for destroying the flesh. In an age to come, all flesh will be destroyed with fire coming down from God which is the word of God. 

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 

Verse 14 says that this whole episode about the defeat of the Amalekites must be written in a book and rehearsed in the ears of Joshua. What this means is that the word of the Lord was written for the elect (Joshua) in this age or dispensation. In the age to come, all humanity will also taste of the word of the Lord.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Exo 17:15  And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah nissi: 

An altar is a raised area in the house of worship where people can honor God with offerings. It is prominent in the Bible as “God’s table”, a sacred place for sacrifices and gifts offered up to God. Moses building an altar means that as the elect, we are to build an altar to offer sacrifice to the Lord. Our altar is our bodies which we must present as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Moses named the altar that he built “Jehovah nissi” which means ‘the Lord is my banner’. A banner is a long piece of cloth bearing a slogan or design, carried in demonstration or procession in a public place. Banners are raised to celebrate and honor people, usually soldiers returning from war. Banners are visible and not hidden. The implication of Jehovah being our banner is that our lives must honor our King Jesus in a visible way. Like lights of the world, we cannot be hidden but honor the Lord visibly with our lives.

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Exo 17:16  For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. 

This is to show us that the Lord will always be at war with our flesh, or the old man symbolized by Amalek. If we are called and chosen, then our Lord will fight our battles with the flesh for us, and so we are assured of victory. If we intend to establish our righteousness through our works, we shall fail miserably. As long as we have identified our flesh as the enemy and we know that we do not have the capacity to take him on, the Lord will come with the brightness of His coming to deal with the flesh on our behalf.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

May the Lord grant us the grace to win this war against the flesh so that we shall be counted as overcomers in Christ!! Amen!!