In the Bible, location plays an important role in the history of a nation, and we shall be looking at a location called Rephidim in the journey of the Israelites to the Promised Land.
After Moses had led them out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea, there was jubilation and celebration. The Israelites had a taste of freedom, and it was so sweet that they brought out their timbrels, and led by Miriam, the women danced and sang praises to God. However, on getting to Rephidim, they faced one of the several challenges that made them murmur and complain. Let’s read about it in Exodus 17:1-7:
“The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So, they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So, Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” NIV
When Moses led about 600,000 men and their families out of Egypt, he did not know the difficult challenges he was going to face. They had already showed him “samples” of what they will do, even at the Red Sea when they complained that Moses had brought them to die at the hands of Pharoah or drown in the sea. Moses was faced with the difficult task of providing water for not just the families of Israelites, but also their livestock in the desert. Now, everyone knows that the most valuable resource in the desert is water.It is also the most difficult thing to find. So, where was Moses going to get water to quench the thirst of over a million souls and their livestock?
They were already complaining of dying of thirst in the desert.
What kind of a problem is this?
Thank God that Moses was connected to the God of Israel. He cried out to God!
As Christians, when we face challenges, we need to learn to cry out to God. Usually, most people try to solve a problem using their skills and talents. However, crying out to God can produce fantastic and unusual results. God can solve a problem in ways that are beyond our skills and imagination. If Moses had relied on the arm of flesh to solve the water problem, he could have asked them to start digging wells to see if they can get water. However, this may not have solved the problem, because there is no guarantee of hitting an aquifer in the desert. Moses could have told them continue on their journey and hold on till they hit an oasis in the desert. However, most human beings can only survive without water for about three days only. So, that would not have solved the problem either.
God’s way is the best way. Who would have thought that just by striking a rock, there will be enough water to quench the thirst of a whole nation?
God has his children covered in any situation. Before Israel left Egypt, the rock that Moses struck was already standing in the desert. Before they got to Rephidim, God had already gone ahead to provide everything that they needed.
Let us continue to trust God as we lay our requests to him daily. God has already arranged the right people to help us, even before we got into that unpleasant situation. God has already lined up the right “Destiny Helpers” to help us, even when we are busy complaining about our challenges, just as the Israelites did in the desert.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:7:
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. “NKJV
In Philippians 4:19:
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” NKJV
After the “No Water Drama” in the desert, you will think that the isrealites will have a smooth sailing after that. However, the devil is always waiting at the point of victory to try and snatch victory from the hands of the children of God. In fact, the time to be most vigilant as a Christian is when God has given you victory. That is not time to relax and cast all cares aside. It should be a period of intense vigilance and watching unto prayer.
The Isrealites learnt this lesson the hard way. Whilst still at Rephidim, they were confronted by the Amalekites!
In Exodus 17:8-14:
“The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” So, Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So, Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” NIV
For the second time, at Rephidim, the Israelites faced possible destruction. They had just escaped destruction from lack of water, when they were confronted by the Amalekites in the desert. Their enemies made a “holy mistake”, thinking that they could attack them and destroy them. They did not know that they were a “covenant people”, chosen by God. The staff that Moses used to strike the Nile and part the Red Sea was still in his hands. As long as he held the staff up, God gave victory to Israel. Anytime his hands grew tired, and he lowered his hand so that the staff was also lowered, the Amalekites won.
Since Moses was an old man, he was already 80 years old when he led Israel out of Egypt, he needed the assistance of others to hold up his hand. First, they placed a stone under his hand to provide some support for him. Then Aaron his brother held up his hand on one side and Hur, another helper, held up his hand on the other side. Thus, they won victory over the Amalekites, for God fought for them.
Finally, we see how Moses introduced a new name that became a Covenant name of God. “Jehovah Nissi” means, “The Lord is my Banner”.
The Bible says in Exodus 17:15-16:
“Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
NIV.
Today, let us learn from Moses about relying on God. There is nothing that is too hard for him. As we have seen, he parted the Red Sea, gave water to a thirsty nation and defeated their enemies!
He is, to borrow the words of gospel artiste Sinach, a “Waymaker, Miracle worker, Promise Keeper, Light in Darkness”. He is still the same “yesterday, today and forever.”
Let us learn to cast all our cares on him, for his banner over us is his love!
Invitation to Salvation.
Jesus is calling you today. He is saying to you:
“Come to me all who are tired from carrying your heavy loads and I will give you rest”. Mathew 11:28
If you want to accept this invitation, pray to God. You can say something like this:
“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I confess my sins before you today. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I want to know you personally.I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in and be my Lord and personal Savior.Take control of my life.Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.Make me the kind of person that you want me to be. In Jesus name I have prayed. Amen.”
If you have sincerely put your trust in Jesus to be your Savior, welcome to the household of God!
