Providence & Victory (Exodus 17)

Did God provide for Israel’s necessities? Did God provide victory over Israel’s enemies? Does Jesus provide a source of water giving eternal life? Does Jesus have ultimate victory over the last enemy of all, death? Let’s look at Exodus 17.

Did the Israelites lose faith and complain about their circumstances again?

The Israelites left the desert and moved from one place to another each time the Lord ordered them to. Once they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for them to drink. The people started complaining to Moses, “Give us some water!” Moses replied, “Why are you complaining to me and trying to put the Lord to the test?” But the people were thirsty and kept on complaining, “Moses, did you bring us out of Egypt just to let us and our families and our animals die of thirst?” (Exodus 17:1-3 CEV)

Did Moses take the matter to the Lord? What was God’s solution?

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?” (Exodus 17:4-7 ESV)

What did the Amalekites do to the Israelites?

At Rephidim, Amalek came and fought against Israel. Moses said to Joshua, “Select some men for us and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.” (Exodus 17:8-9 HCSB)

How did God use Moses, Aaron and Hur to give Israel a victory?

So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses raised his hand, the Israelis prevailed, but when his hand remained at his side, then the Amalekites prevailed. When Moses’ hands became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and his army using swords. (Exodus 17:10-13 ISV)

What was to be the legacy of the Amalekites because of their opposition to Israel?

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. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi [the Lord my Banner]: For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. (Exodus 17:14-16 KJV)

Does Jesus provide a source of water giving eternal life?

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life. (John 4:14 NASB)

Is this promise to Christians also called living water?

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. (John 7:38 NIV)

What is the last enemy that Christ will destroy when He reigns in the kingdom of God?

And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26 NLT)

Did God provide for Israel’s necessities? Did God provide victory over Israel’s enemies? Does Jesus provide a source of water giving eternal life? Does Jesus have ultimate victory over the last enemy of all, death? You decide!