Rephidim!

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