Today’s passage: Exodus 17
Helpful thoughts:
- The people of Israel grumble and complain yet again. Yet again God uses the occasion to teach Israel (And us) an incredibly important truth.
- In 1 Corinthians 10:4, the Apostle Paul teaches, “the Rock was Christ.”
- Christ was struck to pay for our sin and He gave us living water.
- In 1 Corinthians 10:4, the Apostle Paul teaches, “the Rock was Christ.”
- Massah and Meribah mean “testing” and “quarreling” as verse 7 indicates.
- Israel fights it’s first battle against one of the many people groups surrounding them.
- Joshua leads the battle. The first of many he would later lead Israel through.
- Moses is unable to fulfill his role alone. He requires support.
- This will come up again in the next chapter.
Questions to consider:
- How does God continually use these testings? What is His purpose in allowing these difficult situations? What can we (or should we) be learning in the good things and in the harder things of life (Romans 8:28-30)? How does this truth help us to see, even hard things can be “good?”
- In what way does the rock illustrate Christ? Why did the rock have no need of being struck twice (Numbers 20:2-13) later on in the wilderness journeys of Israel? What does the fact that Christ’s death was sufficient teach us about the source of our salvation?
- Why would Joshua need to hear the promise from the Lord in verse 14? Who did Joshua need to know won the victory for Israel? Who did He need to trust for ongoing protection and safety?