Old Testament
Exodus 17
Rock, Battle, and Altar at Rephidim
Overview
At Rephidim, God sustains the quarreling Israelites by bringing water from the rock, then grants them victory over the Amalekites through Moses' uplifted hands of intercession supported by Aaron and Hur, and seals the triumph with a divine decree of perpetual enmity against Amalek and the erection of an altar named "Yahweh-Nissi" — binding together God's faithful provision, communal prayer, and the LORD's sovereignty as the true victor in Israel's battles.
Passages
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Exodus 17
1All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, starting according to Yahweh’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”
3The people were thirsty for water there; so the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
4Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”
8Then Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us, and go out to fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with God’s rod in my hand.” 10So Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses’ hands were heavy; so they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset. 13Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14Yahweh said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky.” 15Moses built an altar, and called its name “Yahweh our Banner”. 16He said, “Yah has sworn: ‘Yahweh will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’”