Chapter 11
Exodus 17
It was evening; Mother was putting away the last of the supper dishes, and Arthur was already in the parlor waiting impatiently for her to take her favorite seat on the sofa.
“Mother,” the little boy called out, “you told us tonight’s story was to be especially interesting. Where did the people go next and what happened?”
Presently Mother arrived and sitting down, she opened her Bible and began:
“The next place the children of Israel came to was Rephidim, and there was no water for them to drink. The people murmured against Moses and said, ‘Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?’
“Then Moses cried unto the Lord and said, ‘What shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to stone me.’
“The Lord told Moses to go on before the people and to take the rod which he had used to smite the river in Egypt. ‘Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.’ And so in the sight of all the elders of Israel, Moses smote the rock.”
“And did the water come out?” asked Arthur eagerly.
“Indeed it did, Arthur. And it must have been a touching sight to see the old men and women and children and even the cattle come up to drink of the pure water that gushed forth from the smitten rock. They all had enough and were satisfied. We see how important it is to call upon God and trust Him daily for our needs and to thank Him for His mercies. Nevertheless Moses called the place Massah, which means ‘temptation,’ and Meribah, which means ‘strife,’ for they would not be allowed to forget how they had gotten angry with Moses, and had tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’
“This was all very sad for the Lord had done such wonderful things for them; but it is an example of our own wicked hearts, for we do forget His mercies and blessings more often than we realize. The two beautiful stories of the bread which came down from heaven and of the water which flowed from the rock remind us of the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘He that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.’
“Right after this an enemy, Amalek, one of the descendants of Esau, came to fight the people of God. Moses told Joshua to choose men to fight with Amalek. He said, ‘Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.’ Joshua did as Moses commanded and Aaron and Hur went with Moses to the top of the hill.
“Moses interceded with God for his people by holding up his hand while he prayed. When he held up his hand, Israel would win, but when he let his hand down Amalek won. But Moses’ hands got tired, so Aaron and Hur got a stone for him to sit on, and they held his hands up for him until the sun set. So Joshua conquered Amalek and all his people.
“God gave His people the victory because Moses was on the mountain praying to Him. And the Lord said to 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.’ God was very angry with Amalek for coming to fight against His people. Then Moses built an altar there and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi, which means, The Lord is my banner. Do you know what a banner is?”
“Oh yes,” replied Arthur. “It’s something soldiers carry when they march.”
“That’s right. A banner is a flag bearing the colors under which an army fights. Some regiments have magnificent banners, telling of battles they have won. Moses said the Lord was his banner and that under His name of Jehovah-nissi, the Lord’s army should fight against Amalek from generation to generation.
“God was again showing how He cares for His people, wasn’t He? And it is the same today, for He never forgets His own dear children. It is good to belong to God.”