with Elder Elico Manenji
Exodus 17:1-7: God provides Israel with water from the Rock_*
The people arrived at Rephidim and found no water and they again complained against God and chided or argued with Moses. Moses called the place Massah(tested God) and Meribah(argued) with Moses.
In their thirst the people had tempted God, saying, "Is the Lord among us, or not?"--"If God has brought us here, why does He not give us water as well as bread?" The unbelief thus manifested was criminal, and Moses feared that the judgments of God would rest upon them. And he called the name of the place Massah, "temptation," and Meribah, "chiding," as a memorial of their sin.
God told Moses to take the elders of Israel as He directed Moses to a Rock. He struck the Rock once in their presence and a river of water followed from it to supply the people with water.
Jesus is this water of life as the miracle of salvation bursts from Him to give to whosoever would come before Him, in Him all our needs are provided, in Him we will never lack.
Text: "He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths"(Psalm 78:15).
This Rock typfied Christ who always accompanied them in a life of their sojourning and wamdering in the wilderness. In our wandering in the wilderness of sin, we are always reminded of this Rock of salvation as we are accompanied by the ever present Holy Spirit. The Apostle says, And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ"(1 Corinthians 10:4).
Exodus 17:8-16: God provides Israel with victory over the Amalekites
The Amalekites who descended from Esau were at that time the most powerful race in the Peninsula and here they took the position of the chief among pagans who first attacked God’s people and as such were marked out for everlasting punishment.
Moses told Joshua who was also known as Hoshea to organise an army to fight back the Amalekites whilst he, Aaron and Hur went up the mountain to pray.
Joshua whose name is called Jesus, whose name signifies Saviour was the captain-general of the Hebrews under Moses to fight and defeat the Amalekites.
The names of those who assisted Moses at the altar of God were Aaron _(light bringer),_ the personal assistance of Moses and his brother , then Hur _( hole)_ who was the son of Caleb who took to wife Ephrath who bore him Hur who begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel the architect of the tabernacle in the wilderness and he is assumed to have been the husband of Mirriam
Text : "For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ"(1Thessalonians 5:9).
As the Hebrews triumphed when Moses was reaching his hands toward heaven and interceding in their behalf, so the Israel of God prevail when they by faith take hold upon the strength of their mighty Helper.
Yet divine strength is to be combined with human effort. Moses did not believe that God would overcome their foes while Israel remained inactive. While the great leader was pleading with the Lord, Joshua and his brave followers were putting forth their utmost efforts to repulse the enemies of Israel and of God.
The Psalmist says, "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name: and HV us, and purge away our sins, for your name's sake"(Psalm 79:9).
Appeal
To praise God, Moses built an altar to the Lord and called it Jehovahnissi, Jehovah my banner, saying, the hand on the throne of Jehovah is our banner to war against sin and temptation frombgeneration to generation. The hand of assistance is Jesus Christ, our banner.
The prophet says, "Go through, go through the gates; prepare you the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the world, Say you to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him"(Isaiah 62:10-11). Amen!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704).
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