DON’T BLAME THE MESSENGER

In The Word

Read Exodus 17

Water in the Rock

17 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”

Amalek Fought

Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”15 Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner; 16 and he said, “The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation


Walking In The Word

The very people Moses was dedicated to guide and teach the ways of the Lord wanted to kill him, but the Lord interceded. Moses followed His instructions and water flowed from the rock. Then, the enemy saw this grumbling as an opportune time to come against and fight God’s people. Because of this attack, Moses instructed the leadership, and then he stationed himself high up with the staff of God in his hand.  As long as Moses’ hands were lifted to Heaven, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered his hands, the enemy prevailed. So Aaron and Hur helped to hold up Moses’ hands. The Lord fought against the enemy, and Joshua and the children of Israel had the overwhelming victory. Afterwards, the Lord told Moses to journal what had happened so no one would forget what the Lord had done.

Moses was a volunteer pastor of more than a million people. He carried the staff of the Lord and the weight of being the under-shepherd of all these people because God asked him to. Moses loved God, and he loved people. However, sometimes, the people that we care about respond in anger when we try to show them the Lord’s way. Even though it seems they are angry with us, we are just the messenger. The real problem is that they are angry with God, but the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. In humility, they must receive His Word, decide to submit to His Word, follow His leadership, and get back on His Ancient Paths.

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