Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 123
16:36–17:14
E x od u s
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ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would
settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
The container used to measure the manna was an omer, which was one-
tenth of an ephah; it held about two quarts.
At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at
Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. So once
more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they
demanded.
“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And
why are you testing the Lord?”
But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did
you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our
livestock with thirst?”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these
people? They are ready to stone me!”
The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your
staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call
some of the elders of Israel to join you. I will stand before you on the rock
at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then
the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told,
and water gushed out as the elders looked on.
Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah
(which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses
and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”
While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek
attacked them. Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out
and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of
the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”
So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of
Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby
hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them
up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on
each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until
sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.
After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a
