Water From the Rock
17 1 All Israel's community left the Wilderness of Sin, journeying stage by stage as our Father commanded, and camped at Rephidim—but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people argued with Moses: "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why argue with me? Why test our Father?"
3 The people were thirsty there for water and grumbled against Moses, saying, "Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
4 Moses cried out to our Father, "What should I do with this people? They're about to stone me."
5 Our Father said to Moses, "Go ahead of the people. Take some elders of Israel with you, and take in your hand the staff you struck the Nile with, then go." 6 "I will stand there before you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." Moses did so as Israel's elders watched.
7 He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the people of Israel quarreled and tested our Father, asking, "Is our Father among us or not?" a a v7 Massah means "testing" and Meribah means "quarreling" — the place was named for how the people doubted whether our Father was really with them.
Our Father Wins the Battle
8 Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us, and go out to fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with our Father's staff in my hand." 10 Joshua did as Moses said and fought Amalek; Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the hilltop. 11 Now whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; but whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 Moses' hands grew heavy, so they set a stone under him and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on each side, so they stayed steady until sunset. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 Our Father told Moses, "Write this in a book as a reminder, and recite it aloud to Joshua: I will completely erase Amalek's memory from under heaven."
15 Moses built an altar and named it the Father-Nissi — "our Father is my banner" b b v15 Moses named the altar “our Father is my banner” after Israel’s victory over Amalek, won while his hands were lifted to our Father. 16 For a hand is on the throne of our Father: He will war against Amalek generation after generation. c c v16 "A hand upon the throne" is a war oath: Amalek struck first against our Father's rule, so he pledges to fight them forever.
