Exodus 17
Exodus 17:1-16 (NLT)
1 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.
2 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?”
3 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?”
4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”
5 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.
6 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.
7 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?”
8 While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them.
9 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.”
10 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.
11 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.
12 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.
13 As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.
14 After the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the LORD is my banner”).
16 He said, “They have raised their fist against the LORD’s throne, so now the LORD will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”
As a leader, Moses surely achieved extraordinary success in leading a whole nation out of slavery and towards their promised land. The effect of his leadership, though, was completely dependent on continuing demonstrations of God’s power. Even though they had observed the plagues and deliverance at the sea, the people were tirelessly returning with complaints and accusations. They were unrelenting in their expressions of frustration, but with each outburst, there was a God-response that silenced their skepticism and kept them following his lead. Threatened with a lack of water, it’s from those they challenged that the provision came. Challenged by an attacking enemy, it is directly related to Moses’ lifted hands that they gained the victory. God was always faithful to show Himself strong for them because there was someone who went to Him for the answer and did not get caught up in the bantering.
For those who will be taking others to a God promise, there will be challenges of fickleness from the people and threats from invading naysayers. Relying on natural resources and strategies will mean coming up short and succumbing to threats. However, with each challenge, there is an opportunity for a God demonstration that will quell the uproars of dissent. Rather than getting carried along in the tide of frustration, there is a place on the Rock to sit and simply lift the hands to the Source of victorious life. True leadership to the place of Promise will require much more than personality and character. It is in the power of God that leadership is enabled way beyond that of man.