http://www.revsheilabouiesledge.com/ Water from the Rock - Exodus 17:1-7 - Inspirational Speaker Rev. Sheila Bouie-Sledge.

Water from the Rock - Exodus 17:1-7 - Rev Sheila Bouie-Sledge

Opening Statement
One of our deepest fears might be that God will not be there when we need Him most! here we find out how God responds to His people in their greatest needs. In the previous chapters the same people are complainers about water that is bitter, lack of bread and meat. While God is testing and questioning their faith, the Israelites turn the table and test God ability and willingness to fulfill His promise to them.
Now the Israelites wonder if God and Moses are just like Pharaoh who worked them and then killed them for their glory.
The rock is a type of life that we live through the Holy Spirit by Grace.
According to the scripture of 1 Cor 10:4 where we learn that "Jesus is the rock of Moses from which comes the water of Life."

The struck rock was the symbol of Christ death whereby the Holy Spirit gushes outward.Prayer

Scripture
17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. God test the Israelites in the previous scriptures, and now the people test and challenge God.

2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”

3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Israelites complained earlier about lack of mana

4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5 The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. God reminds Moses that leadership is shared and not to go it by himself because they are a community.

Also, Moses uses the same staff that changed the Nile River from water to blood BUT this time he is giving water.

6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 And he called the place Massah[a] and Meribah[b] because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

I Hebrew the words : Massah means=test; Meribah means=argument
(7:17) In times of difficulty, it is easy to start wondering"Is the Lord

Among us or Not?"