Short memories and raised hands
Exodus 17 (selected verses)
17 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ 5 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’
8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some men for us and go out; fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.’ 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the sword.
Food and water are essential for life – so it makes sense that the people of Israel got anxious when there was no water. But the refrain – “why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill is here?” (vs. 3 here; see also chap 16:3; and chap 14:10) – is so frequent, that it leads to the question, “Did the people of Israel so distrust God that they believed God desired to bring them harm? Did they really think that it was God’s plan to eventually kill them?”
If that is the case, how did they get to that place? What caused them to see God in such negative terms? But maybe it is not so hard to imagine such a thing happening. How frequently we are swayed by the words of others who say negative things about God. Others talk God down, making him small and unimportant, even vengeful – and those narratives about God dominate our thinking and view of God. We need to feed our minds on what is good and true, what reminds us of God’s faithfulness, and our lives are full of such stories of God. These need to become our bread for our souls, night and day.
As long as Moses is able to keep his hands raised in a posture of praise to God, the people of Israel win, but when Moses tires and lets down his hands then Israel starts to lose. Paying attention to what God is doing, remaining in a place of praise takes energy, and benefits from the support of others – just as Aaron and Hur hold up Moses’ arms.
Within the community of others who follow God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we find the ability to remain attentive to what God is doing and living in praise towards him.
PRAYER:
We raise our hands to praise your name, good and gracious God. Give to us people who will help us remember your faithfulness, that they might hold up our hands when we are weary and forgetful, and we can hold up their hands when they are weary and forgetful – so that together we might be a community of believers who reminds each other of your goodness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.