Exodus 17
Dear RTB’ers,
Let’s continue to pray for Mary G. as she recuperates from knee replacement surgery.
More grumbling (Ex. 17:2-3), this time for lack of water and them “dying of thirst”. Previous grumblings have been fear of death from Pharaoh’s army (Ex. 14:10-11), bitter water (Ex. 15:24), and hunger (Ex. 16:3). Do we also find so many things to grumble about? The Lord takes care of His people this time by having Moses strike a rock with his staff and water flowed. Many years later, with more grumbling over lack of water, Moses will again strike a rock to bring forth water – but he will strike the rock twice instead of just once, and for that one failure he will not be allowed to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:2-12).
So Moses said to Joshua… (v. 9a) A small observation here. This is the first mention of Joshua. He will go on to become Moses’ right-hand-man, will be one of the two “faithful spies” who surveyed the land of Canaan (Numbers 13-14), and will succeed Moses as leader of the Israelites, leading them into the Promised Land.
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands … (I Timothy 2:8). No doubt Paul had Exodus 17 (Moses, Aaron, and Hur) in mind when he wrote this letter to Timothy. See also Leviticus 9:22; Deuteronomy 32:40; I Kings 8:22, 54; Nehemiah 8:6; and Psalms 28:2, 63:4, 134:2; and other verses. It’s what we do as an Anglican people, both clergy and laity, lifting our hands in prayer and worship.
Blessings!