Another day, another crisis. First it was the undrinkable water at Marah after travelling three waterless days in the desert, Exodus 15:22-23. To which the Israelites could understandably ask, “Is the Lord among us?” Well, yes, came the answer, because Yahweh made the undrinkable water perfectly drinkable. So what other conclusion, other than “the Lord being among them,” could they come to?
And then half way through their second month in the desert, it was the lack of pots of meat and eating all the food they wanted – like they’d had back in Egypt – that got the Israelites moaning again. So Yahweh solved that one too, not only providing them with meat each evening, but all the bread they’d ever want each morning too, Exodus 16:8, so that, verse 12, “you’ll know that I am the Lord your God,” proving again that he was very convincingly among them.
But as soon as that little crisis was over, another one arose, this time when they arrived at Rephidim and “there was no water (at all) for the people to drink,” Exodus 17:1, not even undrinkable water. But hadn’t Yahweh proved twice already that he was among them, and therefore would be ready again with a perfect solution?
But no, they turned on Moses, accusing him of deliberately “getting us out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst” (3). So Yahweh has Moses strike a solid rock with his staff and out pours enough water for every adult, child and all their sheep and cattle too (4-6). That’s now three times Yahweh has proved he’s among them.
They got a fourth time too, when the Amalekites suddenly attacked while the Israelites were still camped at Rephidim (8). But the Amalekites were sent packing by Moses climbing a hill, staff in hand, and Aaron and Hur holding up his arms “till sunset” (10-13). Another unusual but remarkable solution by “the Lord (yet again) being among them.”
It had been one thing after another, but a month or so later they arrived at Mount Sinai in Exodus 20, where they were treated with a really impressive display of Yahweh’s power that had them trembling with fear (18), and in no doubt at all that the Lord was among them (19).
It was then in verse 20 that they found out why he was among them. It was, according to Moses, to tell them, “Don’t be afraid, but be afraid”….(next blog)
Buck To Basics 