Exodus 17:2, commentary and pictures

At Rephidim their demand for water to drink was a quarrel with Moses that was at the same time a putting of the Lord to the test. To chide and to tempt in this place meant to charge Moses with bringing them and their children and cattle out of Egypt to kill them with thirst, to grow angry almost to stoning him, and to doubt God as if He had failed them and to ask whether He was among them or not. They had been brought there by the Lord's own command under the pillar of cloud to test their faith, though He knew there was no water, and their unbelief dishonored Him after He had delivered them with a high hand, fed them with angels' food, and promised to bring them to the promised land. Instead of humbly praying in trust for water from Him who alone could give it and waiting patiently by recounting His goodness, they murmured and vented wrath and bitterness upon Moses, forgetting that their emergency was God's opportunity. The Lord answered by standing upon the rock in Horeb and causing pure cooling life-giving water to flow when Moses smote it with his rod, and He still brings every Christian to his own Rephidim in straight trying places for his good, where the right course is to remember past deliverance, give thanks, and go forward in full assurance that He will open the flinty rock in His own time.

Complaint at Rephidim

By express command Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and pitched at Rephidim where there was no water to drink, led enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by the General of the armies of heaven who knew of the lack. He brought them there to test their faith, and He could have led them elsewhere but permitted the difficult place so He could reveal His love and matchless grace. When the water from the rock later stopped, their faith was tested again whether they would endure or murmur.

Their cry, Give us water to drink, was a chiding or quarrel with Moses that was also a tempting or testing of the Lord. Moses' questions, Why chide ye with me and wherefore do ye tempt the Lord, identify murmuring against him as distrust of God rather than mere complaint to a man. By blaming Moses for their need they dishonored God who had led them there, and showed how poorly they stood the test despite His leading in the cloud and knowledge of their needs.

To chide and tempt in this verse means to accuse Moses of bringing them, their children and cattle and families out of Egypt to kill them with thirst, until they grew so angry as to be almost ready to stone him. It means to doubt God by saying He has failed, has treated them unjustly, does not love them, and asking, Is the Lord among us or not, Is the Lord with us or not. Their thirst turned to murmuring and rebellion against Moses as the visible leader.

The demand showed unbelief, rebellion, distrust and dishonor to God despite repeated deliverance and care and long supply of their needs. They forgot their heavenly Leader who slew the firstborn of Egypt to deliver them, brought them out with a high hand, fed them with angels' food, and covenanted and promised to bring them into the promised land. They proved themselves a people He could not trust, unable to appreciate His mercies because of murmuring and lack of faith.

Instead of humbly asking and simply praying to the Lord for water, trusting the kindness already shown and recognizing the water must come from Him and not from Moses, they murmured, complained, fretted, vented wrath and bitterness on Moses, and forgot that their emergency was God's opportunity. If they had waited patiently, revived faith by recounting His goodness and wonderful works and great goodness, He would have shortened their test. Obedience in some matters that suits their own wishes does not make faithful servants, who walk trustingly with God without questioning or obstructing the way.

The Lord answered by telling Moses to go before the people with the elders of Israel and the rod with which he smote the river, promising to stand before him upon the rock in Horeb, so that when Moses smote the rock in their sight water would come out for the people to drink, which Moses did in the sight of the elders. That water was pure, cooling, life-giving, with Christ standing by Moses causing it to flow, showing power to bring refreshing streams from flinty rock even when surroundings offer no help and to provide abundantly and turn hardship into praise. The place was called Massah, meaning Temptation, and Meribah, meaning Strife, because of their chiding and tempting in saying, Is the Lord among us or not. The wilderness provision of water was later commemorated at the Feast of Tabernacles when at dawn the priest dipped a flagon from the Kedron, lifted it before the people, ascended the temple steps, and poured it before the altar amid great rejoicing.

Faith Tested in Hardship

God may lead His people into disappointment, privation, and difficult places to test their faithfulness and loyalty. Such need exposes helplessness and reveals dependence on Him, reminding them of past deliverance and care despite previous acts of deliverance. The trial is meant to teach them to seek His help and to call upon Him for aid as a hungry and thirsty child calls upon its father.

Every Christian who takes up the cross comes to a Rephidim, even while following in the narrow way. Christ Himself brings His people into straight, trying places because He sees it is for their good and for His name's glory. Such straits, with disappointment, privation, and grievous trials, do not prove that the sufferer has walked away from God by his own wisdom. In mercy He does not always place His people in the easiest places, lest in self-sufficiency they forget that He is their helper in time of need.

The right response is not short-sighted unbelief, murmuring and complaining, but trusting faith that looks to Him and goes forward with full assurance. That faith prays for the Holy Spirit to bring to mind His past manifestations of power, remembers that He has proved Himself an ever-present Saviour, believes He is as willing to help as on former occasions, and lifts praise and thanksgiving for past mercies. In His own time He will provide, opening the flinty rock to cause cooling, life-giving, refreshing streams to flow and turning the bitterness of Marah into sweetness, proving He is an ever-present help in trouble who is with His people alway even unto the end of the world. The gift of His Son proves He will find a way out of difficulties for those who hold fast confidence firm unto the end, while doubt and unbelief grieve His love, paralyze spiritual energy, and tempt a withdrawal of mercy, yet His love remains unchangeable.

The experience warns God's people upon whom the ends of the world are come not to imitate Israel by doubting, murmuring, complaining, and asking Is the Lord among us or not when brought into difficulties. Their emergency was God's opportunity, but instead of waiting patiently and reviving faith by recounting His great goodness and wonderful works, which would have shortened their test, they forgot their heavenly Leader and vented wrath upon Moses. Blessings had led them to forget Him, showing how quickly unbelief can arise, so the heart must be guarded against anything that comes between people and God, and patient remembrance of past goodness helps people wait for His aid.

The Rephidim trial exposes the contrast between true steadfast principle and selfish ambitious sentiment. It reveals the gold of character and shows the faith cherished in the Lord and His instrumentalities. It exposes how easily souls are deceived and misled by temptation, showing how little faith professed believers have in God and how much confidence they have in themselves. Those manifesting such a spirit cannot glorify God in leading positions in His institutions until convicted by the Holy Spirit in thorough conversion of heart and mind.

Rephidim becomes a blessing when it leads to self-examination that establishes faith on better principles. It produces striving for higher moral perception and better preparation for various lines of work. It gives sincere, honest, earnest, God-fearing souls clearer light in which to walk and be blessed, sets right minds formerly biased in a wrong direction, and teaches a lesson never to be forgotten with lasting benefit.