Slices
Prepare
Do you ever feel like a football coach whose team isn’t living up to expectations? Do you feel that if you take your eye off the ball all will be lost? Spend some quiet time today thanking God that he always has your back.
Bible passage
Water from the rock
17 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, travelling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarrelled 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?’
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. 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 and Meribah because the Israelites quarrelled and because they tested the Lord saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’
The Amalekites defeated
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.’
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.’
15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, ‘Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.’
Explore
Coffee time this morning: No water! Panic stations! Thankfully the communal water source downstairs was unaffected. This is rather different from the water problems the Israelites face. So much rests on Moses here, figuratively and literally. Leadership is a tremendous responsibility. He is experiencing justifiable frustration with these people. It’s a hard enough job listening for God’s instructions and putting them into practice. Then add in people arguing and blaming him for obstacles along the way. Admittedly, lack of water is a biggie, but it has been sorted before (15:24). Naturally they’re all tired and frightened, and Moses is in the firing line. They’ve lost focus of what they have been promised.
Moses moves pretty much straight on from sorting the water shortage with the staff of God in his hand (v 5) to taking up the staff again to watch over the battle (v 9). This time he has the support of Aaron and Hur. We too, and especially our leaders, need people who have our backs.
Respond
Think about a leader you know who would benefit from support and encouragement today. What can you do to support them in their role? Reflect on how you might do this regularly.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ruth 1,2; Mark 8
Pray for Scripture Union
Give thanks that Scripture Union’s new Revealing Jesus Resource Centre is up and running. Pray that it will encourage many more churches to engage with the Revealing Jesus framework, enabling children and young people who know nothing of Jesus to Explore the Bible, Respond to Jesus and Grow in faith.
