Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Exodus-Chapter 17

Exo 17.1-16 tells us about Israel’s test and their contention with Moses and God’s provision of water out of a rock; Moses names the place of their contention Massah and Meribah; the battle with the Amalekites and Israel prevails; the never-ending battle with Amalek, a type of Satan and the False Messiah. We will have two pictures of the crucifixion of Yeshua in this chapter.

v 1…Then the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin (thorny) according to the command of the Lord and camped at Rephidim (“lax”), and there was no water for the people to drink (Moses and the peo0le are on their way to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah and the instructions for building the Mishkan. They are in northwest Arabia, on the east side of the Gulf of Aqaba.

v 2…Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give (is plural in Hebrew, meaning Moses and Aaron) us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you tempt (test) the Lord?”

v 3…But the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured (grumbled) against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst (accusing Moses of having a murderous view in leading them out of Egypt; they still thought like slaves).”

v 4…So Moses cried out to the Lord (in prayer) saying, “What shall I do unto this people? A little more and they will stone me.”

v 5…Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the river (Nile), and go (this staff was used for judgments, but now will be used in a blessing and for good; this shows us that it’s not the vessel, but the real power is the Lord directing events that happen to us; the staff is a picture of Yeshua).

v 6…Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock (Hebrew “tzur” meaning a rock with no cleft; but in Num 20.8 the word for rock is “cela” which is a clefted rock or hiding place; the striking of this rock is picture of the crucifixion of Yeshua, in Num 20 Moses only had to speak to the rock and not strike it again, meaning Yeshua does not need to die again, but Moses was angry and ruined the picture that God was trying to show) at Horeb (meaning “dry or waste” and was probably already known by Moses; the people were in Rephidim and the water would flow to them) and you shall strike the rock (like Yeshua is the rock that was struck) and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel (Yeshua was struck in the sight of the elders of Israel also)..

v 7…And he named the place Massah (testing, trial) and Meribah (quarreling) because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not (after all that Yehovah has done so far, and what they have seen, this is like saying, “What have you done for us lately?” There is a fear of the unknown in all of us; to plunge into new territory like a job, a move to a new area, a new family or business, etc. We need to recognize this fear and keep going).

v 8…The Amalek (out of Edom and the Petra area-Josephus, Antiquities, Book 3, Chapter 2.1; a picture of the flesh, Satan, False Messiah, perpetual enemies) came and fought against Israel (they may have been the Hyksos who were coming to invade Egypt after all the destruction and chaos there) at Rephidim (Satan will hit us when we are “lax” also).

v 9..So Moses (he is the shaliach of the first redemption) said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand (the staff is like the cross and the sign for God to bring his power-Exo 4.1-9).”

v 10…And Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron (light bringer) and Hur (liberty) went up to the top of the hill.

v 11…So it came about when Moses held his hand up (with his staff like a banner in prayer; like the crucifixion), that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.

v 12…But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone (a type of Messiah) and put it under him and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other side. Thus his hands were steady until sunset (alludes to Yeshua hands were outstretched on the cross between two people).

v 13…So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword (Joshua pictures Yeshua’s victory over Satan at Golgotha; the sword is a picture of the word of God-Heb 4.12).

v 14…Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Write in a book (Scriptures) as a memorial (Josh 1.7) and recite it to Joshua ; for I will utterly blot out (on account of their unprovoked attack-Deut 25.17-19) the memory of Amalek from under heaven (partially fulfilled by Saul, and the finishing blow administered by Mordechai and Esther).

v 15…And Moses built an altar and named it, “The Lord is my Banner” (or “Yehovah Nissi”-this will relate to Rosh Ha Shannah and the Natzal; “banner” or “nissi” also means “miracle” and is a picture of the Messiah-Isa 11.10, 13.2).

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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