Exodus Chapters 17-19

Water from the Rock into Arabia

Dr John C McEwan

The No Water Test

Verses 1 3 To moan is to tempt God. Hebrews 3:17 4:6. They have faced, too much water, the wrong sort of water, and now none at all. Why have they not learned faith? Verses 4 7 The Lord Jesus is the smitten rock, and the picture is perfect here; Moses obeys and the water flows. John 4:10-15, 7:37-39, 1 Cor 10:4.

Prevailing Prayer
Verses 8 15 The Amalekites attack the camp in their cowardly attack. Moses draws up the army under Joshua and acts as the prayer warrior to uphold them. Verses 1 11 What prayer and counselling wont solve; Moses marriage to Zipporah. Jethro blesses Moses and the true God over all.

The Elders are Established

Verses 12 27 Jethro is an experienced sheik of the desert ruling over his tribal group and he sees that what Moses is trying to do cannot be done and suggests an alternative. Verses 1 2 The word Sinai refers to the burning bush. Remember, the so called Sinai Peninsula was named that in the 320s AD, and these events occur 1800 years before that time. These events occur in Arabia, well beyond the reach of the Egyptian Empire.

The Holy Mount - Horeb

Verses 3 9 The people must hear, believe and obey the Word of God they are about to receive. They will be tempted to walk away and give in to emotions, but they (we) must hear, believe and obey! Verses 10 15 They are to make themselves holy before God; to wash, pray, and abstain from sex and any work. They are to wait prayerfully before God.

The Awesome Meeting

Verses 16 20 The mountain shakes with thunder and lightning; it is over whelming and powerful. God speaks and Moses obeys! Verses 21 25 Moses is going to go up and down this mountain several times before the last time when he brings to Law to them. The people are severely warned.