Massah and Meribah versus Jehovah Nissi

 

Exodus 17:1-16

The Israelites camped at Rephidim

After Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt, they headed to the Promised Land. They arrived at Rephidim and camped there. There, the people murmured because they had no waters to quench their thirst, and they rose and quarreled 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?”

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?”

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

At last, the LORD instructed Moses to hold his staff, and walk pass the people to go the rock at Horeb. The LORD would be there with them at Horeb. Moses did this and he hit the rock by following the instructions given by God, and waters gushed out from the rock, so that the people could drink it (v5-6).

Moses named that place Massah (testing), and it was also known as Meribah (quarreling), because the Israelites tested God there and said, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (v 7)

It was at this same place of Rephidim that the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites. However, Moses led the people to resist their enemies. He summoned Joshua to immediately lead an army into the battlefield to fight the Amalekites.

Something interesting took place in the battle when the Israelites’ victory depended on whether Moses’ hands would be able to keep holding up until sunset (v11-13)! We see many interesting points when we make a parallel contrast between the two narratives mentioned above. It was at the same place, Rephidim, that:

The people complained because their needs were not met in the first case, whereas the people rose courageously to defeat their enemies in the second case. Complaints were found overwhelming in the first case, whereas the song of victory was sung in the second case. They had water to drink after using the staff of God to hit the rock in the first case, whereas they overcame their enemies by holding up the staff of God in the second case.

They ended up in disputes and testing God in the first case, whereas they ended up with Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is my banner, when they trusted their God and went to wage war with their enemies in the second case. The focus was on men’s weaknesses in the first case, whereas the focus was on God’s mighty power in the second case.

Get Rid of Negative Sentiments, Arise and Fight our Enemies

The Israelites had never fought a war before, because they were slaves in Egypt. They were weak and often beaten, and under the bondage of the Egyptians. It was like sinners living in their own sin and were bound by it without realizing its existence before their conversion.

Hardships came upon the people after their exodus from Egypt while crossing the Red Sea and entering the wilderness. They had no water to drink, no food to eat, and hence, they complained.

The Israelites grumbled against God, accusing Him for leading them out of Egypt but made them suffer in the wilderness. They tested their God and threatened Him to meet their needs immediately. They did not pray to God nor seek Him for solutions. They were “Massah and Meribah” – testing and quarreling with God.

At last, God showed them mercy and performed a miracle for them, so that they had water to drink. Yet, when they were provided for and satisfied and started to relax, the enemies came and gave them a sudden attack. It was something they never expected, and it was their first hands-on war experience. How then should the people respond to it?

The journey of Israelites’ exodus is akin to Christians’ journey of faith. Today, we may be making complaints and grumbling against God, questioning Him the reasons why He does not satisfy our needs on time whenever we encounter difficulties in life. We are often at the first section of Rephidim—Massah and Meribah.

Instead, what we should do is pray and seek God, for complaints could not solve our problems. It will cause us more troubles. Prayer helps calm our mind and heart to listen to God’s guidance.

Not only that, the enemies would attack us after our needs are met, and when we are relaxed in a comfortable state. These enemies are also the enemies of God’s kingdom. They represent all the evil forces that resist God’s will. They want to destroy the Church and tempt us to doubt and leave God.

Are we alert and keeping watch? Are we perceiving God’s enemies as our own enemies? Are we rising to fight the enemies?

This opposing evil force consists also of crimes, violence, greed, corruption, unjust laws and unrighteous government, and all sorts of hardships. The imminent one is the pandemic that hinders the Church from functioning in a normal way. We are facing a spiritual warfare.

May the Holy Spirit fill us and keep us vigilant in identifying our enemies that are before us. We should rise and wage war against our enemies. But how should we fight? What is our war strategy?

Fight in a Team with One Heart and Mind

Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites.” (v9)

Moses acted fast in choosing the leader, assigning him with a task and empowering him with authority, and he trusted in his ability. Then Moses brought along Aaron and Hur and they went to the top of the hill. (v10) When Moses held up his hands, the Israelites was winning the battle, but when he lowered his hands, the Amalekites was winning it.

In fact, leaders are sometimes weak. Moses’ hands were not able to hold up for long hours, and he needed support from his co-workers. These two co-workers took a stone and allowed Moses to sit on it. Then, they held Moses’ hands up, one on one side, and one on the other. By doing so, Moses’ hands remained steady until sunset. (v12)

The two co-workers helped to hold up the hands of Moses, and God was pleased with their ways of helping him. The Israelite army won the battle at the end. Why did God react in such a roundabout manner and why did His aid come in such a peculiar way to enable the Israelites win the battle? Why did not God simply send forth His heavenly host and destroy their enemies straight away? And Moses just had to make a benediction prayer behind it?

This story tells us that God wants his people to fight with a team spirit. Every pastor and leader should have capable co-workers who can come alongside him in assisting him. When a leader’s hands are lowering down, it is the responsibility of his co-workers to help hold up their leader’s hands, and speak forth words of encouragement, and pray for their leaders. Then the leader will be renewed in his strength.

The entire team of co-workers should help instead of pulling down each other and seeking for replacement or trying to prove that one is smarter than the other. Leaders and co-workers are not supposed to fight with one another for power and position!

In addition to this, every leader needs assistance from their co-workers and successor.  However, the question arises as to how willing is a leader in discipling his co-workers? Are we confident of delegating tasks to our co-workers? Do we trust them? Some leaders are wary of their co-workers, and they are fearful that the latter would outshine them and possibly replace them in future!

The Church needs everyone’s involvement and support in driving her various ministries, and teamwork ministry is our model and strategy for battles. The relationship between Moses and the Israelite army is akin to the relationship between a pastor and his members. They are people in the same boat. Our strategy for battle is to care for one another, understand one another, and help one another so that each can be strengthened by each other.

Who would like to avail yourselves to be “Joshua, Aaron and Hur” this day? If nobody is willing to step out to help the leader, we will be defeated badly, and we will remain in “Massah or Meribah.”

Jehovah Nissi, The Lord is Our Banner

Finally, we can see that in both incidences, the exaltation of the staff of God was mentioned in solving their problems. The staff of God was used to hit the rock to allow the water to flow out. The staff of God was also held up and this helped the Israelites win their battle. Holding up the staff signifies that God is our strength and He is the One we depend on.

It is not because of someone that helps meet our needs and grant us victory over wars. But it is God helping from behind us. Moses built an altar and called it “the Lord is my banner,” and 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.” (v15-16)

Let’s leave behind our “weaknesses in Egypt” and our “negative sentiments of Massah and Meribah”, and let’s work on and enter the state of “Jehovah Nissi,” the Lord is our banner, and be ready for battle. May we trust the Lord all the way. May we stand up to and fight the devil’s attacks, so that we can remain unshaken over the MCO period, and win our city for the Lord.

Let’s put aside our personal gains and losses, and let’s neither grumble nor be affected by complaints made by others. Instead, let’s fix our eyes on the Lord, and raise up the banner of God and charge into the battlefield and defeat the devil’s attacks. This is the holy war entrusted to us by God.