These small group studies of Exodus 17 contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications.  Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.

Exodus 17 Inductive Bible Study – Water From The Rock

Outline

I. The people grumble for water (1-3)
II. Moses struck the rock and water came out (4-7)
III. Moses holds his arms up and the sons of Israel have victory over Amalek (8-13)
IV. The book of records and God’s declaration that He would wipe out the people of Amalek (14-15)

I. The people grumble for water (1-3)

Discussion Questions

• Was their situation serious?
• How might you respond if you had no water?
• How should they have responded to this need?
• Was it reasonable to blame Moses for this?
• Why or why not?
• List out the ways God had already showed His provision for them?
• What should they have learned from God’s previous miracles of provision for them?
• What was Moses’ reaction?
• How did he describe their behavior?
• Why do you think the people questioned Moses’ motivation for bringing them out of Egypt?

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. The people grumble again –

Exodus 17:2 – Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”

This time, their discontent is described as taking the form of “quarreling.” That is a stronger word than grumbling. Grumbling is something like muttering, perhaps even under their breath. Quarreling is much louder and more aggressive. Simply put, the people were angry. They were mad. Complaints against Moses were rippling throughout the camp, and it was getting to the point where the camp was in danger of turning into a mob. Keep in mind that they were still harvesting the manna every single day, yet still lacked faith.

John 12:37 – Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him…

The people still lacked faith, even with all they had seen and experienced.

Psalms 106:25 – They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.

Grumbling leads to disobedience. Complaining is not innocuous.

Ephesians 4:29 – Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

3. Their situation was serious –

They had little or no water, and there were likely 2 million people. It was reasonable to be concerned and to try to address the issue.

However, this was clearly the wrong way. Their attitudes demonstrated once again a clear lack of faith in God. How had God provided for them? First, all the times in Egypt. Then, crossing the Red Sea. Then, destroying the Egyptian army. Then, sweetening the waters at Marah. Then, quail and manna. It had been almost one continuous miracle after another. For whatever reason, the people still lacked faith.

This is actually quite typical of those who don’t have a close relationship with God and was typified in the New Testament as well, when many believed in Jesus after His miracles and stopped believing soon after. By nature, people’s memories are short-term. We make decisions by what we see here and now, by who is influencing us at the moment, and by the company we keep.

Knowing that our memories are short-term and as humans our faith is weak, what should we do to help combat this? The best thing I can think of is to keep God and His work fresh in our minds by spending time in it daily. Keep our relationship with God close by daily prayer. This will be a reminder to us of all that God has done and will do for us.

4. The people tested God –

Later, Moses described their behavior as testing God.

Deuteronomy 6:16 – You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.

Exodus 17:7 – And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

They weren’t saying that God wasn’t true or that God wouldn’t help them. They just wanted to make sure. They had had many signs already, but it seems like they think that if God just shows Himself one more time, then it will be enough to believe. They were basically proposing a test.

If God miraculously supplied the water, then He was true, and if He didn’t, then He wasn’t.

Reflect – What is the problem with this test?

It is artificially putting God in a corner and it relies on a false promise. God is equally true whether or not He decides to perform this miracle. These days, people often test God too. They say, “God, if you are true, do such and such.” If it doesn’t happen, they say, “See, there is no God.” This kind of test tries to force God to do something He has not promised to do. It is based on false assumptions, unbelief, and skepticism rather than true belief.

Application – Be careful that you do not test God. It is easy for us to judge Israel, but do we not often do the same? “God, if you want me to marry this girl, then let her drop her notebook so I can pick it up.” “If you are God, heal my sickness.”

Is this reasonable? There are several problems with this. Firstly, God never promises to answer this kind of prayer. Secondly, if the girl doesn’t drop it, the person will probably try another test. Thirdly, if the girl does drop it, the person may try another test just to make sure. Fourthly, maybe the results of the test are just a coincidence, as God doesn’t intervene one way or another. We should not try to put God in a box. When we approach Him, we should realize He is the King of Kings on His throne. As petitioners, we come to receive grace from the Creator of the universe. It is impudent to demand anything from God.

Reflect – Are there any cases in the Bible where believers tested God in some way?

As for Gideon, he was talking to God face-to-face and didn’t have the Bible. Abraham’s servant prayed in faith, and God answered. He wasn’t in it for himself. He did have faith. Also, it is a narrative, not a teaching passage teaching we should do that. God is sovereign over circumstances and will use them to direct our paths, but don’t try to force God to do something to prove Himself to you. He doesn’t have to prove Himself to us.

II. Moses struck the rock and water came out (4-7)

Discussion Questions

• Contrast Moses’ response to this situation with the people’s.
• What is the difference?
• Was it normal for Moses to turn to God in these situations? When the going gets tough, what do you do?
• Who do you turn to?
• Do you tend to complain or do you take it to God in prayer?
• Is your faith shaken or is it reinforced?
• Why do you think God wanted Moses to use the staff for all of these miracles?
• Was it like a magic wand?
• Why did Moses do this in front of the people and in front of the elders?
• Why do you think God wanted Moses to strike the rock?
• Is there any significance to this?
• Tell everyone about a time God has shown His personal provision for you. How did the people test God?
• Is testing God a good way to find out evidence He is true and build your faith?
• What are some ways Christians might test God these days?

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Moses had a completely different response –

He didn’t find a person to blame or complain against. He cried out to the Lord. This is an excellent response. It should always be our number one choice when we face a trial, difficulty, or temptation.

Psalms 34:17 – When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Psalms 55:17 – Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.

God hears us when we cry out to Him. God heard and listened to Moses. Moses realized that the people were nearing an out-of-control mob state. They were starting to consider stoning him. Then they could appoint a new leader and go back to Egypt, their lovely Promised Land!

Application – Do not give up on prayer. As the persistent widow continued bringing her case to the judge, we should bring our petition to our Heavenly Father (Luke 18).

2. Turn to God in times of trouble –

From Moses, we learn that God is the one we should turn to, not anybody around us. We learn that God is the one who can help us. We learn that many times, reasoning with people or trying to convince them might be pointless. Pray to God for help. We also learn that being a leader or teaching people might not always be easy. Fair or not, all problems will come back to you. This should remind us that if we ever lead, we need to be extra dependent on God.

Expect occasional complaints and grumbling, but remember to deal with them gracefully. We can also flip the coin and remember to treat our leaders graciously and not give them cause for grief.

Hebrews 13:17 – Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Application – Obey your spiritual leaders. Do you bring them joy or grief? Let’s empathize with what Moses went through by supporting our leaders. Share practical ways you can support your church leaders in the coming month.

3. The staff – The staff was like the visible symbol of God’s power. It reminded them of God’s authority and His miracles. It wasn’t a magic wand.

4. God told Moses to strike the rock in front of everyone –

Why did God tell Moses to strike the rock? This was yet one more sign of God’s power. Seeing is believing. If they didn’t see it, they would have even more excuses and denials. Seeing it should have convinced them once again that God was real, that He was with them, and that He would continue to take care of them. But generally speaking, signs only have a temporary effect. Perhaps another reason God did the miracle like this was to protect Moses from the mob and show once again Moses’ authority over the people.

5. God provided for them once again –

Reflect – Consider your life to this point. Share how God has faithfully provided for you. Has He done this through natural or miraculous means?

Application – As you consider God’s faithfulness in the past, how should this affect your attitude in the future when facing tough times?

III. Moses holds his arms up and the sons of Israel have victory over Amalek (8-13)

Discussion Questions

• How would you describe Joshua’s position at this time?
• Did Israel have a trained army at this point?
• Who was the first nation to attack Israel?
• Who started it?
• Why was Moses stationed at the top of the hill?
• Why hold the staff?
• Why stretch out his arms?
• How come Israel only won the fight when Moses held his hands up?
• What was God’s purpose in this?
• Could Moses last the day by himself?
• Who helped him?
• What principle can we learn from this?
• What do we learn about leadership?

Cross-References

Psalms 83:4-7 – “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more. With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you – the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Byblos, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.

Numbers 24:20 – Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message: “Amalek was first among the nations, but their end will be utter destruction.”

Numbers 14:43-45 – For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.” Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Joshua was Moses’ right-hand man and leader in training. Just as God had prepared Moses for leading the people way ahead of time, God was now preparing Joshua to take over this position when Moses died. Joshua seems to be more of a warrior leader, while Moses is more of an administrative and spiritual leader.

2. The people of Amalek started this fight. They were very cruel and known for their brutality. The people of Israel, as of yet, posed no harm to them. They were in the wilderness, still far from the Promised Land. They had not initiated any wars, but were attacked unprovoked. They were fresh out of Egypt, tired from a journey, and loaded down with women, children, and animals. The Amalekites wanted to attack them while they were weak, before they became strong. It seems a little like the theory of Japan attacking the US at Pearl Harbor while the US was still neutral.

3. By stationing himself on a hill, Moses could see the whole battle. Also, everyone could see him. This served not only as a psychological aid, but also a spiritual one. Seeing his arms raised up signified his entreaty to God for help. Seeing them win when his arms were raised up showed them God’s divine intervention on their behalf. It wasn’t a coincidence. When Moses raised his arms to God for help, God helped them. When his arms weren’t raised, they fought on their own and naturally lost since they weren’t well-trained.

4. Moses grew tired and weary. I did an experiment while preparing and found that after two minutes, my arms were fatigued. After four minutes, my arms were quite tired. I could have gone longer, but learned the point. Holding your arms up for a significant length of time is not only painful but nearly impossible without support or rest.

The point is, Moses needed help. He couldn’t carry this burden by himself. Ecclesiastes says, “two are better than one.” Aaron and Hur helped him. Even powerful leaders need support from the people around them. Teams are stronger than individual leaders. This is why God made fellowship in the church. We are to support and help each other, even carrying the burdens and supporting the weaker.

Romans 15:1 – We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Application – Again, we can look at both sides of the coin. If you are a leader in some area, don’t try to do everything yourself. Enlist help. Ask for volunteers. Delegate. If you are doing ministry, ask people to pray for you. Get encouragement from others. Be willing to accept support in various forms.

On the other side, maybe you are not leading, but you can help those who are. We don’t see a whole lot mentioned about Hur. He is mentioned in the Bible only in this chapter (later he might be referred to in some genealogy “son of Hur.”). But on this day, he was integral to the whole nation of Israel. His only task was to hold up Moses’ arms. Was it easy? Actually, I don’t think it was that easy. He would have to rotate, using his left and right arms to do it. But his help enabled the whole country to have victory that day.

5. God provided for them once again.

IV. The book of records and God’s declaration that He would wipe out the people of Amalek (14-15)

Discussion Questions

• What was Moses to write in a book?
• Why was this important?
• What book do you think this refers to?
• Where might Moses have learned the skills of writing?
• What does this tell us about God’s sovereign plans?
• Why did God want to blot out Amalek?
• What would you say to someone who says God is cruel because of this?
• What would you say to someone who says the God in the Old Testament is different than the one portrayed in the New?
• What does it mean, “The Lord is my Banner?”

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Destroying the Amalekites –

Exodus 17:14 – Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

This was not a new command. It had been given concerning all of the Canaanites in Deuteronomy 7:2-6, and it was applied specifically to the Amalekites in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. There are several reasons given in the Bible why God told Israel to utterly destroy them.

Firstly, they were evil. Their practices were abominable to God. We know both from the Bible and from other historic documents that the Canaanite civilization was perhaps the most wicked and vile ever known in the world (see above). Their sin was a stench in God’s nostrils, and the very land spewed or vomited them out (Leviticus 18:25). They were descended from Esau and also were exposed to the Israelites and the true teaching from God. Yet they rejected it in favor of a vile, sensuous, and brutal religion. God’s just character requires Him to punish evildoers. Generally, He is patient (and He did wait hundreds of years to use Israel to wipe out the Canaanites), but His patience doesn’t last forever, and He decided to judge the Amalekites sooner rather than later.

Secondly, according to Deuteronomy 7 and other Scriptures, if any portion of these wicked nations were allowed to remain, they would ensnare Israel and lead them away from the true God to worship their false gods and also practice abominations. Israel did not completely wipe out those nations, and what God prophesied did happen, not only once but numerous times (1 Kings 14:22-24, Jeremiah 32:35). At various times in their history, they not only worshiped false gods, but also had hundreds of false prophets who practiced bloodletting (during the time of Ahab), had male cult prostitutes, and sacrificed their children by fire to Molech.

God doesn’t need justification or to “prove” Himself to us when He acts. However, it is clear that He had plenty of reason to give the command to wipe out the Canaanites. Some ask about “innocent” babies. First of all, no one is innocent. Babies are also guilty from the time of their birth. Secondly, the sin of parents affects and has consequences for others. Thirdly, if indeed babies go to heaven, it was a blessing for them. Fourthly, it was necessary to destroy everyone. If any were left, they would grow up and almost surely practice the same sinful abominations that their parents practiced.

God also judged other nations and peoples at various times. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (from this example and Abraham’s talk with God, we know God doesn’t generally destroy the righteous with the wicked). Also, God judged the entire world, which was “filled with violence,” with the flood. Somehow it is easier to accept when God uses natural forces, yet it is the same using His people or wind or water, and God is just as just, no matter which method He chooses.

We can learn some principles from this. We CANNOT say it is good for us to kill sinners or practice genocide, as some have said before. This is a narrative passage, yet we can glean some principles from it, ones that are supported by other Scripture or by commentary from God or the author. One clear one is that God is just and judges sinners. Another is that we need to be extremely careful not to be influenced by culture or unbelievers around us, and also not to leave any sin or foothold for Satan (Ephesians 4:27) in our lives. If we give a foothold to Satan, he will use it and influence our lives negatively, trying to turn us from God.

Different applications can be made from this principle and could include such things as getting rid of music, DVDs, magazines, or books that are influencing us in worldly things. Or we can learn to renew our minds in God’s Word regularly, establish fellowship with people who can keep us accountable, or the like.

1 Chronicles 4:42-43 – And five hundred of these Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, invaded the hill country of Seir. They killed the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.

Comment – What did you think of this Bible study on Exodus 17? We would love to hear your thoughts. Share below in the comment section.