25th.: Some People Just Never Learn
The Israelites left the wilderness of Sin and went to a region called Rephidim.
Rephidim had no water (Exo. 17:2).
The people complained - again,
“Give us water to drink. … Wherefore is this that thou has brought us up out of Egypt to kill us,
and our children, and our cattle with thirst.” (Exo. 17:2a, 3b).
They could have simply asked for water.
Instead, they accused God of mistreating them.
Furthermore,
“they tempted the Lord saying, ‘Is the Lord among us, or not?’” (Exo. 17:7).
The Israelites dared to question God’s existence, even after seeing the many miracles that favored them.
The Egyptians saw God’s favoritism; why could not the Israelites?
Fortunately, Moses went to the Lord,
“And Moses cried unto the Lord saying, ‘What shall I do unto this people? They be almost ready to stone me.’” Exo. 17:4.
His prayer was short, to the point, and desperate.
In reply, the Lord gave Moses instructions to go to a certain rock, and strike it, and water would come out.
Moses then gave that place the names Massah, and Meribah, or Temptation and Chiding,
as a way to remind future generations of the disbelief this generation of Israel had toward the Lord (Exo. 17:5-7).
When we pray, we must do so respectfully, and without a mocking attitude toward God.
“Be not as the horse or mule that has no understanding.” (Ps. 32:9)