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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
to their rebellious murmurings and to unjust, unreasonable com-
plaints against their leaders whom God had qualified and appointed
to lead them through the wilderness to the land of Canaan. The Lord
directed their course where there was no water, to prove them, to
see if, after receiving so many evidences of His power, they had
learned to turn to Him in their affliction, and had repented of their
past rebellious murmurings against Him. They had charged Moses
and Aaron with selfish motives in bringing them from Egypt to kill
them and their children with hunger, that they might be enriched
with their possessions. In doing this the Israelites ascribed to man
that which they had received unmistakable evidence was from God
alone, whose power is unlimited. These wonderful manifestations
of the power of God He would have them ascribe to Him alone, and
magnify His name upon the earth. The Lord brought them over the
same ground of trial repeatedly to prove whether they had yet learned
His dealings and repented of their sinful disobedience and rebellious
murmurings. In Rephidim, when the people thirsted for water, they
were again proud, and showed that they still possessed an evil heart
of unbelief, of murmuring, of rebellion, which revealed the fact that
it would not yet be safe to establish them in the land of Canaan.
If they would not glorify God in their trials and adversity, in their
travels through the wilderness to the Canaan in prospect, while God
was continually giving them unmistakable evidence of His power
and glory, and His care for them, they would not magnify His name
and glorify Him when established in the land of Canaan, surrounded
with blessings and prosperity. Because the people thirsted for water,
they were provoked, so that Moses feared for his life.
When Israel was assailed by the Amalekites, Moses gave Joshua
directions to fight with their enemies while he would stand with
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the rod of God in his hand, with his hand raised toward heaven in
the sight of the people, showing to rebellious, murmuring Israel
that their strength and power was in God. He was their might and
the source of their strength. There was no power in that rod; God
wrought through Moses. Moses had to receive all his strength from
above. When he held up his hands, Israel prevailed; when he let
down his hands, Amalek prevailed. When Moses became weary,
preparations were needful to keep his weary hands continually raised
toward heaven. Aaron and Hur prepared a seat for Moses, and then