From the Red Sea to Sinai
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the rock, but it was the Son of God who, veiled in the cloudy pillar,
stood beside Moses, and caused the life-giving water to flow. Not only
Moses and the elders, but all the congregation who stood at a distance,
beheld the glory of the Lord; but had the cloud been removed, they
would have been slain by the terrible brightness of Him who abode
therein.
In their thirst the people had tempted God, saying, “Is the Lord
among us, or not?”—“If God has brought us here, why does He not
give us water as well as bread?” The unbelief thus manifested was
criminal, and Moses feared that the judgments of God would rest upon
them. And he called the name of the place Massah, “temptation,” and
Meribah, “chiding,” as a memorial of their sin.
A new danger now threatened them. Because of their murmuring
against Him, the Lord suffered them to be attacked by their enemies.
The Amalekites, a fierce, warlike tribe inhabiting that region, came
out against them and smote those who, faint and weary, had fallen
into the rear. Moses, knowing that the masses of the people were
unprepared for battle, directed Joshua to choose from the different
tribes a body of soldiers, and lead them on the morrow against the
enemy, while he himself would stand on an eminence near by with
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the rod of God in his hand. Accordingly the next day Joshua and
his company attacked the foe, while Moses and Aaron and Hur were
stationed on a hill overlooking the battlefield. With arms outstretched
toward heaven, and holding the rod of God in his right hand, Moses
prayed for the success of the armies of Israel. As the battle progressed,
it was observed that so long as his hands were reaching upward, Israel
prevailed, but when they were lowered, the enemy was victorious. As
Moses became weary, Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands until the
going down of the sun, when the enemy was put to flight.
As Aaron and Hur supported the hands of Moses, they showed the
people their duty to sustain him in his arduous work while he should
receive the word from God to speak to them. And the act of Moses
also was significant, showing that God held their destiny in His hands;
while they made Him their trust, He would fight for them and subdue
their enemies; but when they should let go their hold upon Him, and
trust in their own power, they would be even weaker than those who
had not the knowledge of God, and their foes would prevail against
them.