1 AND all the congregation of the children of Israel [ Estimated some 3-5 million people. ] journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: [ Located in the lower part of the Sinai desert. Tempetures here often exceed 115 degrees. ] and there was no water for the people to drink.

2  Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, [ Interesting the shelf life of the miracles in their life. Maybe they are learning if things get hard all we need to do is murmur and we will get what we need - the easy way. Haha. Maybe a different way to look at this is that they really are learning to trust God. move than we give them credit for, because they have learned very well that when we murmur we get results. ] and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? [ Why are you ripping on me I am just the Lord's messager. ]

3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. [ Do you get the sense that the patience of Moses is wearing a little thin here. Today we might say that he was attacked on social media. So when we talk about being willing to honor the prophet, I think it is not only them, but we need to honor what they counseled and they've decided on behalf of where the saints need to go, that we uphold that and not dig in our heels, the chiding there, that's the contending. That's not going to facilitate having the presence of the holy ghost in our lives so that we have that voice behind us saying, this is the way, walk in it, way Isaiah describes. We can't have that kind of revelation that we need, if we're digging in our heels at this, that whatever comes from the prophet at every term. Murmurs have short memories, and usually a long list of demands. ]

5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders [ Means defender of the faith – could in this case mean even 12 aspotles. ] of Israel; [Why take the elders? Since there is no way everyone in the multitude can see, so he is commanded to take witnesses that they might later testify to the people what they saw. ] and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock [ Type for Jesus Christ on whom we should build a sure foundation see Deut 32:4; Hel 5:12. ] in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, [ Yep that sounds like the best place to find water to me. I have never seem water squeezed from a rock, and I think that is the point. Answers sometimes come from unlikely places. What did they have to do to get the water out of the Rock? They had to strike it or hit it. And so it is that It is not until Jesus is struck down that he finishes the work out the atonement see Moses 7:56 D&C 19:15. ] and there shall come water out of it, [ John 4:10 Jesus teaches that he is the living water, and those who drink of that water never thrist again. so the story is that out of the physical rock comes water and saves Israel from physical death – and is a type for Jesus who provides living water and will save Israel from spiritual death] that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. [ For the rest of the Story turn to Num 20. ]

7 And he called the name of the place Massah, [ Massah means testing, places of testing or testing ground or something like that. There is a little method behind what looks like madness from the Lord. Notice that where there is water there seems to be no food, where there is food there seems to be no water. Is this to keep them moving? If things were too good in any one place they would simple stop and say we are here. ] and Meribah, [ Meribah means contention. So the children of Israel seem to be testing the Lord and as well as contending with the Lord. So they memorialized those actions and feeling in the names of these places. They will later in Numbers 20 name another place Meribah some 38 years later which will end up casing Moses to get a little curt with Israel, and how he handles the incident with then rock and getting water from it then will end up being the reson why he is not permitted to lead the children of israel to the promised land. ] because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

8 ¶ Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. [ We are not sure why they came to battle as no explanation or real details are offered. ]

9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. [ Emphasizes the intercessory role
of Moses between Israel and God. ]

10 so Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: [ Symbol of Moses lifting up his arms to God obviously connotes an appeal to one exalted above you, but it also has rhetorical links to the hand/arm being a symbol of the Lord's prophet on earth (cp. Isa. 40:10, Isa. 49:22, Ezek. 20:5, 15). The raising of the hand is symbolic of covenant making (cp. Exod. 6:8, Dan. 12:7). The arm is a symbol of might and power (cp. Exod. 15:16, Isa. 33:2, Job 40:9), and relying on the arm of the Lord as opposed to the arm of flesh obviously implies you fear God more than man. ] and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; [ Sustain comes from a Latin word that means to hold, tenere and sub from below. When Moses gets tired, he is supported (sustained) by his two closest assistants (councilors) such that he can continue to act in his capacity as leader of Israel (similar to the sustaining of the living Prophet until death, even if he becomes physically tired or weak; physical infirmity does not preclude or commute the office).so long as Moses hands were stretched up to God, Israel prevailed. The symbolism would be that so long as the Prophetwas pleading to God in behalf of his people, and so long as the people were sustaining the prophet then God heeded their call. The result is they prevailed against their enemies by divine fiat. ] and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. [ It took more than himself to complete the task at hand. IT took everyone, Joshua and those who were to fight the battle, Moses with his lifted hands, Aaron and Hur to help hold his hands up, and the Elders who will stand as witnesses for the people. Just like in a presedency or Bishopric, without the two counselors the Bishop just cannot do it. ]

13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: [Literally "The Lord is my banner"]

16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.