Exodus 17: Strike the Rock

There is no water. The people are thirsty. And for the second time in a month, they turn on Moses — this time with enough fury that Moses fears for his life. "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us with thirst?"

God's instruction is simple and strange: take your staff — the same staff that parted the Red Sea — and strike the rock. Water will come out.

St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, will later say: "They drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4). The rock is struck so that water flows. Christ is struck — crucified — so that living water flows for all who are thirsty.

In this episode we explore Exodus chapter 17 in its entirety. The water from the rock opens the chapter; the battle with the Amalekites closes it. These two episodes are more connected than they appear. Moses stands on the hill with his staff raised, and while his hands are up, Israel prevails. When they drop, Amalek prevails. Aaron and Hur find a stone for Moses to sit on and hold his arms up — one on either side. The image of arms stretched wide, held up by others, on a hill, was not lost on the early Church.

And at the end of the chapter, a new name appears for the first time in Scripture: Joshua — whose name in Hebrew is Yeshua. Jesus.

Key questions explored:

• What does St. Paul mean when he says "the Rock was Christ" — and how does this change how we read Exodus?

• Why does God command Moses to strike the rock, rather than speak to it (as He will command later)?

• What is the theological significance of Moses' raised arms during the battle with Amalek?

• Why is Joshua introduced here — and what does his name foreshadow?