May 1, 2018: Day 17 – Exodus 17

I thought we already heard this story but with food instead of water.  Once again the people of Israel complain because they feel that they do not have their needs supplied.  Last chapter it was food, this chapter it is water.  But just in chapter 15 we see the Lord provide water miraculously for the entire people of Israel.  This time, however, the complaint is identical to the one about food.  It would have been better if we had just died in Egypt.  Why did you bring us out here in the wilderness to die?  

I love the names of the places that he gives to the locations where these events take place.  Once he provides the water out of the stone he calls the place Test and Quarrel.  Just so that the people would not forget that it was here where you put the Lord to the test and you are fortunate because God smiled upon you.  Don’t do it again.  This is the place  where you quarreled with me because you didn’t believe that God would provide you with water.  Don’t do it again.

We are then introduced to Joshua for the first time in Exodus.  He is the leader of the Israelite military and he leads the people into battle and into victory.  Because of God’s intervention he is able to overcome the Amalekites.  They will  be a constant thorn in the side.  But don’t forget Joshua because he takes front and center in the Bible in the book of…, well, Joshua.  He is the one who eventually leads the people into the promised land.  It is interesting because Moses is never really seen as a military leader.  He was more the philosophical type who spoke on behalf of the Lord.  But then we are going to get a constant introduction of people who are military leaders who will be leading Israel.  We have Joshua, and Saul, and David, and Solomon.  All of them are military leaders.  Even before that you have the Judges who were all military leaders as well.  Don’t forget Samson and Gideon and Deborah.  All judges who led Israel into battle.

We used to see the same thing in our nation’s history.  So many of our leaders, our presidents, served in wars for our country.  That streak ended with Bill Clinton and since then we haven’t had one serving our country.  It has been non partisan.  What is it about serving in the military that provided a sense  of leadership that maybe was emulated and valued?  I am sure it is the fact that the person already was used to making decisions of life and death and as Commander in Chief, notice the title, that goes along with the territory.