What happensPermalink
The Israelites complain about the lack of water, and Moses strikes the rock to produce water. Israel, under Joshua’s command, defeats the Amalekites; while Moses’s hands are held in the air, they are victorious.
Why it mattersPermalink
God recently tested the Israelites with the manna; now they test him. They quarrel with Moses, and through him, God. God continues to provide them not only water but victory over their enemies, showing that He is sufficient for them.
Key versePermalink
But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”