Water From a Rock, Victory With a Rod

To Remember: God performs miracles to prove his identity and power

Vocabulary

• Amalekites: A nation who resisted God and attacked the Israelites

• Miracle: When God does something man cannot do to show His identity

Lesson Exodus 17-18

In this lesson, we see two more miracles God performs for the people of Israel to teach
them 1) that He is all powerful, and 2) that he will care for them. First, he once more
provides water for the entire nation by having Moses strike a rock. Then he provides
victory in battle as long as Moses holds his rod toward heaven. In both cases, the
Israelites would have perished without God.
These miracles were designed to prove to both the Israelites and the surrounding people
that God is almighty and that Israel was His chosen people. Israel had a hard time
learning this lesson. But the enemies learned it well and began to fear Israel. When he
heard of God's mighty works, Jethro, a priest of Midian, said "Now I know that the Lord
is greater than all gods, because He delivered the people from under the hand of the
Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them."
Water from a Rock

• Review the events, focusing on how each participant must have felt.
o Israelites: fear, thirst, despair
o Moses: frustration, fear of rebellion
o God: anger, sadness, frustration
• Discuss how the Israelites had lots of reasons to believe God would help them,
and none to think He wouldn't. How is it then, they did not trust Him? Are there
times when we don't trust God, despite all He's done for us?

Victory from a Rod

• Act out the Israelites' encounter with the Amalekites. Bring a staff or rod to class.
Act the part of Moses, holding the rod over his head. Have two students be Aaron
and Hur. Have the rest of the students be the Israelites and the Amalekites. When
your arms tire, have the Amalekites prevail. When the students playing Aaron and
Hour help you hold your arms up, have the Israelites prevail.
• Discuss how God's protection of Israel convinced the Amalekites and Jethro that
God was true. Given their belief, God could not tolerate their rebellion. All
nations are expected to reverence and obey God.
• Discussion: Faith is not blind. God has never asked his people to believe in Him
without reason. He does not ask us to trust Him without assurance that He can
fulfill His promises. He did not fail to prove His love and power to the Israelites
and He does not fail to show us His love and power. We believe not blindly, but
with overwhelming evidence.
Sing: Father Abraham had many sons

True or False

1. God performs miracles on command. F

2. The Israelites had lots of reasons to trust God. T
3. The Amalekites were a rebellious nation. T
4. Moses held up the rod all by himself. F
5. Sometimes we, like Moses, need help doing what's right. T

Memory Work:
Exodus 17:6a You will smite the rock and water will come out of it.
Exodus 17:11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he
lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Exodus 18:11 Now I (Jethro) know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he
delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly
with them.
Review Questions for gameboard

linguistic questions

1. Name three words that rhyme with rock.

2. What does Exodus mean?
3. What is a miracle?

activity questions

1. Have everyone hold their hands up while you slowly count to ten.
2. Have a student locate Rephidim on a map.
3. Write the first (5, 10, 15) books of the OT on cards and have the student put them
in order.

emotion questions

1. How did Moses feel when the Israelites wanted to stone him?
2. How do you think God felt when the Israelites accused Him of trying to kill
them?
3. How did the Israelites feel when Moses' arm dropped and they started to lose?

application questions
1. How can we help each other do the right thing?
2. What should we learn from the miracles in the Bible?
3. Sometimes God asks us to do a little thing, like hold up a rod, that makes all the
difference. What little things do you do that are very important?

fact questions

1. What did Moses do to get water from the rock?

2. What did the Amalekites refuse to let Israel do?
3. How was Jethro related to Moses?

review questions

1. What other miracles had God performed for the Israelites?

2. Who choose the soldiers who fought for Israel?
3. What proved God's might to Jethro?