Read Exodus 16:25-17:16 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Exo 16:28-36 {p} The Sabbath rest is YHVH’s commandment + memorial of manna
Exo 17:1-7 {p} YHVH provides water from the rock at Massah and Meribah
Exo 17:8-13 {p} Amalek fought with Israel + Joshua defeated Amalek
Exo 17:14-16 {p} YHVH will have war with Amalek from generation to generation
Exo 16:25-17:16 chiastic structure
First of all, the central axis: “I will stand before you on the rock.” YHVH’s presence was there on the rock when Moses struck it so that water would come forth for the people. Could this by why Paul singled out this incident to say:
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 1 Cor 10:1-4
The history was the provision of natural drink, the application Paul makes is the provision of spiritual drink. The message of the miracle is that it is the presence of YHVH Himself which is life-giving water to His people! But we cannot ignore Paul’s very next statement:
But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 1 Cor 10:5
And why was He not well pleased? Their continual complaints and longing for a return to their life of slavery, despite the miraculous power displayed on their behalf again and again, was constantly testing His patience! (I am sure any parents among us can relate!)
Now, the A pair: at first glance it seems as if it doesn’t pair, but that it is forced together by the surrounding elements, and the repeat of making a memorial for both the manna, and the war with Amalek, lets us know they do in fact belong together. But how?
This is the beauty of the word of God! Notice the central axis of the 2a pair first, an unusual sentence fragment for a central axis:
“… and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it;” Exo 17:12b
In other words, Moses rested! So what is the message of the triennial structure? Let us rest in Him, and so prevail over the enemy!
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