Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/191

 Some time  after  these  events,  they  encamped  in  another  part of the  desert,  where  again  there  was  no  water. Here also  they murmured against  Moses,  and  with  great  anger  upbraided  him  for having brought  them  out  of  Egypt. Then Moses  reproved  them for their  want  of  confidence  in  God; and,  addressing  the  Lord in prayer,  he  said:  “What  shall  I do  with  this  people? Yet a little  more,  and  they  will  stone  me.”  The  Lord  commanded  him to strike  a rock  on  the  side  of  Mount  Horeb  with  his  rod. Moses did  so,  and  a stream  of  pure  water  burst  forth  from  the rock, so  that  all  the  people  and  the  cattle  could  quench  their thirst at  will.

At this  time  the  Amalekites  marched  against  the  chosen people. Moses sent  Josue  with  a number  of  picked  men  against them. During the  battle  Moses  prayed  on  the  top  of  the  hill. As long as  his  hands  were  uplifted,  the  Israelites  remained  victorious; but when,  through  fatigue,  he  let  them  sink,  they  lost. Hence Aaron and  Hur  upheld  his  hands,  until  the  enemy  was  put to flight.

While Moses  and  the  Israelites  were  near  the  mountain  of God  (Horeb),  Jethro,  having  heard  all  the  wonderful  things,  came with the  wife  and  the  two  sons  of  Moses  (Gersam  and  Eliezer) to pay  a visit  to  Moses. He offered  holocausts  and  sacrifices  to God  in  thanksgiving  and  counselled  Moses  to  institute  seventy ancients as  judges  to  help  him  in  judging  the  people. (Ex. 18.)

The wood  thrown  into  the  bitter  well  by  God’s  command  possessed no natural  properties,  by  which  to  make  the  water  sweet; therefore  the miracle worked  was  simply  the  effect  of  God’s  almighty  power. In the same way,  the  stroke  dealt  by  Moses’  rod  did  not  of  itself  bring water from  the  rock:  it  was  the  omnipotence  of  God,  which  caused that abundant  spring  to  pour  from  the  dry  stone. To show  that  the power came  from  Him,  the  Lord  God,  present  in  the  pillar  of  cloud,