God commanded the Israelites to move away from the Wilderness of Sin. So the Israelites picked up their tents and start traveling.
The Israelites stopped at Rephidim and camped there. At Rephidim, there was no water to drink so the people of Israel complained against Moses.
The Israelites complained to Moses, saying, “Give us some water to drink so that we may quench our thirst? Why did you bring us out of Egypt so that we and our children and our livestock should thirst to death?”
Moses said to them, “Why did you complain to me? I am not the Lord.”
Moses cried out to God, “What should I do? The people already want to stone me.”
And God said, “Go ahead of the Israelites and take some elders with you. You must take the staff along with you. I will be there at the rock in Horeb, and you shall strike the rock and water will flow out from it that the Israelites have water to drink to quench their thirst.”
Moses listened to what God told him to do and he obeyed Him.
Moses took his staff and some elders with him. Then Moses went before the Israelites to the river.
Moses struck the rock in Horeb in front of the Israelites and water came flowing out of the rock and the Israelites have water to drink.
Moses named the place Massah and Meribah because it was there that the Israelites tested the Lord by saying, “Is God with us or not?”
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