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<< Exodus 17: Water in the Desert: Battle with Amalek >>
 THE journey southward by the Red Sea had brought the people to the valley which would lead them up into the heart of the mountains. It is called now Wady Feiran, and in the Bible Rephidim. (Wady is the Arabs' word for a valley where the water runs during the winter rains.) The high cliffs and peaks of the mountains are almost wholly of bare rock, with valleys of sand and gravel winding in and out among them. The scenery is very wild and yet not without beauty, although it is so barren, for the rock is stained with all sorts of colors and is often very rich in the changing lights and shades.
If we follow up the Wady Feiran some miles from the sea, we come to the most fertile spot in all this region. Here is water, and many palms and groves of other trees, and even gardens, extend some four miles along the valley. The bare cliffs rise above the green on either side, and through branch valleys are had glimpses of one of the highest and finest of all the mountains (Mount Serbal). This is a paradise to the people of the desert.
The children of Israel were toiling through the hot, barren valley, no doubt looking forward to the refreshment further on." But there were people living in this country, the Amalekites, who wandered through all the region from Sinai to the south of Palestine. If they could they would keep the Israelites from this garden spot among the mountains and from the springs of water. Then, in their thirst, the people cried to Moses, and the Lord gave them water in the desert.
And now the armed men of the desert came out to fight with the children of Israel. There was a gravelly floor between the cliffs, where Joshua led the soldiers out to meet the enemy, and a little hill overlooking the valley, where Moses stayed with the rod of God in his hand. The Lord gave the children of Israel the victory, but the Amalekites were their enemies for many years, even till the days of Saul and David.
And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.---Exodus XVII.
Author: William L. Worcester 1904
Spiritual Correspondences
Spiritual Meaning
EXODUS XVII
1-3. And all the assemblage of the sons of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys according to the mouth of Jehovah, and they encamped in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink. And the people quarreled with Moses, and they said, Give ye us water and we will drink. And Moses said to them, Why quarrel ye with me? why do ye tempt Jehovah? And the people thirsted there for the waters; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this, that thou hast made us come up out of Egypt, to make me die, and my sons, and my cattle, with thirst?
"And all the assemblage of the sons of Israel journeyed," signifies what is progressive of spiritual life; "from the wilderness of Sin," signifies from a state of temptation as to good; "after their journeys," signifies according to the order of life for receiving the life of heaven; "according to the mouth of Jehovah," signifies by the providence of the Lord; "and they encamped in Rephidim," signifies the setting in order of the interiors for undergoing temptation as to truth, the nature of which is signified by "Rephidim;" "and there was no water for the people to drink," signifies a lack of truth and of the consequent refreshment; "and the people quarreled with Moses," signifies a grievous complaining against truth Divine; "and they said, Give ye us water, and we will drink," signifies an ardent longing for truth; "and Moses said to them," signifies an answer by influx into the thought; "Why quarrel ye with me?" signifies that they should be more moderate in complaint; "why do ye tempt Jehovah?" signifies that it was against the Divine, of whose aid they despair; "and the people thirsted there for the waters," signifies an increase of longing for truth; "and the people murmured against Moses," signifies a greater degree of suffering; "and said, Wherefore is this, that thou hast made us come up out of Egypt," signifies why have we been liberated from infestations; "to make me die, and my sons, and my cattle, with thirst," signifies that from the lack of truth everything of spiritual life is expiring.
4-6. And Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying, What shall I do to this people? a little more and they stone me. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pass on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come waters out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel.
"And Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying," signifies interior lamentation and intercession; "What shall I do to this people?" signifies for those who are in a complaining so grievous on account of the non-reception of truth; "a little more and they stone me," signifies that they are not far from doing violence to truth from the Divine; "and Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies aid; "Pass on before the people," signifies that He should lead and teach them; "and take with thee of the elders of Israel," signifies from primary truths; "and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river," signifies the Divine power by which falsities had been dissipated; "take in thine hand, and go," signifies that equipped therewith he should perform the mandate; "Behold, I stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb," signifies the Lord as to the truths of faith; "and thou shalt smite the rock," signifies that they should be urgent in entreating Him; "and there shall come waters out of it," signifies that the truths of faith are from Him; "that the people may drink," signifies which shall refresh them and give them spiritual life; "and Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel," signifies the effect by means of primary truths.
7. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the sons of Israel, and because of their tempting Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah in the midst of us, or not?
"And he called the name of the place Massah," signifies the quality of the state of the temptation; "and Meribah," signifies the quality of the complaining; "because of the quarreling of the sons of Israel," signifies a complaining from the grievousness of the temptation even so that they nearly yielded; "and because of their tempting Jehovah," signifies that it was against the Divine whose aid they despair of; "saying, Is Jehovah in the midst of us?" signifies that they almost believed that the Lord does not bring aid to His own.
8, 9. And Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight against Amalek; tomorrow I stand upon the top of the hill, and the rod of God in my hand.
"And Amalek came," signifies falsity from interior evil; "and fought with Israel in Rephidim," signifies that they attacked when grievous temptation was being endured; "and Moses said unto Joshua," signifies Divine influx into truth combating; "Choose us out men," signifies that it may draw up truths for the fight; "and go out, fight against Amalek," signifies against falsities from interior evil; "tomorrow I stand on the top of the hill," signifies the conjunction of truth Divine with the good of charity, and the consequent influx; "with the rod of God in my hand," signifies that from this was power.
10-13. And Joshua did as Moses had said to him in fighting against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it was, when Moses lifted up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, that Amalek prevailed. And Moses' hands were heavy, and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat upon it; and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other; and it was, his hands were steady until the setting of the sun. And Joshua weakened Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
"And Joshua did as Moses had said to him," signifies the effect, as the fighting truth had been instructed by Divine truth; "in fighting against Amalek," signifies against the falsity from interior evil; "and Moses, and Aaron, and Hur," signifies Divine truths in successive order; "went up to the top of the hill," signifies in the good of charity; "and it was when Moses lifted up his hand," signifies when faith looked toward the Lord with those who were of the spiritual church; "that Israel prevailed," signifies that then the fighting truth conquered; "and when he let down his hand," signifies when the faith with them looked downward or away from the Lord to self and the world; "that Amalek prevailed," signifies that then the falsity conquered; "and Moses' hands were heavy," signifies that the power of looking upward to the Lord failed; "and they took a stone," signifies truth Divine in the ultimate of order; "and put it under him, and he sat upon it," signifies correspondence with truth in the first of order; "and Aaron and Hur," signifies truths in order; "held up his hands," signifies the upholding of the power of the fighting truth; "one on one side, and the other on the other," signifies on all sides; "and it was, his hands were steady," signifies the strength of power then; "until the setting of the sun," signifies when this state ceased; "and Joshua weakened Amalek and his people," signifies the lessening of power with those who are in falsity from interior evil; "with the edge of the sword," signifies by means of fighting truth.
14-16. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in the book, and put it in the ears of Joshua, that blotting I will blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi; and he said, Because there is a hand against the throne of Jah, Jehovah shall have war against Amalek from generation to generation.
"And Jehovah said unto Moses," signifies instruction; "Write this for a memorial in the book," signifies for perpetual remembrance; "and put it in the ears of Joshua," signifies to be obeyed in behalf of truth fighting against this falsity; "that blotting I will blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens," signifies that this falsity must be completely removed so that it may fight no longer; "and Moses built an altar," signifies in what is holy of worship and of memory; "and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi," signifies continual warfare and the Lord's protection against those who are in the falsity of interior evil; "and he said, Because there is a hand against the throne of Jah," signifies because they wish to do violence to the Lord's spiritual kingdom; "Jehovah shall have war against Amalek from generation to generation," signifies that they were brought under the yoke, and were cast into hell, from which by reason of the Lord's Divine power they can never rise up. [AC 8556-8626]
Author: Emanuel SWEDENBORG
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