(Exodus 17 & 18) “Rephidim”
Published 29 August 2025
Scroll down for “Lessons Learned…”
Designed for Personal Bible Study or for Bible Teaching
⚠️ The 5 Greatest Mistakes
- 1️⃣ Forgetting that God leads us into deserts He plans to supply (17:1–7).
- 2️⃣ Treating prayer as optional strategy instead of first strategy (17:9–13).
- 3️⃣ Assuming former slaves can’t become fighters under God’s banner (17:9–10).
- 4️⃣ Quitting before sunset—stopping intercession when arms ache (17:12).
- 5️⃣ Failing to record victories for the next leader (17:14; “write this”).
💥 The 5 Greatest Failures
- 1️⃣ Amalek’s predation—attacking the thirsty and weak (17:8).
- 2️⃣ Israel’s recurring amnesia—panic at need despite prior provision (17:3; context).
- 3️⃣ Lone-ranger leadership—Moses’ arms drop without Aaron & Hur (17:12).
- 4️⃣ Unpassed truth—Joshua must hear the story, or momentum dies (17:14).
- 5️⃣ Unbuilt altars—no memorial, no culture of remembrance (17:15).
🚫 The 5 Greatest Sins
- 1️⃣ Mental—distrust that God can bring water from rock (17:2–7).
- 2️⃣ Mental—pride that refuses to ask for help holding up arms (17:12).
- 3️⃣ Verbal—complaint that drains courage (17:3).
- 4️⃣ Overt—predation of the vulnerable (Amalek’s attack, 17:8).
- 5️⃣ Overt—erasing God’s interventions by failing to record them (17:14).
🌱 Great Spiritual Growth Applied
- 1️⃣ Name your Rephidim and your Rock—map where God met you (17:6).
- 2️⃣ Pray and fight—intercession on the hill, courage in the valley (17:9–13).
- 3️⃣ Recruit your Aaron & Hur—choose who will hold up your arms (17:12).
- 4️⃣ Keep a victory log—“Write this… make sure Joshua hears it” (17:14).
- 5️⃣ Live under the Banner—Jehovah Nissi as identity and confidence (17:15).
🧭 Great Leadership Principles Gleaned
- 1️⃣ Pair clear battlefield roles—Joshua leads action; Moses leads intercession (17:9–10).
- 2️⃣ Design supports—stones/seats/schedules so prayer lasts to sunset (17:12).
- 3️⃣ Publicly attribute outcomes—“the LORD is my Banner” (17:15).
- 4️⃣ Institutionalize memory—documents + successors (17:14).
- 5️⃣ Trust divine justice—God deals with persistent predators (17:14; 1 Sam. 15:1–2).