Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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3. They began to question whether God were with them or not: They tempted the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not? Ex 17:7. Is Jehovah among us by that name by which he made himself known to us in Egypt?" They question his essential presence--whether there was a God or not; his common providence--whether that God governed the world; and his special promise--whether he would be as good as his word to them. This is called their tempting God, which signifies, not only a distrust of God in general, but a distrust of him after they had received such proofs of his power and goodness, for the confirmation of his promise. They do, in effect, suppose that Moses was an impostor, Aaron a deceiver, the pillar of cloud and fire a mere sham and illusion, which imposed upon their senses, that long series of miracles which had rescued them, served them, and fed them, a chain of cheats, and the promise of Canaan a banter upon them; it was all so, if the Lord was not among them.
Note, It is a great provocation to God for us to question his presence, providence, or promise, especially for his Israel to do it, who are so peculiarly bound to trust him.
3 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?
4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this
people? They be almost ready to stone me.
The course that Moses took, when he was thus set upon, and insulted.
1. He reproved the murmurers (Ex 17:2): Why chide you with me? Observe how mildly he answered them; it was well that he was a man of extraordinary meekness, else their tumultuous conduct would have made him lose the possession of himself: it is folly to answer passion with