Single lesson

Water from the Rock at Rephidim

Exodus 17:1–7

In this lesson, children follow what happened at Rephidim when there was no water, the people quarrelled with Moses, Moses cried to Yahweh, and Yahweh gave water from the rock for the people to drink. (Exodus 17:2, Exodus 17:4, Exodus 17:6, Exodus 17:7)

6–10 years30 minutes

Before you teach

The congregation of Israel travelled according to Yahweh’s command and camped in Rephidim, but there was no water there. The people quarrelled with Moses, complained about being brought out of Egypt, and asked whether Yahweh was among them. Yahweh then told Moses what to do at the rock in Horeb. (Exodus 17:1, Exodus 17:3, Exodus 17:5, Exodus 17:7)

Learning aim

Students will be able to retell the order of Exodus 17:1-7, identify the people’s quarrelling and testing of Yahweh, and describe Yahweh’s provision of water from the rock. (Exodus 17:2, Exodus 17:6, Exodus 17:7)

Welcome: The problem at Rephidim

4 min

Ask children to name things people need every day, then introduce the passage. Explain that Israel camped at Rephidim and there was no water to drink. Tell the class to listen for three parts as you read: what the people did, what Moses did, and what Yahweh did.

Exodus 17:1, Exodus 17:2, Exodus 17:4, Exodus 17:6

Read and explain: The people quarrel and complain

7 min

Read Exodus 17:1-3 aloud. Point out the real need in the story: there was no water. Then notice the people’s response. They quarrelled with Moses, murmured against him, and asked why they had been brought out of Egypt. Moses answered that in quarrelling like this, they were testing Yahweh.

Exodus 17:1, Exodus 17:2, Exodus 17:3

Discuss: Moses cries to Yahweh

6 min

Read Exodus 17:4-6. Help children see that Moses did not solve the problem by himself. He cried to Yahweh because the people were against him. Yahweh answered with clear instructions: go before the people, take the elders, take the rod, strike the rock in Horeb, and water would come out.

Exodus 17:4, Exodus 17:5, Exodus 17:6

Make and respond: Put the account in order

8 min

Children make simple sequence cards showing key moments from the passage, then place them in order and retell the account to a partner. After that, ask them to sort actions into two groups: the people’s quarrelling and testing, and Moses crying out with Yahweh providing water for the people to drink.

Exodus 17:1, Exodus 17:2, Exodus 17:4, Exodus 17:6, Exodus 17:7

Closing: Why the place was named

5 min

Read verse 7 again. Explain that Moses called the place Massah and Meribah because the children of Israel quarrelled and tested Yahweh by saying, ‘Is Yahweh among us, or not?’ Finish by inviting children to give a one-sentence summary of what happened in the passage.

Exodus 17:7

Questions to explore

What problem did the people face when they camped at Rephidim?

Look at the opening of the passage and find the problem named before anyone speaks: there was no water for the people to drink.

Exodus 17:1

What did Moses say the people were doing when they quarrelled with him?

In verse 2, Moses links their quarrelling with something done against Yahweh, so read his question carefully.

Exodus 17:2

Why did Moses call the place Massah and Meribah?

Verse 7 gives the reason directly: the people quarrelled and tested Yahweh by saying, ‘Is Yahweh among us, or not?’

Exodus 17:7

Make, think or respond

Rephidim Story Sequence Cards

What you’ll need

Plain paper or card
Pencils or textas
Scissors
Bible

Try it together

Choose four to six main moments from the passage, such as no water, quarrelling, Moses crying to Yahweh, Yahweh’s instructions, water from the rock, and the naming of the place.
Have each child draw one moment on a small card and, if they can, add a short phrase or verse reference.
Mix the cards and work alone, in pairs, or as a group to place them in the order of the passage.
Ask each child or pair to retell the account using the cards and name one action of the people and one action of Yahweh.

This activity helps children follow the order of the passage and notice what the text highlights: no water, quarrelling, Moses crying out, Yahweh’s provision, and the naming of the place. (Exodus 17:1, Exodus 17:2, Exodus 17:4, Exodus 17:6, Exodus 17:7)

Adapt for your group

For younger children, reduce the sequence to four large group pictures and retell the account together with repeated phrases from the verses.
For older or more confident children, ask them to add the matching verse reference to each card and explain how Exodus 17:7 sums up the event.

An optional closing prayer

Suggested prayer: ‘God, thank you for giving water to the people in this passage. Please help us bring our needs to you and guard us from quarrelling and testing you.’

Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic

Exodus 17

¹ All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, starting according to Yahweh’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.

² Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”

³ The people were thirsty for water there; so the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

⁴ Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

⁵ Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go.

⁶ Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

⁷ He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”

World English Bible Classic. Public domain.