Exodus 17

Moses gets water out of a rock


The Israelites continued to travel toward Canaan. They stopped at Rephidim. There was no water to drink there, and the Israelites started to complain again. 
[1] 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.


The Israelites complained to Moses, and he was getting upset with them. The Israelites said they should have stayed in Egypt because they had water to drink in Egypt.
[2] 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?
[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?


Moses prayed to God. He was very upset. He told God that the Israelites were ready to stone him (kill him by throwing rocks at him). God told Moses to get some of the elders (leaders) of Israel. God told him to take his rod with him.
[4] And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
[5] 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.


God told Moses to hit the rock with his rod. When Moses hit the rock, water came out of the rock.
[6] 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.


Moses named this place Massah and Meribah. The names mean "testing" and "contending". 
[7] 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?