Israel’s profound journey, guided by YHWH’s command, took them from the crossing of Yam Suph into the Wilderness of Shur. This wilderness, a symbolic wall that sealed off the way back to Egypt and to the East, was a testament to YHWH’s unwavering purpose for them. At Marah, He commanded them to shema His Word and revealed His name YHWH-ropheka, I am YHWH who heals you. From Marah, He led them to Elim’s rest with its twelve wells and seventy palm trees, a divine display of His fruit of righteousness flowing out to the nations through their identity in Him. At Yam Suph, while Israel recounted YHWH’s justice against Egypt, He armed them with His power of justice to fight against the spirit of evil. The Wilderness of Sin’s disciplines pointed and guided Israel to the Sabbath’s door and holy time in God’s presence by providing quail and manna, using it to remind Israel of His Passover purchase of them and their need to eat His words daily. He led them on through Dophkah and Alush in detachments, carefully and insistently pressing them with His hand to open to Him in confession, kneading them by His forgiveness. Coming into Rephidim, stressed Israel was without water, and the people contended with Moses, saying, “Is YHWH among us or not?” (Exo. 17:1, Num. 33:14). But YHWH strengthening their faith at Rephidim, that they might be mature at the end of the seventh Sabbath.

Rephidim, a place of intensity, signifies “to give strength and support from that which is at the bottom” (Strong’s H7507, H7502, TWOT, OT 7507, Jones, p. 308). Like YHWH’s two mighty but gentle arms of support, two significant events unfolded at Rephidim. YHWH spoke, and with the rod that opened Yam Suph, Moses struck the Rock, and water flowed out of it in sight of the elders of Israel (Exo. 17:1-7). Then Israel gained victory over the Amalekites through Moses’ outstretched hands holding up the rod as Joshua led the combat (Exo. 17:8-16). Both events, like two pillars, underscore the meaning of “Rephidim,” the foundation for establishing their faith in YHWH. First, YHWH stood on the rock receiving its blow, and second, He championed victory over the enemy despite human weakness. The Hebrew word picture of Rephidim signifies YHWH’s open mouth unlocking a (door)way to life, overpowering Israel’s unbelief (the chaos in the head), refreshing and fulfilling God’s desire, just like He created with wisdom by speaking in Genesis 1.

Israel’s first encounter with an enemy at Rephidim set forth YHWH’s matrix for victory. Joshua, mentioned for the first time, wielded the sword as commander of the fighting army under Moses. Moses, representing God to Israel and Israel to God, sat on a rock with his arms upholding YHWH’s rod to heaven, supported by the High Priest, Aaron, and his brother-in-law, Hur (Antiq. III, 54[ii4]), both judges (Exo. 24:24). What did these people portray?

Israel’s attitude changed from demanding YHWH prove Himself to reverent faith and dependence on Him. How did this happen? When Israel tested YHWH’s presence, He answered in two ways. Moses struck the rock, giving Israel water. Israel drank of the flowing Spirit and was refreshed, changing their unbelief into belief. Next, in war, YHWH saved Israel from the Amalekites, “a witness to YHWH’s presence among His people.” God transformed His people, intimately dependent upon the Rock, trusting in Moses’ two supported hands by the High Priest (Aaron) and Builder of the Tabernacle (Hur). At the same time, the Warrior King (Joshua) fought with the sword of the Word of God to prevail over Amalek. The physical scene resembled the conversion dynamics when we are “in Christ,” maturing to His full stature. Just as Moses grew weak without support from the High Priest and Spirit of Wisdom and Amalek prevailed, being without YHWH’s support in our battles against evil yields defeat and death. These two phenomena demonstrated to Israel the inner workings of how YHWH changes our unbelief into a living faith. The incidents at Rephidim showed that without God being “the strength and support from the bottom” of our faith, we could do nothing (Hab. 2:3-4, Heb. 10:38-39, 11:1), but “all things are possible to him who believes” (Mar. 9:23).

YHWH revealed Himself as the Divine Warrior who saves, “YHWH-nissi,” “YHWH is my banner,” memorialized and recounted for us. Yeshua fought for us by His baptism into death to forgive our sins, for “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2Co. 5:21). And in His resurrection as our intervening High Priest, “Through Him who loved us, we are more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37), for “if God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom. 8:31). Through the death and resurrection of Yeshua, we see the building of the Tabernacle’s function, the wisdom of creation and the door to Eden’s Sabbath. The Tabernacle restored Israel to the Tree of Life’s wisdom, “the doctrine of Christ,” YHWH instructing us and teaching us in the way we should go, guiding us with His eye (Psa. 32). The Rock (and chief Cornerstone) was Yeshua, struck in the flesh for the outflowing of the Spirit, sent to teach and support His people through the crucible of overcoming. The warrior king David lived Rephidim’s meaning (2Sa. 22, Psa. 18).

“He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but YHWH was my support… God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer [the deer is the only animal that will crush a serpent’s head with its feet] and sets me on high places. He teaches my hands to make war…you have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great” (Psa. 18:19, 33-36 [i] mine).

Takeaway:
The two events at Rephidim gave Israel their greatest joy in YHWH, especially since they had no water after trudging through Dophkah and Alush while His hand was upon them. Moses struck the Rock, the Savior who did not impute their transgressions to them, and out of Him flowed the water of life, the Holy Spirit. Having been refreshed in the Spirit, Israel overcame their enemy with Moses’s upheld arms supported by Aaron and Hur, while Joshua victoriously fought Amalek. Rephidim’s memorial depicts, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, for YHWH will surround him with songs of deliverance” (Psa. 32:1, 7) and “He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son” (Rev. 21:7).

Fun Factors:
Rephidim’s letter sum is 344, 8 × 43, 43 = 14^th prime, a new beginning (8) due to Passover (14); the sum of triangular numbers T₅ + T₆ +…+ T₁₂; and 7³ + 1. “And God said…” totals 7³ in Genesis 1’s six days, calling attention to the creation theme of the seven Sabbaths, making Rephidim’s (344) sixth Sabbath the reality of completion (7 cubed, 7³) with Yeshua (+ 1).

The actors at Rephidim, Moses, Aaron, Hur, Joshua, and YHWH total 1232, 22 × 56, the letters of the Hebrew alphabet (22) multiplied by Day (56), the light of Genesis 1:5, and the sum of consecutive numbers 107 + … + 117, emphasizing victory (17).

Rephidim’s narrative in Exodus 17 has 914 letters (the sum of two squares, 25² + 17², mercy and victory), 246 words (6 × 41, 246 plus its reverse 642 is 888, Greek sum of Jesus, the new temple) that sums to 55700, 557 × 100; 557 is the 102^nd prime and 48^th Pythagorean prime, the sum of two squares, 14² + 19², Passover’s (14) completed time cycle (19) of victory (55700 = 2² + 236²; 236 = 4 × 59, the 17^th prime) in all the earth (4).