Moses named the place Massah, (meaning tempting God to slay us), and sometimes referred to as Asmeribati, (meaning argument and strife.). For it was there that the people of Israel argued against God and tempted them to slay them by saying”Is Jehovah Going to take care of us or not”? Exodus 17:7 (TLB)
Let’s take a look back at how we got to this point. God had freed the Jews from the crushing slavery of Egypt, by doing a series of increasingly severe signs and wonders, ending with the death of every firstborn male, human or animal, in the country, while the Hebrew children were kept safe through marking their door posts with blood from the lamb slain for dinner, which became the first Passover. Pharaoh tells them to leave, but then changes his mind and he sends the entire Egyptian Army after them, trapping them between the troops and the Red Sea.
At this point, while everyone is asking Moses why he took them away from the much better life they had in Egypt, and asking him how he could be so stupid, when the glory of God came down, and the power of the Creator flowed through Moses, and the Red Sea was parted, so the Hebrews crossed on dry land. Then God, the Master strategist, waited until the whole Egyptian Army began to follow, and then let the waters close up again, and all of Pharoh's drowned in the chariots and on their horses.
Despite the faithfulness God had shown, despite the power he demonstrated, all they did was to whine and complain to God and Moses about every thing, no matter what, they complained. Before the Hebrew reach Massah, before God’s patience begins to fray, there is a lot more hot and dry desert to cross.
Copyright 2007 Timothy E. Davis