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Exodus 17 Readers’ Theatre



The OT scripture this week for Lent 3 Year A is the beginning of Exodus 17. The Israelites are thirsty and need to drink water after all the manna they have eaten in Exodus 16. The amount of dialogue in this text lends itself easily to an interactive reading.


Narrator: The Israelites left the western Sinai desert. They traveled all together from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim (ref-i-deem) -- a resting place, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they turned against Moses and started arguing with him.

Congregation: “Give us water to drink.”

Moses: “Why do you bicker with me? Why are you testing the Lord?”

Narrator: But the people were very thirsty, so they grumbled against Moses.

Congregation: “Why on earth did you bring us out of Egypt? Did you bring us out here so that we, and our children, and our cattle will all die without water?”

Moses: “Lord, what can I do with these people? They are ready to kill me.”

The Lord: “Go before the Israelites. Take some of the elders of the people with you. Carry your walking stick with you. This is the stick that you used when you hit the Nile River. I will stand before you on a rock at Horeb. Hit that rock with the walking stick and water will come out of it. Then the people can drink.”

Narrator: Moses did these things and the elders of Israel saw it. Moses named that place Meribah (Strife) and Massah (Proving), because this was the place that the Israelites turned against him and tested the Lord.

Moses: Is the Lord among us, or not

(Based on the ERV, refined by NET and ETCBC4)

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