The Bible places the Amalekite attack immediately after God gave Israel water from the rock at Rephidim; Les identifies the attackers as Esau's descendants, making it a family conflict.
The text does not give Amalek's stated motive, but the narrative links the two events: after Moses struck the rock and water came out, Exodus 17:8 says, "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim." Les adds that Amalek was Eliphaz's son by Timnah, so the attackers were close relatives of Israel and the first enemy Israel faced after leaving Egypt.
Exodus 17:8 — Records the attack at Rephidim immediately after the water miracle, directly answering the timing question.
Genesis 36:12 — Shows Amalek's parentage as Esau's grandson, which Les uses to explain who the attackers were.
The account is set at Rephidim. Israel quarreled with Moses because there was no water, and the Lord told Moses to take his rod and strike the rock at Horeb: "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" (Exodus 17:6). Moses did so, and water came out. Then, before anything else is recorded, Exodus 17:8 says, "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim." The repeated 'then' of the narrative places the battle directly after the provision of water. Genesis 36:12 adds the identity of the attackers: "And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek." So the Amalekites were descended from Esau, Israel's own brother.
Les points to Amalek's genealogy in Genesis to show that Amalek was Eliphaz's son by Timnah, making him a grandson of Esau. He reminds his audience that when Israel came out of Egypt under Moses and headed toward Sinai, the first war they had to fight was with the Amalekites. In his words, "they all stem from these relatives," and he notes that statistically most murders take place within the family — a striking way of showing that the battle was a family conflict. Les also repeatedly teaches that the rock smitten in Exodus 17 is Christ, the only rock of Scripture. Just as the rock had to be smitten before water could flow, Christ had to be smitten for our offenses before believers could appropriate His finished work by faith. In these clips, Les does not speculate about Amalek's military motives; his focus is on identifying Amalek, placing the battle in Israel's wilderness history, and drawing the lesson of the smitten Rock.
Israel camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people or their livestock. The people complained against Moses, and the Lord told him to take the elders and his shepherd's rod and go to the rock at Horeb. God said, "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." Moses struck the rock, and water came out. Immediately after this provision, Exodus 17:8 records, "Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim."
Les traces the Amalekites back to the book of Genesis. He notes that Timnah was a concubine to Eliphaz, Esau's son, and she bore Amalek. So Amalek was Esau's grandson. Because Esau was Jacob's brother, Israel and Amalek shared family blood. Les says Israel's first war after leaving Egypt under Moses was with the Amalekites, and he observes that this kind of conflict is most common within the family. The battle at Rephidim was not a war against a total stranger; it was a struggle with a relative.
Les teaches that the rock in Exodus 17 is Christ — the only rock of Scripture. The rock had to be smitten before water could flow, just as Christ had to be smitten for our offenses before believers could appropriate His finished work by faith. The Amalekite attack therefore comes on the heels of a deliberate picture of the cross: the provision of water from the smitten rock. In these clips Les doesn't speculate about Amalek's motives; instead he focuses on who the enemy was and on the great lesson of the rock.
The Rock Is Christ, Smitten for Our Offenses
Les teaches that the rock smitten in Exodus 17 is Christ, who was smitten for our offenses — this is the spiritual backdrop for the water miracle that immediately precedes the Amalek attack.
Why Moses Was Forbidden From the Promised Land — The Real Reason
Now then let's go to the thing that brought Moses down and kept him from going in. We'll have to go to Numbers chapter 20. Numbers chapter 20. Now, of course, this is many years after they're coming out of Egypt and they're in their 40 years wilderness journeys and, of course, they're down in that area of the Sinai which is just that, it's wilderness and it's a lot of desert.
Amalek: Esau's Grandson and Israel's First Enemy
Les explains that Amalek was born to Timnah, concubine of Eliphaz (Esau's son), and that the Amalekites were the first enemy Israel fought after leaving Egypt — a battle within the family.
Water From the Smitten Rock
Les walks through God's command to Moses to smite the rock at Horeb so the people could drink — the event that sets the scene for the Amalek attack.
What "Baptized Unto Moses" Really Means — 1 Corinthians 10 Explained
Now let's come back to Exodus. That's got to be about what? Exodus chapter 17, verse 2, Exodus 17, verse 2. Wherefore, wherefore the people did chide with Moses. Oh, they were just irritating him. They were almost screaming at him. And they said, give us water that we may drink.
What "Baptized Unto Moses" Really Means — 1 Corinthians 10 Explained
And all these millions of people," and you know I'm so tickled whenever I read, there was an article in Jerusalem Post a while back, and the writer used the same numbers. Now don't think for a minute she heard me say it. But whatsoever, she used the same numbers that I've used for years concerning the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, three to seven million.
Rock Is Christ
Les states plainly that the rock of the water miracle is Christ, showing the spiritual significance of the moment before the Amalekites came.
Smite the Rock: The Water Miracle
Les describes how the Lord stood upon the rock at Horeb and told Moses to smite it, producing water — the provision in place when Amalek attacked.
Exodus 17:6: 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.
God's command to smite the rock shows the water miracle that immediately precedes the Amalek attack.
Exodus 17:8: Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
This verse records when Amalek came to fight Israel at Rephidim, with the word 'then' tying the attack to the preceding water miracle.
Genesis 36:12: And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these are the sons of Adah Esau's wife.
This identifies Amalek's parentage and explains why Les calls the Amalekites family relatives of Israel.
The Bible does not state Amalek's motive, but it places the attack directly after the water miracle: after Moses struck the rock at Horeb and water came out, Exodus 17:8 says, 'Then came Amalek.' Les identifies Amalek as Esau's grandson, showing the attack came from a family line already in opposition to Israel.
Amalek was the son of Eliphaz by Timnah, a concubine; Eliphaz was Esau's son, so Amalek was Esau's grandson. Les points to this to show that the Amalekites were relatives of Israel and the first enemy Israel fought after leaving Egypt.
Les repeatedly teaches that the rock in Exodus 17 is Christ, the only rock of Scripture. Just as the rock had to be smitten before water flowed, Christ had to be smitten for our offenses before believers could appropriate His finished work by faith.
Watch the Teaching: Christ the Rock: Spiritual Warfare & The Battle with Amalek