Then Moses and Aaron gathered the community together in front of the rock. "Pay attention, you rebels!" Moses told them. "Are we to bring you water from this rock?" Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Lots of water gushed out, and both the community and their cattle were able to drink.

The whole congregation of the Israelis set out from the desert of Sin, traveling from place to place according to the command of the LORD. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses: "Give us water to drink." Moses told them, "Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the LORD?" But the people were thirsty there for water, so they complained against Moses: "Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?" read more.
So Moses cried out to the LORD: "What am I to do with these people? Just a little more and they'll stone me." Then the LORD told Moses, "Go over in front of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I'll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink." Moses did this in front of the elders of Israel. He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelis quarreled and tested the LORD by saying: "Is the LORD really among us or not?"

He caused the rocks to split in the wilderness, and gave them water as from an abundant sea. He brought streams from rock, causing water to flow like a river. But time and again, they sinned against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. read more.
To test God was in their minds, when they demanded food to satisfy their cravings. They spoke against God by asking, "Is God able to prepare a feast in the desert? It's true that Moses struck the rock so that water flowed forth and torrents of water gushed out, but is he also able to give bread or to supply meat for his people?"

He opened a rock, and water gushed out flowing like a river in the desert. Verse ConceptsThirstGod Providing WaterProvision From Rocks