1 Nephi 17:28 - 17:32

1 Nephi 17:28 And ye also know that they were fed with manna in the wilderness.

They knew also that the children of Israel were feed with manna in a place where crops were difficult to grow if not impossible.

1 Nephi 17:29 Yea, and ye also know that Moses, by his word according to the power of God which was in him, smote the rock, and there came forth water, that the children of Israel might quench their thirst.

To give them water, Moses hit a rock and out came fresh water. This was a manifestation of God’s power.

I think Nephi is trying show the boys that the Lord is dealing with them in the same way He dealt with the children of Israel when He lead them out of Egypt. Lehi is like Moses and they have seen some miracles in the desert which kept them alive as well.

1 Nephi 17:30 And notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their God, their Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day and giving light unto them by night, and doing all things for them which were expedient for man to receive, they hardened their hearts and blinded their minds, and reviled against Moses and against the true and living God.

But in spite of all these great miracles, particularly leading this great multitude by day and leading them by great lights in the night time, in spite of all these great manifestations, the children of Israel still were fearful and would not listen to Moses or take heart at the wonders they saw and knew were from God.

1 Nephi 17:31 And it came to pass that according to his word he did destroy them; and according to his word he did lead them; and according to his word he did do all things for them; and there was not any thing done save it were by his word.

So the most wicked for the children of Israel were destroyed because of their opposition and murmuring. The remainder were directed in the way they should go by the Lord. Nothing was done except He caused it to happen.

He was directly involved in all that took place. They were not fed or given water unless He did it. I guess it was to try to show these people who had no experience of having a God supplying them, that it was possible for something they could not see take care of them.

It is hard sometimes to think that our needs and wants are supplied by some unseen power as apposed to thinking that all we have is by our own efforts without any help. Again like little children who want to do all things for themselves without the help of an adult until they do it correctly.

1 Nephi 17:32 And after they had crossed the river Jordan he did make them mighty unto the driving out of the children of the land, yea, unto the scattering them to destruction.

Another manifestation of the fact that the Lord was leading the children of Israel was ability to conquer the inhabitants of Canaan when they enter it. It was the Lord that gave them the power to destroy these people. They were not powerful enough to do so on their own.