Questioning Divine Absence: Interpretations of Exodus 17:7 through Contemporary Theological Discourse: Implications for Therapeutic Language

This article examines the theological implications of divine absence and human questioning in Exodus 17:7, focusing on the interpretive frameworks provided by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, Nahum Sarna, Shani Tzoref, and recent contributions to the theology of divine absence. The biblical episode at Massah and Meribah (Ex 17) represents a critical moment of theological crisis in Israel's wilderness experience, encapsulated in the question, "Is the Lord among us or not?" Through close examination of selected prooftexts, this study illuminates how the experience of divine absence functions not merely as a failure of faith but as a generative theological space. The analysis demonstrates how these scholarly perspectives contribute to a nuanced understanding of doubt as an inherent component of religious experience rather than its antithesis. Implications for contemporary theological discourse on divine hiddenness are considered and the use of language in the therapeutic encounter.