3-13-15. Exodus: 17: 8-13. Pray And Obey And Experience God – my devotional

Exodus 17:8-13                                                               Kevin E. Jesmer

Key verse 17:12                                                              3-13-15

“12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” (NIV)

Exodus 17:8-13, “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” (NIV)

Even though the Israelites had left Egypt armed for battle, they were not ready to stand up against any opposition. And so God used a battle to help his people grow in faith and battle experience. He allowed the Amlekites to attack. Who were they? The Amalekites were descendents of Amalek, a grandson of Easu. They were a nomadic tribe that lived in the desert regions of the Dead Sea…in the Negev and in the Sinai Peninsula. They conducted frequent raids on other communities and carried off war booty. This activity comprised a major part of their economy. They are known for killing for pleasure. A great, insult in ancient Israelite society was to call someone “a friend of Amalek.”

The location of Israel’s first official battle was a place called Rephidim. At Rephindim this fledgling nation gained their first victory. The name Rephidim likely means rest or stays, in other words, “resting place.” The Israelites were a long way south of the land of Canaan and they were heading away from it. Rephindim was a stopping point for the Israelites as they made their way from Egypt to Sinai. They would have had their hearts set on finding some rest. When the Israelites entered the region, the Amelekites moved fast to rob them of their time of rest, attacking the people of Israel without any provocation. They were determined to exploit them, but little did they know, that they were making moves against the wrong group, for the Lord God Jehovah was their God. And God was going to bring about a great victory.

Isn’t that how things are in the spiritual world? When we think it is time to rest then, a spiritual a battle comes our way. Abram, when he thought he could rest in the land of Canaan, was faced with a famine. Jacob and his family wanted to settle in Succoth and then the whole issue with Dinah and the prince of the land occurred. Satan is always prowling around like a roaring lion searching for someone to devour. This is the reality of spiritual life in a Fallen world. We just need to remain in Jesus and be ready to follow his lead and know that our eternal rest will come when we see Jesus face to face in the Kingdom of God.

The Lord gave victory to his people through four avenues, Moses’ leadership and prayer, Joshua’s leadership, the Israelite army’s willingness to submit and fight, the elder’s support, and above all, the Rock of our Salvation, the Lord God Almighty. Let’s see.

When Moses saw the Amalekites, he knew saw the writing on the wall. His people would have to fight. There was no away around it. And so he sent Joshua out with some appointed men to face the enemy. When the Amalekites attacked, Joshua led this small, inexperienced army out with a heart full of faith. Joshua and his army won a great victory by the grace of God. Please note, it was Joshua and his army. Leaders cannot lead unless they have followers and those supporting them. It is never a one man show. God was growing Joshua. As the general of the Israelite army, he was gaining valuable experience for the greater battles in the future. Later on, he would be the one to bring God’s people into the Promised Land. God was maturing the faith of the fighting men and the Israelites.

During the battle, Moses made his way to the top of the nearby hill overlooking the battlefield. As the battle raged, Moses stood with his staff in hand. But it was not just Moses standing alone in the place of prayer. In verses 10-13, we see that Aaron and Hur stood by Moses’ side holding up his arms. The upheld hands signify total dependence on the Lord. Whenever Moses held his staff in the air, the Israelites below gained the upper hand. Whenever Moses let his staff down, the Amelikites would start to win. Therefore Moses kept his staff in the air. This was so hard to do. His aging shoulders burned with every second they were extended. He couldn’t eat or sleep while the battle was going on. And so Aaron and Hur supported his weakening arms. We need to rally around our spiritual leaders to lift up their hands. Shouldering some responsibility, giving words of encouragement, offering up prayers, etc. These are ways that elders can refresh and strengthen spiritual leaders in their work.

But it was not just about the human efforts of Moses, Aaron and Hur. What about that stone that Moses was resting his arm on? Look at verse 12, “When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset” Without that stone for Moses to sit on Aaron and Hur could not have kept Moses’ arms upheld. They too would have succumbed to fatigue. They all needed help. They needed the rock.

Moses’ exhaustion portrays, the fact that our own efforts will soon result in spiritual burnout, even if we are supported by other people. We need “the stone” to sit on. The Lord God Almighty is the Rock of our salvation. Once we know enough to “sit on the stone” by faith, this victory is ours. Unfortunately most Christians are trying to hold up their hands, possibly depending on other people to help them, but not fully trusting in and resting in God. Anyone who tries to fight the spiritual battle by their own personal strength, even depending on other people alone, will eventually fail. We need the Rock, Jesus Christ.

What was God trying to teach his people of all time, through this battle? There are so many valuable nuggets of wisdom.

First, God taught them that he was in their midst. Sure there was Moses and his upheld staff, but the truth is the power was not in the staff itself, nor was it only in Moses, but it came from God who was moving among the Israelites. The staff served as nothing more than a sign of his presence and power. Israel’s army would not have been able to triumph over the Amalekites without divine intervention. For theses formers slaves to defeat such a warlike nation as the Amalikites was more than enough proof that God was with them as he promised.

Second, they needed the mighty power of the Lord. Over two hundred times in the Old Testament, God is referred to as “the Lord of hosts” (Bible Battles. Leston. 2014) This title refers to the power of God over all creation. The Lord of hosts means that God is the Commander of the heavenly army and has power to vanquish any foe. The Lord of hosts was more than able to lead his people to certain victory and his did in this passage.

Third, God gave them some very practical lessons in prayer: First, prayer is fighting; second, prayer brings victory, for victory belongs to God; third, prayer must be faithful, heartfelt and persistent. To pray we may need to overcome our human tiredness. And fourth, even strong people need co-workers to maintain a life of prayer. When people pray, God is indeed among his people. The fact that God was with them did not mean that they should sit down and do nothing. God taught them to pray and fight. 2 Chronicles 7:14, “ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (NIV)

Remember also, the battles you fight today, will bear some sort of fruit tomorrow. The outcome of the battle affected the future of Israelites. The Israelites won this battle but they did not completely destroy the Amalekites, and because of this, the people of Israel would face them again in battle again and again. Never the less, their victory allowed their nation to continue moving forward through the desert, strengthened and equipped to fight even greater battles in the future.