Hello my ‘Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you found that sometimes living normal life in these days can be so challenging that you feel you need one or two people to stand alongside you and hold you up as the stress and strain mount? Would you believe even someone as legendary as Moses felt that also!?
Yesterday I left you at the miraculous spring of cool, fresh water pouring out of a split in a big rock in the desert. It hadn’t always been that way, in fact we witnessed the monumental moment yesterday, as recorded in Exodus 17, when suddenly that hard rock split and began to pour fresh water out for 1 million traveling people and their animals! I doubt any of us can imagine how much this water pouring rock is changing this little corner of the desert into an oasis and how valuable this piece of real estate suddenly became? Evidently there was a tribe of people living not far away who heard about this water spewing rock and came to see for themselves. Oh did I mention they came armed, ready to take this new oasis for themselves? The Exodus records explains: “The Amalakites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow, I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” (Ex. 17:8,9)
Perhaps some of the Hebrew slaves, and others who came out of Egypt with them, had been in Pharaoh’s military? I imagine it didn’t take long for Moses to see the need for some ‘law and order’ among these 1 million traveling people. This is the first time we meet Joshua. Yes, this is the same Joshua who later becomes Moses’ aide, and the man God eventually chooses to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land after Moses dies. Here Moses calls upon Joshua to lead some of their slave warriors in battle against the Amalakites who we later learn were a vicious tribe of marauders. Evidently they would ride in on their fast camels and horses, kill herdsmen and steal their herds, and even take their wives and children as slaves. The Amalakites were not accustomed to facing resistance to their attacks. But then again, they didn’t know anything about the God of the Hebrews.
The record continues: “So Joshua fought the Amalakites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalakites were winning.’ (Ex. 17:10,11) No matter where you live in the world, my friends, there are sporting events. Perhaps World Cup Soccer or American football or Basketball or Baseball or Tennis or Golf or Boxing or Auto Racing or any number of other sports. Momentum in athletic competition is very important and often it’s fueled by the roar of the crowd as adrenaline is pumping in the athletes and spectators.
That’s exactly what was happening that day at Rephidim. Moses was holding up in his hands the staff which had come to represent the Power of God unleashed in miraculous ways. The Hebrew slave warriors had seen that staff in Moses’ hand stretched out over the Red Sea… and a strong wind blew and parted the waters. Then after all the Hebrews had gone through, Moses again stretched out that staff and God turned the wind and those high walls of water crashed down on Pharaoh’s pursuing chariot army! So now, as Moses held up that staff, the Hebrew warriors felt a great surge of energy and were actually driving back those attacking Amalakites!
But alas, how long can you hold your arms up, especially if you are holding something in your hands? So it was with Moses, and soon his arms grew weary and he needed to lower them. But when he did, the momentum shifted and the Amalakites gained the advantage pushing back the Hebrew slave warriors. We don’t know who had the idea, but some great problem solver found a large rock, and urged Moses to sit on that rock. Then both Aaron and Hur took up their positions on either side of Moses to hold up his arms and that staff for as long as it would take Joshua to win this battle of Rephidim and save the water pouring rock and it’s oasis.
Now we have met Aaron many times before, Moses’ older brother. But this is the first time we meet Mr. Hur. Who is he? Moses, who is the author of Exodus, doesn’t give us much explanation, but as you’ll see, he is one of Moses trusted aides, I presume one of the elders of Israel. With both Aaron and Hur holding up his arms, Moses was able to keep that staff elevated for the rest of the day, and the record simply says: “So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” (Ex. 17:13) Now my friends, let’s not minimize this great victory! This was another defining moment for the Hebrews in their growing relationship with God.
The Hebrew fighters were, as far as we know, untrained and ill equipped warriors, and we don’t know how much battlefield experience Joshua had. But Israel experienced their first battlefield victory that day and it was so significant God wanted to make sure they would always remember, so the LORD said to Moses: “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Ex. 17:14) You’ll notice it was the combination of the warriors in the valley fighting; Moses, Aaron & Hur on the hillside holding up the staff of God; and we presume Moses, Aaron, Hur and Joshua all calling on God for His help in this battle! This prediction from God for eliminating this vicious tribe was fulfilled in the days of Samuel, centuries later, as you’ll see God re-engages this promise with Samuel & King Saul, as recorded in 1 Samuel 15:3.
So the Exodus record says Moses did something to celebrate this victory which I do not see recorded before this experience: “Moses built an altar and called it the LORD is my Banner. Moses said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD.” (Ex.17:15) Do you see the power of this moment my friends? Worship in Victory! I see no record that Moses had ever built an altar for worship before this moment. I believe it’s because Moses also wanted to mark this landmark event and landmark place, Rephidim. When the people finally moved on from here, two things remained which would forever tell the great story of God in this place… a water spewing rock, and a hand made rock altar, both giving praise and glory to the God of the Hebrew, who provided water in their desert thirst, and protection from attackers! The name Moses gave to God here is “Jehovah Nissi”, “the LORD is my Banner” or “the LORD is my Defender”. It would be a name Israel would many, many times use in their future as they called upon God for His help when they were under attack.
The record doesn’t tell us, but I presume Moses, Aaron, Hur, Joshua and the people stayed many days here at Rephidim, savoring the double miracle of the rock spewing water and the battlefield victory. So let’s join them. I think I’ll climb up on that hilltop and sit down on that rock where Moses had been sitting. Want to join me there? Let’s spend some time looking down over the valley and this huge throng of people who are experiencing the wonder of living as a people of God. . . LED by the pillar of cloud & fire / PROTECTED by His mighty hand / PROVIDED daily bread and water from a rock and finally, as they look at that pillar of fire in the sky at night, the overwhelming evidence of God’s PRESENCE with them, His people. What a remarkable sight. Let’s not rush from this hillside.
The crazy world out there is so very, very different from this wonderful reality of a people of God living in this remarkable relationship with Almighty God! That’s how I want to live the rest of my life… how about you? Here’s a song for reflection as a quiet night falls on the valley of Rephidim, with that pillar of fire in the sky, assuring us of God’s Presence… Peace!!
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 17:8-15.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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