Aaron and Hur Hold Up Moses' Arms in BattleBible World
17:8Exodus 17:8
Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim in an unprovoked assault upon a weak, weary, faint and defenseless people, especially those fallen behind, as the first nation to make war on Israel in the wilderness. It came immediately after Israel murmured and rebelled in unbelief over thirst for water, and God permitted the attack to humble them, test whether they would trust Him in hardship, and show them where their strength came from. Israel prevailed while Moses held his hands stretched toward heaven with God's rod, and Amalek prevailed when they fell, until Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands and the enemy was put to flight. Those uplifted hands represented Israel's trust, dependence and prayer toward the living God, revealing that help and victory were in God and not in Moses, his rod or human power, for Jesus Christ led them in the pillar of cloud and God fought for them by His angels. Divine strength worked together with human effort as Joshua and his men actively fought below while Moses interceded above, teaching that believers overcome only by looking to God continually under Prince Emmanuel, using their available means, and holding up God's workers by intercessory prayer.
Setting of the Attack
Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim immediately after Israel murmured, complained and rebelled in unbelief and lack of trust over thirst for water, even complaining against the leaders God had appointed. That murmuring against the Lord directly preceded the attack, which followed their unbelief over their needs. God permitted the enemy to make war against them to humble them, to test whether they would trust and glorify Him in hardship, and to lead them to seek Him in distress. The purpose was to show them where their strength came from rather than from their own power, for while they trusted God and sought His help Israel prevailed, and when they relied on their own power Amalek gained ground. It came amid repeated trials to show whether they had learned to trust God, repent of disobedience, and recognize that the power and care they had witnessed came from Him, and their continued unbelief and rebellion showed they were not yet ready to enter Canaan and honor Him there.
The attack was unprovoked and struck a weak, weary, faint and defenseless people, especially those who had fallen behind and were lagging. It was a crime because it took advantage of their vulnerability to trouble, confuse and discourage them. Amalek acted from hostility toward Israel after they came up from Egypt and from defiance of the God who had delivered them. Amalek threatened to destroy Israel and mocked God's power to save them, despising their fear and His deliverance. That defiance even boasted that its own wise men and magicians could match those wonders and that Israel's God could not save them.
The Amalekites were the first to wage war against Israel in the wilderness, attacking them at Rephidim and beginning a history of cruelty toward Israel. Together with their defiance of God and idolatry, the assault was an assault on God that sealed their doom. God remembered the assault and appointed destruction as judgment, a sentence to be carried out later by the very people they had despised. So the nations would see the end of their pride and power.
Trust Gives Victory
Israel prevailed while Moses held his hands stretched toward heaven holding God's rod, and Amalek prevailed when his hands fell from weariness. Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, with Aaron helping, until the enemy was put to flight and Israel won. Moses sent Joshua and the soldiers to meet the enemy, and Israel's prevailing rose and fell with Moses' uplifted hands toward heaven.
Those uplifted hands represented Israel's trust in, dependence on, and prayer to the living God. They revealed even to enemies and onlookers that Israel's help, strength, destiny, and victory were in God and not in Moses, his rod, or human power. Jesus Christ was their leader guiding them in the pillar of cloud, God fought for His people, and the victory was given by the angels of God.
Divine strength worked together with human effort, for while Moses prayed and interceded above, Joshua and his men actively fought below and did their best. God's people must therefore use their available means, do their part, and press the battle to the gate as though having something to do. Aaron and Hur's support of Moses' hands showed the people's duty to sustain him as he received God's word.
Lessons for Believers
The battle with Amalek was a test of trust in God, who was guiding Israel in the pillar of cloud and leading them through the wilderness under Jesus Christ as their leader, and Israel was to follow His directions and depend on Him rather than treat its journey as chance. Moses kept his hands stretched toward heaven holding the sign of trust in the living God, and as long as they were stretched upward the enemies were driven back and Israel obtained the victory. His uplifted hands revealed even to the enemies and to all around that Israel's help and strength were in God, and while looking to God in this way Israel had strength of vitality and strength of power. The victory was given by the angels of God, principalities and powers, showing that believers are not kept by their own power and can be led, guided, and brought through difficulty only by looking to Him if they expect to overcome their enemies, gain victory, or be translated. No one is to take glory to self, but to look to God and trust in God continually while still pressing the battle to the gate as though having something to do, showing as those under the banner of Prince Emmanuel that power is granted to overcome all corruptions in the world through lust by being partakers of the divine nature.
The battle was won by intercessory prayer, for Moses holding up his hands toward heaven was praying for Israel's success. Israel prevailed while his hands reached upward but the enemy prevailed when his hands were lowered from weariness. When Moses grew weary Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands until the enemy was put to flight. So God's workers who go into the harvest field succeed when those who remain at home hold up their hands by prayer, and this supporting prayer must not be neglected.
Amalek's attack was a crime because it struck when the people were weak and weary and took advantage of their vulnerability to trouble, confuse, and discourage them. Watching for the weaknesses, failures, and sins of God's afflicted people in order to expose them to their enemies does the same work of troubling, confusing, and discouraging the weak, weary, and afflicted. Doing so is Satan's work, not God's.
Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim in an unprovoked assault upon a weak, weary, faint and defenseless people, especially those fallen behind, as the first nation to make war on Israel in the wilderness. It came immediately after Israel murmured and rebelled in unbelief over thirst for water, and God permitted the attack to humble them, test whether they would trust Him in hardship, and show them where their strength came from. Israel prevailed while Moses held his hands stretched toward heaven with God's rod, and Amalek prevailed when they fell, until Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands and the enemy was put to flight. Those uplifted hands represented Israel's trust, dependence and prayer toward the living God, revealing that help and victory were in God and not in Moses, his rod or human power, for Jesus Christ led them in the pillar of cloud and God fought for them by His angels. Divine strength worked together with human effort as Joshua and his men actively fought below while Moses interceded above, teaching that believers overcome only by looking to God continually under Prince Emmanuel, using their available means, and holding up God's workers by intercessory prayer.
Setting of the Attack
Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim immediately after Israel murmured, complained and rebelled in unbelief and lack of trust over thirst for water, even complaining against the leaders God had appointed. That murmuring against the Lord directly preceded the attack, which followed their unbelief over their needs. God permitted the enemy to make war against them to humble them, to test whether they would trust and glorify Him in hardship, and to lead them to seek Him in distress. The purpose was to show them where their strength came from rather than from their own power, for while they trusted God and sought His help Israel prevailed, and when they relied on their own power Amalek gained ground. It came amid repeated trials to show whether they had learned to trust God, repent of disobedience, and recognize that the power and care they had witnessed came from Him, and their continued unbelief and rebellion showed they were not yet ready to enter Canaan and honor Him there.
The attack was unprovoked and struck a weak, weary, faint and defenseless people, especially those who had fallen behind and were lagging. It was a crime because it took advantage of their vulnerability to trouble, confuse and discourage them. Amalek acted from hostility toward Israel after they came up from Egypt and from defiance of the God who had delivered them. Amalek threatened to destroy Israel and mocked God's power to save them, despising their fear and His deliverance. That defiance even boasted that its own wise men and magicians could match those wonders and that Israel's God could not save them.
The Amalekites were the first to wage war against Israel in the wilderness, attacking them at Rephidim and beginning a history of cruelty toward Israel. Together with their defiance of God and idolatry, the assault was an assault on God that sealed their doom. God remembered the assault and appointed destruction as judgment, a sentence to be carried out later by the very people they had despised. So the nations would see the end of their pride and power.
Trust Gives Victory
Israel prevailed while Moses held his hands stretched toward heaven holding God's rod, and Amalek prevailed when his hands fell from weariness. Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, with Aaron helping, until the enemy was put to flight and Israel won. Moses sent Joshua and the soldiers to meet the enemy, and Israel's prevailing rose and fell with Moses' uplifted hands toward heaven.
Those uplifted hands represented Israel's trust in, dependence on, and prayer to the living God. They revealed even to enemies and onlookers that Israel's help, strength, destiny, and victory were in God and not in Moses, his rod, or human power. Jesus Christ was their leader guiding them in the pillar of cloud, God fought for His people, and the victory was given by the angels of God.
Divine strength worked together with human effort, for while Moses prayed and interceded above, Joshua and his men actively fought below and did their best. God's people must therefore use their available means, do their part, and press the battle to the gate as though having something to do. Aaron and Hur's support of Moses' hands showed the people's duty to sustain him as he received God's word.
Lessons for Believers
The battle with Amalek was a test of trust in God, who was guiding Israel in the pillar of cloud and leading them through the wilderness under Jesus Christ as their leader, and Israel was to follow His directions and depend on Him rather than treat its journey as chance. Moses kept his hands stretched toward heaven holding the sign of trust in the living God, and as long as they were stretched upward the enemies were driven back and Israel obtained the victory. His uplifted hands revealed even to the enemies and to all around that Israel's help and strength were in God, and while looking to God in this way Israel had strength of vitality and strength of power. The victory was given by the angels of God, principalities and powers, showing that believers are not kept by their own power and can be led, guided, and brought through difficulty only by looking to Him if they expect to overcome their enemies, gain victory, or be translated. No one is to take glory to self, but to look to God and trust in God continually while still pressing the battle to the gate as though having something to do, showing as those under the banner of Prince Emmanuel that power is granted to overcome all corruptions in the world through lust by being partakers of the divine nature.
The battle was won by intercessory prayer, for Moses holding up his hands toward heaven was praying for Israel's success. Israel prevailed while his hands reached upward but the enemy prevailed when his hands were lowered from weariness. When Moses grew weary Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands until the enemy was put to flight. So God's workers who go into the harvest field succeed when those who remain at home hold up their hands by prayer, and this supporting prayer must not be neglected.
Amalek's attack was a crime because it struck when the people were weak and weary and took advantage of their vulnerability to trouble, confuse, and discourage them. Watching for the weaknesses, failures, and sins of God's afflicted people in order to expose them to their enemies does the same work of troubling, confusing, and discouraging the weak, weary, and afflicted. Doing so is Satan's work, not God's.