Open your Bible to Exodus 17
Esau and Jacob were twins. Their story is told in Genesis. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of bean soup. As a result they separated paths. Jacob later became the founding father of Israel. His name was changed to Israel. Each of his 12 sons became the father of a tribe of all the Jewish nation we know now. Jacob and Esau later reconciled but the Amalek must not have shared in his grandfather’s feelings. His nomadic tribe made their living off of raiding settlements and commentaries say they killed for pleasure. When the Israelites became a target, they remained in Amalek’s sites and in Exodus 17:8-16 the Amalekites will be in a battle that changes history.
v9. Joshua’s name means The Lord is Our Deliverance.
Q. If you were to build a monument to God based on your experience of him this past month, what would it look like and what would you name it?
v. 8 Amalek was the _Grandson of _Esau_ which made the Amalekites natural blood enemies.
Esau and Jacob were twins. Their story is told in Genesis. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of bean soup. As a result they separated paths. Jacob later became the founding father of Israel. His name was changed to Israel. Each of his 12 sons became the father of a tribe of all the Jewish nation we know now. Jacob and Esau later reconciled but the Amalek must not have shared in his grandfather’s feelings. His nomadic tribe made their living off of raiding settlements and commentaries say they killed for pleasure. When the Israelites became a target, they remained in Amalek’s sites and in Exodus 17:8-16 the Amalekites will be in a battle that changes history.
v9. Joshua’s name means The Lord is Our Deliverance.
Joshua’s name in Greek is Jesus. (Therefore, Jesus’ name means Our Deliverance)
Joshua’s name is another example of the importance the Hebrew’s placed on names. True to his parent’s dreams Joshua was indeed part of God’s plan for the deliverance of Israel. This is the first time Joshua is mentioned and the very beginning of his career as the leader of Israel’s army.
Q. How prepared to battle do you think the men of Israel were?
Q. Why did Moses take the staff of God with him to the top of the hill?
v10. Three men on the hill.
Joshua’s name is another example of the importance the Hebrew’s placed on names. True to his parent’s dreams Joshua was indeed part of God’s plan for the deliverance of Israel. This is the first time Joshua is mentioned and the very beginning of his career as the leader of Israel’s army.
Q. How prepared to battle do you think the men of Israel were?
- They had spent generations in slavery.
- But they were an organized workforce with a leadership structure.
- Men with leadership skills and physical strength.
- No military training
Q. Why did Moses take the staff of God with him to the top of the hill?
- Given to him by God
- Showed to transfer God’s power through Moses
- Used in miracles
- Symbolic of God’s presence
v10. Three men on the hill.
Moses the leader of the nation. Aaron a priest and Hur just a regular guy willing to serve, perhaps Moses’ brother-in-law but history doesn’t know for sure.
I have another image of three men on a hill, that I can bring to mind when I need encouragement.
Two of the three men on the hill were recognizable leaders. But Hur is just a citizen. We don’t know who he is. There is speculation that he is Moses’ brother-in-law but no historical fact. So he is willing and selected for this task.
v.11
The battle was being won by the staff of God through his servant Moses’ hands more than the sword in the hands of Joshua and the army.
Imagine being in the middle of the battle and you could look up and see Moses with that staff. The staff that brought the plagues to Egypt and your Freedom, the staff that parted the Red Sea, the staff that brought water from stone, the staff in the hand of Moses that has become a symbol, an icon to fight for, a banner over the army.
Q. What are some of the words you use to describe a spiritual struggle in your life?
struggle
fight
oppression.....
All negative words, or words that are indicative of fight, struggle, physical weariness.
“Praying work, if done with due intenseness of mind and vigour of affection, will be found hard work, and, though the spirit be willing, the flesh will be weak.” Matthew Henry Commentary
I have another image of three men on a hill, that I can bring to mind when I need encouragement.
Two of the three men on the hill were recognizable leaders. But Hur is just a citizen. We don’t know who he is. There is speculation that he is Moses’ brother-in-law but no historical fact. So he is willing and selected for this task.
v.11
The battle was being won by the staff of God through his servant Moses’ hands more than the sword in the hands of Joshua and the army.
Imagine being in the middle of the battle and you could look up and see Moses with that staff. The staff that brought the plagues to Egypt and your Freedom, the staff that parted the Red Sea, the staff that brought water from stone, the staff in the hand of Moses that has become a symbol, an icon to fight for, a banner over the army.
Q. What are some of the words you use to describe a spiritual struggle in your life?
struggle
fight
oppression.....
All negative words, or words that are indicative of fight, struggle, physical weariness.
“Praying work, if done with due intenseness of mind and vigour of affection, will be found hard work, and, though the spirit be willing, the flesh will be weak.” Matthew Henry Commentary
"We tend to separate our physical selves from our spiritual selves. But we are intertwined. Our spiritual battles will affect us physically. If God has placed a burden on you and you haven’t lost sleep over it, you aren’t taking it serious enough! If you have not fasted and prayed over a stonghold, you have not prayed enough
v12.
In order for there to be victory it wasn’t enough for Moses to have companionship; He had to have his friends willing to go into spiritual battle with him.
Having our friends beside us is not enough. Sometimes we must engage them in our struggles. Ask them to lift our hands for us, perhaps literally. Fast and pray. Lose sleep with us. Actively put together a battle plan if you will.
v13.
And So….. Because of…
Because of all the previous things Joshua won this battle and introduced to Amalek what a fight with God’s Israelites would be like.
v.14
This is the first mention of written language in the Bible.
Moses is the accepted author of the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible. Also called the
Torah which is actually the parchment or scroll upon which it is written.
It could be that this is the very beginning of when Moses started to write and journal about the journey. It could be the first written story of the Bible.
v.15
The ultimate victory is the Lord’s
Moses, Aaron and Hur holding up Moses’ arms with the staff was a great symbol. A banner. Moses commemorated that banner by giving all the praise to God where it belonged. The memorial he built he named The Lord is my Banner. Jehovah-Nissi.
v12.
In order for there to be victory it wasn’t enough for Moses to have companionship; He had to have his friends willing to go into spiritual battle with him.
Having our friends beside us is not enough. Sometimes we must engage them in our struggles. Ask them to lift our hands for us, perhaps literally. Fast and pray. Lose sleep with us. Actively put together a battle plan if you will.
v13.
And So….. Because of…
Because of all the previous things Joshua won this battle and introduced to Amalek what a fight with God’s Israelites would be like.
v.14
This is the first mention of written language in the Bible.
Moses is the accepted author of the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible. Also called the
Torah which is actually the parchment or scroll upon which it is written.
It could be that this is the very beginning of when Moses started to write and journal about the journey. It could be the first written story of the Bible.
v.15
The ultimate victory is the Lord’s
Moses, Aaron and Hur holding up Moses’ arms with the staff was a great symbol. A banner. Moses commemorated that banner by giving all the praise to God where it belonged. The memorial he built he named The Lord is my Banner. Jehovah-Nissi.
Q. If you were to build a monument to God based on your experience of him this past month, what would it look like and what would you name it?
No comments:
Post a Comment