LIFE SCRIPTS

8 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. 14 Then 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 name of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
Exodus 17:8‭-‬16 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.17.8-16.NIV.

The desert journey had just begun. Moments before, the Israelites had struggled with hunger and thirst. But just when they were recuperating, Amalek struck out of the blue. Amalek was a descendant of Esau. Their hatred for the people of Israel had been nurtured over time culminating in this first provocative ambush attack in the midst of the wilderness. It’s unlikely that Israel was even passing through their territory but they still struck as if irked by their presence. In many ways, Amalek in the old testament depicts a form of the flesh… Sin. As God leads us along the path towards His promise, sinful desires will tempt us. Out of nowhere sin will engage us in a battle. As exhausted as we may be on our life journey, sin’s push will drain the last ounce of energy out of us. It might take us by ‘surprise’ but not God. In the midst of hostility Moses appoints one of his protégés, Joshua, a man we’ll see more of in times to come. But it’s no coincidence that his name’s Joshua. He shares a name with Yeshua, Jesus Christ our deliverer…the One who fights the battle on our behalf and delivers us from sin. With Him on our side, victory is sure. This is the first instance we hear of Joshua. No mention of him before. Yet when he was called upon to accomplish a task, he did it stealthily, with finality and with commitment like no other. His wasn’t necessarily a ‘divine’ call the way Moses or Samson were appointed from the womb. Instead a fellow man called him out and launched him towards becoming one of the greatest military leaders in the history of the nation of Israel leading them in the conquest of Canaan. So Moses, Aaron and Hur ascended to the top of the mountain to intercede on behalf of the Israelites. As Moses’s hands stayed up, Israel were winning. But with fatigue, as his hands lowered, Israel were losing. At long last, Aaron and Hur placed a stone for him to sit on as they held up his arms for a final victory for Israel. In life, we need those who hold and support us. We need Aarons and Hurs. I remember the Ineos challenge when Eliud Kipchoge was in a quest to run the marathon within a sub 2 hour point. He didn’t do it alone. No! There were people around him who encouraged him in setting the pace…pacesetters. They weren’t seeking the price but were helping him to get it. Aaron and Hur stood besides Moses not because they sought glory and fame. Their goal was greater…to support the man on who’s shoulders a nation rested …men chosen and appointed by God to intercede in behalf of His people. Intercession is a calling to travail in prayer. It’s not a walk in the park…it’s not a rest in the comfort zone…it’s not prayer between the sheets…it’s warfare like no other. We are reminded by this passage that when we lose focus on calling upon God, we lose it all. We are also reminded that we need others to hold us up and also to account. So as the Israelites won, Moses named the place Jehovah Jireh or the Lord is my Banner…a reminder of what He had done for them when they were attacked by their enemies. After successfully passing through a rough season by God’s enablement, we have no choice but to lift Him and honor Him.