KEY TEXT: Exodus 17:8-11 (NKJV) – “8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.”
The name Amalek means dweller in a valley, while the name Israel means God prevails. Rephidim refers to a resting place. Therefore, we could judge that the Israelites would be victorious in this battle just by the meaning of those names. However, they faced some struggles while battling with the Amalekites.
Struggles do not mean you will not end up victorious, neither do they mean that God is not with you. As long as the hands of Moses remained lifted, Israel won but as soon as he let down his hands, the people of Amalek won. Moses raising his hands symbolized worship.
You will never lose when you have a leader in a country, state, city, organization, or even in a classroom who puts God first and constantly worships Him. As an individual, when you commit all your plans to God and agree for God to lead you, you can never lose.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) – “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
The Creator of success is God.
The Bible says in Proverbs 14:34 (KJV) – “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
Righteousness is obeying the commandments of God. Therefore, your life will automatically ascend when you obey God’s commands. Do not misunderstand this. We do not worship God so that our lives can be prosperous. As Pastor T Mwangi often puts it, we do not go to the swimming pool to get wet. We go to a swimming pool to swim, but we get wet in the process of swimming. The same applies when we worship God. We worship the Lord to foster a relationship with Him, but while fostering a relationship, we automatically become prosperous.
Exodus 17:12-15 (NKJV) – “12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner.”
When the hands of Moses became heavy, Aaron and Hur supported them. Moses was the leader of the Israelites. He had led the Israelites in the wilderness for a long time and walked with God for a long time. Therefore, it is safe to say that Moses was experienced in the faith.
Sometimes we harbor high expectations of our Christian leaders, forgetting they are human beings and mere mortals like us. Moses had the power of God at work in him because he made Israel win by lifting his hands. However, he would get tired of lifting up his hands as a human being. Even the best leaders need help. We should always be willing to help them. One way of helping them is praying for them. Another way is lightening their burdens
Through the help of Aaron and Hur, Moses’ hands remained raised, eventually making the Israelites win the battle. This victory made Moses build an altar and call it Jehovah-Nissi, meaning the Lord is my banner.
God never gets tired, but Moses would get tired because he was human. Matthew 4:2 (KJV) – “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred.” While on this earth, Jesus was human, which is why the Bible records that He was hungry after fasting.
As a human being, you get to experience many bad emotions. Luckily, Moses had helpers by his side who were Aaron and Hur. Hur and Aaron assisted Moses in lifting his hands. Fellowship is essential. We should love the company of men and women of God. You might have often heard this common question, “Must I go to church? What if I pray and worship God at home?” The church is important because fellowship is vital. When you have Bible study with various people, you hear a wide range of different perspectives from them.
God, in His wisdom, does not reveal everything to one person. Therefore, no person in the entire world can claim that they have the entire revelation of God’s Word, no matter how mature they are in Christianity. Going to church is selflessness because when you attend, you get to bless someone else, and you are created to be a blessing. There is something unique about you that God wants to use to bless other people.
Aaron and Hur could not fight the battle, but they could assist in lifting the hands of Moses. The Israelites who were fighting their work was to fight. Therefore, they could not assist in ensuring Moses’ hands remained up. When we don’t attend church services, we deprive the body of Christ of fully functioning as it should.
Sometimes we get tired of praying and worshipping. We often do not want to study God’s Word because we are not motivated enough. In some Sabbaths, we do not feel like attending church because we feel low or discouraged. When we do not feel like praying, studying the Word and going to church, that is when we should do it. After you do it, you will often realize that there was a great blessing ahead that your feelings did not want you to access. We should always have faith above emotions. The good Lord has created helpers all around us to help us while we get tired in the faith journey, the same way, He set Aaron and Hur to assist Moses.
John 12:32 (KJV) – “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
The secret to victory in any venture we pursue is lifting Christ. If we lift Christ in our studies, we will succeed. If we lift Christ in our speech, our speech will bring success. If we lift Christ in our careers, our careers will prosper. If we lift Jesus in our business, our businesses will not fail. If we believe in Jesus Christ, lifting Him up in our lives, we will inherit eternal life. The power and love of Jesus works like a magnet, drawing more and more men unto Him.
If we lift ourselves, we shall fail, but we shall not fail when we lift Christ. When preaching a sermon, our only aim should be to lift Jesus. If we do that, more souls will be converted. If you are looking for clients in your business, do not focus on putting your entire focus on getting clients. Instead, focus on lifting Jesus. When you focus on lifting God, you will not overprice your products or services, sell substandard products and services, and you will not be fraudulent. A genuine love (the love of Christ) for people will pull them; lack of it will push them.
“Never before was there such a general knowledge of Jesus as when He hung upon the cross. He was lifted up from the earth, to draw all to Him. Into the hearts of many who beheld that crucifixion scene, and who heard Christ’s words, was the light of truth to shine. With John they would proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” There were those who never rested until, searching the Scriptures and comparing passage with passage, they saw the meaning of Christ’s mission. They saw that free forgiveness was provided by Him whose tender mercy embraced the whole world. They read the prophecies regarding Christ, and the promises so free and full, pointing to a fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem.” – Our Father Cares, Page 34, Ellen G. White.
“Jesus is inviting and drawing by His Holy Spirit the hearts of young and old to Himself…. When Christ crucified is preached, the power of the gospel is demonstrated by the influence it exerts over the believer. In place of remaining dead in trespasses and sins, he is awakened.” – Our Father Cares, Page 34, Ellen G. White.
“Lift up the Man of Calvary higher and still higher; there is power in the exaltation of the cross of Christ.” – Sons and Daughters of God, Page 221, Ellen G. White.
GOD BLESS YOU!
Prayer
Dear God. Thank You for being my banner. Forgive me for all the times that I have not put my trust in You. Please help me to have the innermost motive to lift You up always and help me to always act on that divine motive. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. In Jesus name, Amen.
Activity
Reflect Quietly:
Sit quietly and think of one area in your life where you feel you’re fighting a battle, maybe it’s fear, discouragement, school stress, relationships, or a lack of motivation in your walk with God.
Write It Down:
On the piece of paper, write this short sentence at the top:
“The Lord is my banner in this battle.”
Then, write the specific area of your struggle beneath it.
Lift It Up:
Stand and physically raise the paper above your head. As you lift it, say out loud:
“Lord, I lift You over this battle. Lead me, fight for me, and be glorified in my life.”
Pray for Support:
Think of someone in your life who supports your faith, like Aaron and Hur supported Moses. Say a short prayer thanking God for them, or if you don’t have someone like that yet, ask God to send such a person your way.
Commit:
End by saying:
“I will not fight alone. I choose to lift Jesus above my battles. He is my banner, and in Him, I am more than a conqueror.”
Author: Mark Alex
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