Never Forsaken: With Arms Held High

 

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 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.  Exodus 17:11-12

 The stage is set. The Israelites are deep in the wilderness. Their camp is set. The flocks and herds are watched over. But in the distance comes the sound of something different, something they weren’t expecting. The Amalekite army was approaching, and they were on the warpath! No one knows what caused the Amalekites to attack Israel. Maybe they had heard about what happened in Egypt and were intimidated by them. Maybe they knew that the Israelites saw Canaan as their promised land, and they believed the war was on its way to them. In any case, what we do know is that they took the initiative to come out to meet the Israelites in battle in the wilderness.

 Joshua was a young man, trusted by Moses, and he was tasked with leading Israel into battle. By this time, Israel had been in captivity for 430 years and wasn’t an organized, fighting force. What they were, though, was strong and determined. But Moses knew they didn’t have military training. They weren’t a cohesive team, ready to meet a battle-hardened enemy. Moses went up on a nearby hill to watch, along with his brother, Aaron, and his friend, Hur. I wonder if the Israelites could see him up there, or if they were encouraged when he raised his hands in the air?

It’s got to be something about human nature. I’m not sure how we’re taught this, besides example maybe, but when people are excited, when they are cheering something or someone on, their hands go up in the air. In the picture above, you see a crowd cheering something on. Is it a football game? A rodeo? A concert? I have no idea, but that’s kind of the point. It doesn’t matter what we’re cheering on, our response is the same – our hands go up! Maybe this is why Moses lifted his hands initially. Maybe he and the other guys were up watching from the hill and when they saw something go well, they cheered. Then they calmed down and continued watching, and things didn’t go as well. Another pivotal moment and they cheered again but after a bit they noticed that when Moses specifically had his hands up, the Israelites had the upper hand, but when Moses brought his hands back down, the tide turned. They tested it out and, sure enough, when Moses had his hands up, Israel was winning! But here’s the challenge, Moses was 80. I’m only 47 and I know my limits of keeping my hands in the air, no matter how excited I am or how important it is. It became clear that it was desperately important, but Moses could only do it for so long – on his own.

 That’s the key. Moses was never expected to lead Israel, to get them out of Egypt or through the wilderness, or to help them defeat their enemies on his own. God had brought key, helpful people into Moses’ life, and it was at these pivotal points they became not just a blessing, but a necessity. Moses couldn’t hold his arms up on his own, but with the help of his not-so-young friends (Aaron was three years older than Moses and in later scriptures we see that Hur was the grandfather of skilled, adult craftsmen, so likely of similar age), he could. God used each of them, they were all important. The battle couldn’t be won without the soldiers on the field, without Moses on the hill, or without the diligent, supportive men holding him up – literally. And the battle was won. Not because of any one of these things, but because of all of them together, because the people honored, obeyed, and trusted God.

 So, who are your Aaron and Hur? Who will go up to the hill with you? Who will hold up your arms when you can’t do it on your own? God designed us to be in community, I’ve written about it time and time again. It’s so important that we develop and maintain these relationships in our lives. Those people who will call us on our faulty logic, will celebrate our wins and will come alongside us in our losses. We need close friends and family who are asking us, “How is your walk with God?” Who is that for you, and are you that for anyone else?

Here’s the Thing: It’s not about a number, we’re not commanded by God to have two close supporters. It’s the spirit of the thing. Are you doing this Christianity thing alone? If so, I encourage you to plug into your local church. Get involved. Attend a Bible study. Serve on Sunday morning. Get to know people, and let them get to know you. Before long, you’ll find that being a part of a supportive community isn’t just nice, it’s essential!