Faithful in Leadership Responsibilities

“So Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek.  Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.’  So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill.  Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.  But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side.  So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.  And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.” -Exodus 17:9-13 (ESV). 

The Israelite nation’s problems were not nearly over when they escaped from Egypt.  The Egyptian army, in heavy pursuit, was stopped at the Red Sea as the Israelites proceeded over on dry ground.  But in the wilderness, they complained to Moses about the water, the food, and other major inconveniences.  We can’t fail to mention enemies on every hand, such as the Amalekites who inhabited the northern Sinai peninsula and the enemy in today’s focus, a warlike group near Rephidim.  Joshua comes on the scene as a strong military leader, who was instructed by Moses to gather an army from among the Israelites and face Amalek and his forces. 

Moses had a strategy.  As Joshua led the army against the Amalekites, Moses would stand with the staff of God in his hand, a symbol of the presence and power of the Lord among the Israelite people.  Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill where they had a commanding height over the clashing armies.  So long as Moses was able to hold up the staff of the Lord, the battle proceeded in the Israelites’ favor.  When his arms tired, and he lowered the staff, the Amalekites prevailed.  It was then Moses’ helpers stepped up to seat Moses and to hold up his arms so that the staff of God would be ever aloft.  There was no magical  power in the staff Moses held.  It was representative of the presence of Almighty God, and the very fact that Moses, Aaron and Hur saw that it was held up during the conflict indicates that they were, for the whole period of time, interceding earnestly for Israel’s victory.  Joshua and the army could not have succeeded without the prayer vigil of Moses and his two assistants.  On the very spot where the staff of God was held aloft, Moses built and altar following the victory over King Amalek‘s forces.  Moses called the place, “The Lord my Banner.”  In the very place on the hill where hands were lifted up to God in prayer, a memorial was raised to the power and effectiveness of genuine intercessory prayer.

Prayer.  ’God our Banner,’ we are coming to the day we have been praying earnestly about for forty days.  We plead that stalwart, courageous leaders will be elected, those who will not be ashamed to stand and be counted as leaders who fear and honor the Lord God.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.