Exodus 17:8-16 (NIV)
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 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.”
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 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. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered...”
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 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.”
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I'm going to be honest upfront so you can decide whether or not you'd like to keep reading. I don't have the energy to be witty or clever tonight. This blog post won't include a fuzzy story to keep things light, and it might not be very eloquent. Here's why: The enemy of my soul nearly knocked the wind out of me this week. I've had to wake up, stand up, and put up my dukes, spiritually speaking. Ever been there? If you have, you might understand why I felt the need to put everything on hold and have church tonight. You're welcome to join me, or if you've had enough already, you can go ahead and X-out of this window. I won't judge. I know those funny cat videos won't watch themselves. Still there? Cool. I hope this post is worth your while. Go ahead and read the passage to the left. You'll need that if you want to follow along. (It's about how Moses had to keep his hands raised while the Israelites fought the Amalekites.) This story of perseverance in the midst of battle has been running through my mind all day. The Spirit of God even brought a little 3-point message to heart, complete with a song list. Hope this has meaning for you as it does for me... | |
Put Up Your Dukes
3 Keys to Victory
