Title: Partnering through Prayer
Theme: The importance of partnering with the pastor through prayer.
Text: Exodus 17:8-16
Amalek is a descendant of Esau the brother of Jacob the two sons of Isaac. Remember Esau, who cared nothing for his birthright, chose to sell it to Jacob. This disregard for the heritage of God affected his descendants who would follow after the flesh. You never know how your spiritual decisions will affect the generations to come.
They were probably watching the newly formed nation that just months before were slaves. They were waiting on an opportunity to attack. Waiting on a weak moment. It came when Israel was resting. We have to be careful when we are resting, many times our leisure times are our weakest moments. This is when the flesh will attack.
But our weakest and most dependant moments will also give God an opportunity to prove himself to us. Here is when we are totally dependant on God’s protection and his defeat of the enemy.
So the enemy attacked at Rephidim {ref-ee-deem’} Rephidim means "rests" or "stays" or "resting places"
Rod of Victory
Moses told Joshua. This is the first time that we find his name mentioned in the Bible. It is appropriate that the man who would conquer Canaan would be seen here as a military leader. God was preparing him. Not only for a time of war but also of faith.
The rod of the Lord spelt victory. Rod means power. Moses by using this rod was signifying that this victory would not come at the hands of the Israelites but at the hands of the Lord.
With the help of the Lord we can accomplish anything. What seems to be impossible can become possible with the Lord. What seems to be an incurable disease becomes curable with the Lord. What seems to be a lost battle becomes a victory with the Lord. I have seen the Lord turn sorrow into victory. I have seen the Lord turn sickness into praise. I have seen the Lord turn death into salvation.
“Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world”, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheth me.” “With God we can have the VICTORY”
Even in our hardest moments we should still praise the Lord.
Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful (or slow) to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Dan 3:16-18
Notice Moses uses a staff. The staff of authority. But also the staff of dependence on the Lord. He was symbolizing to the Lord. God is in control.
As I draw closer to Lord it seems that God teaches me more and more about the importance of symbolism. Many times we must symbolize things in the Lord. This is a reminder to us about our relationship to God.
And Joshua did as Moses requested. Notice that Joshua went out to meet the enemy. When you have faith it is an assurance that the victory is secure. Faith
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
Joshua had his evidence that the victory was secure it was the faith that he had in God. If you were to ask him about the battle he would tell you about the victory of the Lord. He had faith.
And as Israel fought Moses stood. He stood on the hill watching over. Not so that he could see the battle but so that he could draw closer to the Lord. He knew that victory depended on praise and he wanted to praise him from the mountain top. Sometimes it is good just to see how close physically we can get to the Lord.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4 AV)
After a while Moses began to tire. Obviously there is only so much time you can hold your arms up until you tire. Your arms get heavy. I remember the arm circles, Oh I used to hate them. When I started out I would be fast and good thinking I could hold out forever but I soon learned that I could not last. My arms would feel like bricks.
This is the true time of testing. When we are too weary to pray. When we are too tired to praise. When we just don’t feel like it Oh how we must learn that victory is around the corner waiting on our hands to be lifted in praise to the Lord.
So enters the picture Aaron and Hur. Enters the partners. Let me tell you there is nothing wrong with saying, “We can’t do it own our own”. We don’t have to be independent we can solicit the help of others. Thank God that he knows that. He sends the holy Spirit as our intercessor. Our helper our guide.
Hur means “liberty” God used Hur to give Moses liberty.
Aaron means “light” bringer
They steadied his hands. Unsteady hands will not receive from the Lord. Only steady hands. James teaches us about prayer in James 1
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (James 1:6-7
It is not just important about prayer but who is praying. Aaron we know of as being the brother of Moses and also the Chief Priest of the Jewish worship. Hur is the son of Caleb (1 Chro 2:19-20).
And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur. And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel. (1 Chronicles 2:19-20 AV)
Remember Caleb the warrior and the one who stood before Israel, with Joshua, proclaiming that with God’s help they could take the Land.
The Bible tells us that the Lord told Moses to write these down. And Moses built an altar at this spot and named the area Jehovah Nissi which means “the Lord is my banner”.
Jehovah Nissi-the Lord is my banner. By his praise shall we have the victory. As Moses lifted up his hands in prayer and praise God gave them the victory and as long as Moses’ hands were lifted the victory was secure.
When ever we forget to praise the Lord or we get too distracted to praise the Lord then we are not secure in victory.
It would have been easy for Moses and Joshua to just give hoping for God’s protection but Moses knew that only if he would praise the Lord would God give them the victory.
Other names of God-Look at pg. 52 in Dakes Bible
Jehovah-jeriah –my provider
Jehovah-Ropekah the Lord our healer
Jehovah-Shalom the Lord our peace
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:1-2 AV)
The pastor and church leaders cannot do it alone. We need prayer partners who are willing to intercede for us. Just as Moses had Aaron and Hur a leader needs prayer partners.
Notice what Aaron and Hur did. They were committed and aggressive prayer partners, ready to jump in and help their leader be all that God intended him to be.
• They saw the need.
• They seized the moment.
• They shared in the victory.
