THE POWER OF INTERSESSION, EXODUS 17: 11-13
11 As long as Moses held up his arms, the Israelites won, but when he put his arms down, the Amalekites started winning. 12 When Moses' arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur brought a stone for him to sit on, while they stood beside him and held up his arms, holding them steady until the sun went down. 13 In this way Joshua totally defeated the Amalekites.
An intercessor is one who builds the wall (or hedge) of protection. In such situations we are standing in-between the people of God and their problems or issues, to protect them from danger and help build a spiritual wall that will strengthen them to stand in health and wholeness. Ezekiel 13: 4 & 5
This is an Old Testament story that tells us about the battle between Joshua and Amalek. The Amalekites had come up against the Israelites at Rephidim (which translated means resting place). Sometimes when we are in a place of resting it becomes a place a wrestling Exodus 17 tells us that Israel’s leader, 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 hand.” Moses came to the battle with the staff of God in his hand, he came battle ready
As Joshua fought the Amalekites in the valley, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill with Moses. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites would prevail, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew tired, Moses was tired. The strongest arm will fail with being long held out; it is God only whose hand is stretched out still. We do not find that Joshua's hands were heavy in fighting, but Moses' hands were heavy in praying; because sometimes you gonna get tired. Aaron and Hur took a stone and put it under Moses and he sat on it and then Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands so Israel would prevail or continue to win
It is interesting to me how this story paints the picture of the struggles and needs of a mediator. Although the story is given to us to show how God intercedes on our behalf even when we don’t see His presence, it can have other interpretations that provide us comfort in the midst of our battles even though the players might take on different incarnations, the strength of the images can provide comfort to a troubled soul.
Joshua represents a salvation his name means God is my salvation. He is the real warrior, the one fighting the battles and facing the ever-present danger of succumbing to the wounds inflicted by the enemy.
Moses represents the mediator he is the one that is a connection between what’s going on in the earth and communicating with heaven. He’s the one charged with the responsibility to maintain a posture that produces victory and weariness in the same moment. The one who must watch the battle rage and yet rise above it to do what needs to be done.
The staff of God represents the weight of the world pressing down on the arms of the mediator as gravity pulls harder every passing minute and forces the strength of the mediator to weaken as the battle rages on.
Aaron and Hur represent those who walk in relationship with the Moses, who rejoice when the Moses rejoices and weeps when Moses weeps, who recognize the needs of the intercessor and provide the support without asking for help.
Although Joshua is the one fighting the physical battle, but Moses had to fight the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual one. Moses stood on the top of the hill while Joshua fought against Amalek. And although Moses was not in the battle, without him holding up the staff of God, Joshua didn’t stand a chance against Amalek. Moses was tired. The strongest arm will fail with being long held out; it is God only whose hand is stretched out still. We do not find that Joshua's hands were heavy in fighting, but Moses' hands were heavy in praying;
As it was with Moses and Joshua, so it is with the person with special need that’s going thru something, the person with special need doesn’t stand a chance. The intercessor is standing on the hill watching the battle rage on and from an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual point of view, struggles to bear the weight of the war that going on.
And just as Moses probably wanted Joshua to quickly prevail because it would mean relief from the stress of lifting up the staff of God, the Intercessor searches for a solution to the battle because it will ultimately mean relief for the one interceding, now watch this, when Moses first held up the staff it wasn’t heavy, if I lose my job, but still have a little money, the staff I’m holding is not too heavy, but I come to tell you when the battle you going thru lingers longer than we anticipated, sometimes we get weary in well doing. I’m still holding the staff because my bible tells me not to get weary in well doing and I will reap a harvest if I faint not
Standing on top of the hill does not make the intercessor immune from the effects of the battle. Although Joshua was fighting with the sword, Moses was holding up the staff of God and Joshua’s success hung on Moses’ strength to keep his hands lifted up. In addition to fighting the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual battles that rage on within, the intercessor is also performing the physical tasks that cause one to become weary.
The story tells us that Moses’ hands grew tired. As long as Moses was able to hold his hands up, Joshua prevailed, but as soon as his hands grew weary and dropped, Amalek prevailed. You see, the person that’s going thru a trial can overcome the physical battles so long as the intercessor has the strength to lift up the staff of God. To bear up under the weight of the battle. But when the caregiver can no longer bear the stress of the situation, he or she weakens and the arms begin to fall and the person with special needs begins to lose the battle.
When Moses’ strength began to fail, the bible says Aaron and Hur provided the necessary support, but so often the caregiver is charged to lift his or her arms without support. And when the intercessor loses strength, the enemy prevails.
While Joshua fought, Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. Aaron and Hur were with Moses from the beginning and when Moses struggled to keep his hands lifted up, Aaron and Hur provided the support he needed. Aaron and Hur didn’t receive word that Moses was struggling and then left off the camp of Israel to go help. They were with him from the beginning and when they saw him begin to struggle, they went into action.
They provided Moses with a place to sit and they held up his arms. The story tells us that they found a rock and placed it under him so he could sit. This required physical effort on the part of Aaron and Hur. They did not take Moses to the rock they brought the rock to Moses. When someone is too weak to pray, you don’t wait to see if they need prayer, you bring the rock to them.
And then they stood beside him, supporting his arms, keeping the staff of God lifted up.
Moses did not have to say “Aaron and Hur, come up here, I am struggling.” They went with him and when they saw him struggle, they provided the help necessary without being asked. They did not ask Moses “Is there anything we can do?” They knew what he needed because they were present with Moses from the beginning. Nothing in heaven moves without earth permission, God want us to invite Him into our situations and He will move on our behalf.
It was great encouragement to the people to see Joshua before them in the field of battle, and Moses above them on the hill. Christ is both to us; our Joshua, the Captain of our salvation, who fights our battles, and our Moses, who forever lives, making intercession above, that our faith fail not
