Moses:Interceding for God’s People, Ex. 17:8-16, 11-11-01, AM EBBC
Intro. I love music and I enjoy a number of different types of music. When I drive in my car I usually listen to the radio, but what I do is often listen to secular radio stations. I like some country music and I also enjoy the oldies station, but another reason I do this is because I want to know what the music is like that young people are listening to. I want to be aware of the kind of music that my own kids are listening to. So, I flip through the channels a lot when I drive and I hear a lot of different kinds of music and the results are at times very interesting.
I’ll give you an example; the other day I was driving along and I heard a song with a catchy melody and rhythm, but a disturbing message. The whole premise and theme of the song was a man telling a girl how much he hated her. In fact, he said in the song that he hated everything about her. He said that he hated her town, her parents, her brother, her sister, and the chorus said, "I get sick when I’m around, I hate everything about you." What world in which we live; a song that makes fun of something as serious as hating another person could make its way onto the radio and attain some level of popularity.
Now, I told you about that to say this; we as followers of Christ are called to love one another. We love one another because we love Jesus Christ. Let me say that I love everything about Jesus; I love Jesus (if you love Him just say that with me). I love His teachings, His parables, His mercy, forgiveness, grace, and that He died on the cross to buy my pardon and give us eternal life. I love Him for that. But I also love the fact that our Lord Jesus is out intercessor. Heb. 7:25 says, "Where fore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Intercession means to mediate, to plead on behalf of another. That is what Jesus does for us. He intercedes on our behalf. Pleads our case for us. That is what we find Moses doing for the people of Israel quite often, and that is what we find him doing here during a battle in Ex. 17.
I. The Battle, vv 8-10
We find in this passage that the Israelites have come out of bondage and slavery in Egypt. God brought down plagues upon Egypt until Pharaoh finally released the people. Moses led them to the Red Sea where God parted the waters so that the people could go safely across, then the armies of Pharaoh were drowned in the sea when they tried to pursue them in order to destroy them. God then feeds them with the manna that He provided (16:15). Now in ch. 17 they encounter their first battle. They were attacked by a nation of people called the Amalekites. This was a nation of people who were descended from a man by the name of Esau, who was brother to the patriarch Jacob. In the OT Jacob represents God’s favor, while Esau represents the flesh. Stay with me on this; when Israel battled the Amalekites that is a picture of our constant battle with the flesh.
Just as Israel had to fight a very real enemy, so must we fight a very real enemy – Satan, who attacks us through the things of the flesh. Bear in mind that we cannot fight these battles on our own; we need Christ to intercede for us – to fight the battle for us. That is what Moses told the people in 14:14, "The Lord shall fight for you." And he will if we will let Him.
Make no mistake about it; just as God’s people Israel fought some battles, so must we daily fight spiritual battles. But our battles, the Bible says, are of a spiritual nature. Go to Ephesians 6 and see what we mean by this. See Eph. 6:11-18 for a desription of the armor of God.
II. The Prayers, vv 11-12
This battle that is described here not only gets extremely interesting at this point, but it also gets quite dramatic. Note what takes place in vv 10-12; Moses, Aaron, and a man named Hur went up to the top of hill to observe the battle. Where was Joshua? You know of Joshua, he is the one famous for later fighting the battle of Jericho. Where was he? He was down there in the thick of the battle leading God’s people to fight their enemy. While the battle was raging Moses did something very important; he lifted up his hands toward heaven. V 12 says that as long as he kept his hands raised that Israel was winning, but if he lowered his hands the Amalakites were winning.
Was there some magical formula in Moses’ lifting up his hands? No. What he was doing was lifting up his hands in prayer making intercession to God on behalf of the people. I believe Moses was praying up on that hilltop. As long as he did so God’s people were winning the battle. But if he got tired and stopped, lowered his hands, they started to lose. This teaches us some important lessons about the power of prayer. It is an extremely powerful thing in the life of a believer – more powerful than we often fully realize. Prayer is a wonderful thing. It can make all the difference in winning and losing the battles we must face. II Thess 5:17 tells us to "Pray without ceasing." Jesus stressed the importance of prayer to His disciples and he also set the example Himself by praying. Our Lord made it clear that prayer is to be a vital part of the life of the believer.
Moses was up on that hilltop praying for the people of God, interceding for them that they might win the battle. We ought to do that for each other – pray for each other that we might win the daily spiritual battles that we must fight. Daily pray for strength, guidance, wisdom, and power through the Holy Spirit to overcome.
There is something else important in v 12; when Moses got tired Aaron and Hur got on either side of him and supported him. That is a beautiful illustration of how we ought to support one another in times of need.
III. The Victory, vv 13-16
We have seen that their was a battle, that there was prayer – Moses interceding for the people, and now we see something else; the Victory. Because the people fought (with God on their side) and because Moses prayed for them and supported them (and Moses too had support) a great victory was won. This was their first armed conflict and they came through it by the power of faith and of prayer.
I like the terminology of v 13; it says that Joshua "discomfited Amalek." Do you know what discomfited means? It means that they just plain whooped them. They beat them in a big way. And then God told Moses in v 14 to write down what had happened, because God said I am going to completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. This is just one more example that God is always true to His word. Whatever happened to the Amalekites? Are any of them around today? Do they still exist as a people? No. They are gone, blotted out, as God said they would be. One cannot be an enemy of God and expect to be around forever.
But there is something else here. God told Moses in v 14; he said to "rehearse it in the ears of Joshua." Make sure that Joshua understands this. Why Joshua? God was already preparing him to become the next leader of the people after Moses. God does not call us into a position of leadership unless he prepares us first. He was preparing Joshua, reminding him of His faithfulness.
In v 15 something else happens that should get our attention; there was the battle, the prayers, the victory, and then Moses did something; he built an altar and he worshipped the Lord. This is important for us because spiritual victories will enhance our worship of God. Many do not experience the full joy of worship because they are not experiencing victory in their lives. If we will but trust Christ daily and be guided by the Holy Spirit then we will experience great victories in our lives. Notice I say victories – plural, for they will be frequent. I Cor. 15:57 says, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." That victory will be won when we trust Jesus. I Jn. 5:4 says "and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Trust Jesus Christ a your Savior today and experience the victory in your life.
Amen
