Where The Action Is.

Where The Action Is

9:30 2/14/93 Exodus 17:8-15 Psalm 20:1-9 2 Tim 2:1-7

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TOBY

Lord, we pray that You would hear our prayer right now. Descend upon us by the power of your Holy Spirit and free us from ourselves, that we may truly hear You. O God, open our ears and

our hearts and our minds, that Your word may be planted within

us. We pray in the might and name our Lord Jesus Christ Amen.

RICK

Once a sixth grader took her little brother to church for

the first time. The little boy started making noises. His sister

told him to stop and sit still. The little boy said, "but it’s

boring." His sister replied, "be quiet, its supposed to be

boring." Like that little boy, we don’t want to get bored. We

want to be in the place "where the action is."

TOBY

We had the privilege of having a wonderful friend from South

Africa while at seminary. The whole time she was with us, she

continually told of one situation after the other in which she

shared how she had prayed to God about various circumstances, and

had watched God miraculously intervene and answer her payers. I

was just struck with awe of the power of God. The Holy Spirit

began to deal with me, and I began a new journey in my own life.

My people, we are convinced, that prayer is where the action is.

In the conflicts we experience, the outcome is not determined by

what is seen, but rather by what happens in the place of prayer.

RICK

Our text this morning is Exodus Chapter 17 verses 8-15. We

find the story of God’s people as they have left Egypt and are

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now on their way to the promised land. Verse 8 says "The Amale

kites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim." As the

children of Isreal traveled through the wilderness on their way

to Canaan, many who were weak and sick fell to the rear of the

caravan and were left to keep up the best way they could. As a

result, the Israelites were stretched out many miles through the

desert. Estimates are that over a million people left Egypt.

TOBY

The Amelekites were a nomadic tribe of that region. They

took advantage of this situation and attacked and plundered those

who fell behind. So the Israelites were forced to fight even

though they were far less prepared than the Amalekites. Now it

was no secret that the Israelites had walked out of Egypt loaded

down with as much wealth as they could carry. The Amelekites

were willing to take any risk to steal this wealth for them

selves.

RICK

We find in verse nine, 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." It’s

Joshua’s job to organize the soldiers for battle, meanwhile Moses

is going up to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur at his

side. They want to be able to see the battle.

TOBY

Look at Exodus 17:10 "So Joshua fought the Amalekites as

Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of

the hill." As the two armies continued to fighting, Moses

raised his hands before God above his head. The nation of

Isreal was winning in the battle. Look at verse 11 "As long as

Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenev

er he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning."

RICK

It quickly became apparent to Moses, Aaron and Hur, that the

determining factor in this battle was not which side had the

better army or the greater military strategy. The determining

factor in this battles was whether or not Moses held up his

hands. Holding up one’s hands was a symbol of appeal to God for

help and enablement. They came up with a solution to keeping

Moses’s hands lifted up. Look at verse Exodus 17:12 "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."

TOBY

With Aaron and Hur on each arm, the Amalekites did not have

a chance. Even though the army of Isreal was at a disadvantage

because of their lack of equipment and preparation, that did not

determine the outcome for verse 13 says "So Joshua overcame the

Amalekite army with the sword." There is verse in Psalm 20 that

says "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in

the name of the LORD our God."