Êxodo 17

Êxodo 17

Poole has an interesting suggestion that "When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed; God so dispensing His favour, that the honour of the day and victory might be wholly ascribed to the rod and power of God, not to Israel." Janzen writes that "The raised hands of Moses have been interpreted as a gesture of prayer, but there is no indication of that in the text. Their position, rather than any words uttered by Moses, is decisive. Childs’s suggestion that they are “the instruments of mediating power” seems a better view. It might strike us as magical, but it underscores the importance of God’s choice of Moses as His instrument, over against any contribution on Moses’ own part, including prayer. The support of Moses’ hands by Aaron and Hur makes the same point; they do not raise their own hands, but support those of Moses." (Believer's Church Bible Commentary - Exodus) Nathan Stone asks "What was the meaning then of Amalek's success when it was lowered and Israel's success when it was raised? It was to sharply emphasize and deeply impress upon Israel's warring soldiers and her watching, anxious host that upon God alone depended and to Him belonged the victory; that under His raised banner victory was always assured. No matter what the odds, then, for in Moses' own words five should chase a hundred and a hundred should chase ten thousand (Lev 26:8). That rod was the symbol and pledge of His presence and power and working. (Names of God) Alfred Edersheim also questions the common interpretation of Moses' raised hands signifying prayer writing that "This holding up of Moses’ hands has been generally regarded as symbolical of prayer. But if that were all, it would be difficult to understand why it was absolutely needful to success that his hands should be always upheld, so that when they drooped, merely from bodily weariness, Amalek should have immediately prevailed. Moreover, it leaves unexplained the holding up of the rod towards heaven (IN OTHER WORDS DID IT HAVE NO PURPOSE?). In view of this difficulty it has been suggested by a recent commentator, that the object of holding up the hands was not prayer, but the uplifting of the God-given, wonder-working rod, as the banner of God, to which, while it waved above them, and only so long, Israel owed their victory. With this agrees the name of the memorial-altar, which Moses reared to perpetuate the event—Jehovah-nissi, “the Lord my banner.” But neither does this explanation quite meet the statements of Scripture. Rather would we combine both the views mentioned. The rod which Moses held up was the banner of God—the symbol and the pledge of His presence and working; and he held it up, not over Israel, nor yet over their enemies, but towards heaven in prayer, to bring down that promised help in their actual contest. And so it ever is: Amalek opposes the advance of Israel; Israel must fight, but the victory is God’s; Israel holds the rod of almighty power in the hand of faith; but that rod must ever be uplifted toward heaven in present application for the blessing secured by covenant-promise. David Thompson makes a great application - According to Ex 17:11, when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when Moses lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. Now the point of this is as long as the staff of God was held up high, there was victory, but when the staff of God was lowered, there was defeat. I think there is a great principle here for us. As long as the Word of God is held up high, which Word elevates God, there will be victory; but when the Word of God is lowered there will be defeat. (Sermon) THOUGHT - I love Pastor Thompson's application but would add to it. In the greatest section of the Bible on Spiritual Warfare in Ephesians 6:10-18, we encounter one primary offensive weapon (prayer is the other in Eph 6:18), the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Eph 6:17+). So restating Thompson's excellent application we could say as long as the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God is held up high (and held firmly or fast), which elevates God, there will be victory; but when the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God is lowered and its value demeaned there will surely be spiritual defeat. Exodus 17:11-12 A Little Help From Your Friends by Dr. Woodrow Kroll Few things of importance come easy. Noah Webster worked 36 years on his dictionary, while Gibbon labored 26 years on his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. When Milton was writing Paradise Lost, he rose at 4:00 every morning to begin work. Plato wrote the first sentence of the Republic nine times before it was acceptable to him. In the midst of challenging circumstances, it's wonderful to have friends who will come along and give their help. Moses experienced such a blessing. The conflict with the Amalekites was a key battle. If the Israelites were defeated at such an early stage on their journey, they likely would become so discouraged that they would turn around and go back to Egypt. Victory was essential, but it wouldn't come easy. The Israelites were winning only when Moses held up his hands in prayer. After hours in this position, however, his arms began to tire and defeat seemed a real possibility. That was when Aaron and Hur stepped in. With a little help from his friends, Moses was able to keep his hands held up until the enemy was thoroughly defeated. Prayer is the key to victory, but it's also hard work. Often our spirits, if not our hands, grow weary and we face the potential of defeat. That's when we need other believers like Aaron and Hur to step in and lend their strength to our efforts. Praying with friends gives us renewed vigor. Be sensitive to the opportunities to respond as Aaron and Hur did. Maybe there is someone today who needs you to lend your prayers to his efforts. God will lead you to that person; just make yourself available. Your strength may be essential for his victory. Victory is never won alone. Invisible Support Read: Exodus 17:8-16 So it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed. —Exodus 17:11 Prison guards couldn’t understand how Irina Ratushinskaya could be so joyful. She was cold, sick, and hungry in a cruel Soviet prison camp. But Irina says she understands how: People were praying for her. Irina is convinced that she and other prisoners experienced God’s presence like “the sense of delicious warmth in a freezing land” because Christians all around the world were asking God to help them. After she was set free, Irina wrote a poem to express her gratitude to God and fellow believers. She included the words, “My dear ones, thank you all.” In our Scripture lesson we see that the Israelites prevailed over the superior Amalekite army when Moses lifted his staff toward heaven—a symbol of intercessory prayer. His praying on the hill, possibly unseen by the Israelites, gave them the invisible support they needed. Sick, suffering, sorrowing people cannot see their fellow believers who are praying for them. But many people have told me they are amazed at the sense of God’s presence in their affliction, and they know this to be the result of the prayers of their friends. Support for people who’re in need Comes when we pray and intercede; God’s strength is given to His own When we go to the Father’s throne. —Sper God’s intervention is often the result of our intercession. Exodus 17:12 But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. Amplified: But Moses’ hands were heavy and grew weary. So [the other men] took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. NET Exodus 17:12 When the hands of Moses became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down. NLT Exodus 17:12 Moses' arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. KJV Exodus 17:12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ESV Exodus 17:12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. NIV 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. Ps 35:3, Isa 35:3 2Co 1:11 Php 1:19 1Th 5:25 Heb 12:12 Pr 27:17 Eccl 4:9-12, Ro 15:30-32 Exodus 17 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See Joshua - Portrait of the Man God Uses A HELPING HAND Note that while this passage states "Moses' hands (PLURAL) were heavy," the preceding text (Ex 17:11) states when "Moses held his hand (SINGULAR) up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand (HEBREW = SINGULAR) down, Amalek prevailed." This is apparently before Aaron and Hur began to help hold And what was in his hand? Ex 17:9 Moses said "the staff of God in my hand (HEBREW = SINGULAR).” So what is the point? The picture shows two hands raised but before Aaron and Hur helped him, the focus is on one hand with the staff of God. Moses could have switched the staff of God from one hand to the other (and he may have done so but the text does not say), but he would still have become tired (remember he is about 80!). While this is somewhat conjectural, it is in keeping with the Biblical text. The point was not Moses' hand (or hands) raised which was important, but what was in his raised hand, the staff of God. It is so easy to focus on both of Moses' hands raised and say they were raised in prayer and Aaron and Hur were helping intercede and conclude that prayer was primarily what led to Israel prevailing over Amalek. But that does not make good sense, because Moses could have continued praying with lowered hands (which he probably did). Also the Israelites in the valley could not "see" Moses praying. But what they could see was the uplifted staff. And this is what God wanted them to see. And when they were able to see it lifted up they had victory not because of a "psychological" effect but because of a supernatural effect! When they could not see it lifted up Amalek prevailed, again because God withdrew His power. And so the staff of God was symbolic or representative of the power of God! Keep in mind that even though they had been very rebellious and disobedient, Israel knew the staff of God had been intimately associated with the manifest power of God. In other words, Israel had witnessed God's power in action when Moses lifted up the staff of God! For example, in Ex 7:20 the text says Moses "lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood." In other words the staff was clearly visible and was the symbol of the supernatural power of God, even to the pagans. Then again in Exodus 14 we read a similar pattern with an added twist As for you (MOSES - NOTE THAT GOD FIRST DESCRIBES MOSES' RESPONSIBILITY), lift up your staff (AGAIN THIS WOULD MAKE THE STAFF CLEARLY VISIBLE TO BOTH THE EGYPTIANS AND THE ISRAELITES) and stretch out your hand (SO STAFF IN ONE UPLIFTED HAND AND OTHER HAND ALSO UPLIFTED) over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17 (NOW GOD DESCRIBES HIS PART) “As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 “Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.” (Ex 14:16-18) So what pattern do you see when the Egyptians sought to attack and destroy the nation of Israel? Moses raised the staff of God and his other hand, and God gave Israel the victory over the Egyptians. The result was (1) God was honored and (2) even the pagans would know God was the true LORD. One other point worth noting is that Israel had just had an experience with the "power" of the "staff of God" for in Ex 17:5-6 we read Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So you can easily imagine some or many of the Israelites in the valley seeing the same staff of God in Moses hands remembering what had just recently been accomplished with this staff - water from a rock! Now there is a powerful enemy that needs to be smitten. But when Moses' hand holding the staff declined, so did the fortunes of the Israelites. God was teaching His rebellious children another lesson about Himself and about His power and His sufficiency in adverse circumstances! Now fast forward to Exodus 17:8-16, keeping in mind that Israel had questioned Moses' leadership and even God's presence asking “Is the LORD among us, or not?” (Ex 17:7). So what does God do? In the very next verse He allows (or sends) the Amalekites to attack Israel (even as He had hardened the Egyptians' hearts to attack Israel before they could escape). Then God invokes the same pattern of the uplifted staff by Moses symbolizing God's presence and power, while on the valley below God gave Israel the victory over a mighty Amalekite adversary. Israel had now seen the uplifted staff symbolic of God's power at the Red Sea (they may not have been by the Nile and witnessed the miracle in Ex 7:20) and in both potentially devastating situations Israel had seen it was God's power (as symbolized by the raised staff) and this power was mediated through God's man, Moses. Moses was once again clearly shown to be God's leader of Israel as they prepared for the 40 year journey in the wilderness. To reiterate, when Moses hands got heavy and he could not hold the staff of God in the sight of Israel, God allowed Amalek to prevail. Israel would have seen that it was the staff that symbolized God's power for victory and they like the Egyptians in Exodus 14:18 would have come to know I am the Lord and God would be honored by this demonstration of His power. So the answer to their question "Is the LORD among us or not?" is a resounding "YES, HE IS PRESENT!" The uplifted staff functioned as a banner much like ancient armies would carry before them as an ensign when they went into battle. In this battle with the Amalekites, Moses in effect held the banner before Israel. And in this context the banner was symbolic of Jehovah Himself, Jehovah Nissi, the LORD our Banner. This Name would (should) serve to remind Israel of Jehovah's presence and power for victory over their adversaries! Janzen agrees adding that "What is clear is the answer to the question, Is Yahweh among us or not? Not only is Yahweh there, but Yahweh Alone assures Israel’s life, and that life is mediated through Moses. This is the same Moses whom the Israelites have charged with fraudulent claims leading to their death (Ex 17:3), and who has almost been executed by stoning (Ex 17:1–7). Now he has been shown more clearly than before (Ex 14:10–18; Ex 15:25; Ex 16:28) to be the One Who stands between Israel and death. This mediator role of Moses will be developed further in Exodus 19; 20; 32–34. For now, all opposition to Moses appears to have been overcome; Exodus 18 will show him as a leader in full control. (Believer's Church Bible Commentary - Exodus) Matthew Poole comments on Moses' hands - Not that both hands were erected (lifted up) and joined (clasped) together, which was not a fit posture for one holding a rod in his hand; but that Moses shifted the rod out of one hand into the other when the former was weary, and that Aaron and Hur did each of them with both hands hold up that hand which was next to them, successively, that they also might relieve one the other. Expositor's Bible Commentary adds that the staff of God raised in the hand of Moses "was not merely for psychological effect to inspire the troops every time they glanced up the hill..... Nor does the text specifically claim that Moses prayed while his hands were raised (the more traditional explanation)....Like all OT institutions, the external and visible symbol meant nothing unless (1) it was divinely appointed and (2) the obedient use of the external form was accompanied by the internal and invisible motions of the heart and spirit of a man. Thus the prophetic-symbolic action of the constantly upraised hands did signal the fervent prayers of the heart of Moses as he witnessed the battle. As Bush aptly remarks, "The whole narrative ... conclusively shows that God designed to teach Israel that the hand of Moses, with whom [Israel] had just been chiding, contributed more to their safety than their own hands; his rod (STAFF OF GOD) more than their weapons." (Expositor's Bible Commentary) Here's an example of the genre of comments that favor prayer as the main teaching of Exodus 17:8-16 - "This amazing passage shows us that life or death for Israel depended on the prayers of one man....Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses and literally held his hands up in prayer. They helped him and partnered with him in intercession. Their help was successful." (