Whenever Moses would raise his hands, then Israel prevailed, but whenever he would rest his hands, then Amalek prevailed. 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.Â
Into the Text
As the Israelites begin to travel further into the desert on the way to the Promised Land, God continues to show them that He is Almighty God—their great provider and protector.Â
God had already provided in a miraculous way by saving the people from the hand of Pharaoh and providing quail, manna, and water from a rock. Now, God would rescue and protect His people from the Amalekites.Â
When the armies of Israel go to fight, they see victory only as Moses’ staff and arms are raised above his head. Moses is a prophet of God. But like the rest of us, Moses is only a human and can hold his arms up only so long.Â
Moses’ brother Aaron and a friend Hur step in to help Moses by holding up his arms for him. Aaron and Hur recognize that victory for Israel comes from God alone, and they will do whatever it takes to ensure that God’s way prevails.Â
Oftentimes, we try to follow God’s will on our own but find that we cannot do it alone. This is why having a community of believers around us matters. They can remind us and spur us on to continue faithfully following God, trusting Him with our lives, and sometimes holding us up when we cannot continue forward.Â
Christian community is a gift to help us rightfully see God for who He is and live a life of worship in response.Â
Prayer
God, thank you for giving me the body of Christ to help me follow you daily. Help me to open myself up to the help and support of others so that I’m not trying to do things on my own. Amen.