Exodus 17:8-16
God’s people may lack many things, but one thing they never seem to be missing is enemies. No sooner do they leave the Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea than they encounter another adversary, namely the Amalekites. Moses called upon his right-hand man Joshua to lead the army, and the next day they fought them.
Joshua, however, didn’t face the Amalekites with physical force alone. Moses stood on a hill overlooking the battle, and apparently was calling upon God to bless his people while they were fighting the enemy. As long as Moses held up his arms over God’s people (symbolic of praying), the Hebrews were victorious. Once he get tired and lowered his arms, the Amalekites were winning. Aaron and Hur, seeing what was happening, stepped forward and lifted up the eighty-year-old man’s arms until the battle was won.
This story has multiple applications for both church leaders and the laity. Every Sunday, millions of people get out of church, go home, and then proceed to have “roast pastor” for lunch: “That sermon was too long.” “He barely even spoke to me today.” “When is he going to get someone to help me on Sundays?” I submit that for every minute you spend criticizing your leadership, you should spend four times as much praying for them. Do you realize that just by being a leader in your church, he has a target painted on his back for our Enemy? Do you not realize that (just like in this passage) your church and the leadership in your church stand or fall together? There's no such thing as individual victory or defeat as far as this is concerned. You either succeed together or you fail together.
And for the pastor or church leaders reading this, is it time for you to get an Aaron or Hur to help you? Moses had his pride, but he apparently didn’t let it keep him from getting help in completing his task. He could have stubbornly refused the aid of the two men, and then watch his people suffer a defeat. When God’s people are in the battle, there's no wisdom in “going it alone.”
Lord Jesus, you are my shepherd. Help me to be grateful for the shepherds you’ve put in my life. May I be an Aaron or Hur to them, not another burden.
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