You might also enjoy this other post that talks about Hur and is written by my SIL, Sue Elkins. Let us do whatever it takes to please God and be used of Him.
Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. ~ Louis Pasteur
Whatever it takes
Moses and the children of Israel are wandering in the wilderness, it hasn’t been too long since they were delivered out of the hands of Pharaoh. They are no longer slaves in Egypt; Moses has led them away by the hand of God and is leading them to the Promised Land.
They have seen the Lord divide the Red Sea so they could walk across on dry land; and then they witnessed that same mighty body of water swallow up the Egyptian army and vanish, never to be seen again!
No sooner were they on their way until they were grumbling about what they did or did not have to eat. So the Lord provided them with manna from heaven. In the Hebrew it meant “What is it?”
Seriously, every morning all they had to do was walk out their door and there were delicious pastries scattered on the ground!
They then journey a little further and run out of water to drink and the Lord tells Moses to smite the rock with his rod, or staff, to get water, which he does. Shortly afterward, the Amalekites attack to fight with Israel in Rephidim.
Here is where the story begins to get good.
Moses tells Joshua, his right hand man, to choose people to go into battle. He says that he will then go up to the top of the hill with the “rod of God” in his hand!
He did not use the rod in every plague in Egypt, sometimes God just spoke and it was done. But here is a list of some of the things that Moses and Aaron had done with that rod before, after the command of the Lord:
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Turned it into a serpent and back again.
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Turned the water into blood.
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Brought frogs out of the rivers, canals and ponds and covered all of Egypt!
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Struck the dust of the earth and then lice smothered man and beast.
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Rained down hail and fire from heaven.
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Locusts, like as never had been seen before, covered the earth.
Now, with the Amalekites approaching, Moses, Aaron and Hur are at the top of the hill and Joshua is down below leading the battle. Remember, this is nearing the end of the 40 year journey in the wilderness so Moses is also coming to the end of his days on the earth; he is quite old and losing strength.
Moses is holding up his staff and as long as he keeps it held high above his head, the Israelites prevail in battle! But if he lets his hands down, they begin to lose.
“But Moses’ hands became heavy…”
Now, do you know what I think is really awesome here? That Aaron and Hur didn’t need anyone to say, “Here’s your sign!” That is not what I am going to focus on today but it is a great subject for another time.
“…so 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 the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” Exodus 17:12 NKJV.
They did whatever it took, in a desperate situation, to make sure the battle was won!
Could God not have just stepped in and taken care of the enemy without Moses standing there with that silly staff above his head?!
Of course He could. He is God! We don’t always understand His ways but we trust them, we step out in faith and we follow His leading, knowing He has never failed us.
Moses knew that every time he had followed the Lord’s command up until now that He had been faithful. From that first encounter with the rod at the burning bush when the Lord told him to throw it on the ground and it became a serpent, he had been a believer. So he knew now that to let his arms down meant disaster for Israel. He trusted in his God!
[Tweet “The lesson isn’t always just for the believer, sometimes the Lord is trying to reach others through you.”]
So just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t mean God isn’t working. Trust Him, He’s done this before!
Is there a situation in your life right now that has you weary and tired off “holding up your hands”?
Do you feel like what God has asked you to do is trivial, maybe even silly, and if you had your way you would do it differently?
Be determined like Moses! He would have stood there with that staff in his hand until he died if he had to, even if no one had come to his rescue.
Whatever it takes!
There are some times we have to just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and get tough because things in this world are NOT going to get easier, friend.
The things that I can’t change and are out of my control, Lord help me to leave them in YOUR hands and then turn around and walk away.
But if it is something that I need to dig in deep and hold on to, and you want me to do whatever it takes to accomplish it, whatever it takes to see it through…
Whatever it takes to make sure that loved one is saved…
Whatever it takes until I overcome this addiction…
Whatever it takes until I get this hatred out of my heart…
Whatever it takes until I stop judging my brother…
Whatever it takes until I stop running from the calling you put inside of me…
What are your thoughts today? Do you have an Aaron or Hur in your life holding up your hands today? Or have you had in the past when you couldn’t go on, did someone show up just in time?
Are you going through a difficult season, a battle with your own army of Amalekites, but are determined to do whatever it takes, with the Lord’s help, to give it to Him and let Him fight your battle?
Share with us today, encourage one another and be encouraged!
There is nothing too hard for our God, only trust Him.
