Exodus 17:8-13
This passage chronicles the only fight that Israel had between Egypt and Sinai. Once they go under the Covenant of Law they are found fighting constantly, but here, while still under the Abrahamic Covenant of promise, they have one fight that defines the position of the believer under God’s grace and favor.
Israel arrives at Rephidim, which is “resting places” in Hebrew, showing us the place of rest that we have in Christ. Immediately, Amalek comes to fight with Israel in the resting place, which makes sense due to the fact that Amalek comes from the Hebrew root word “amal” meaning “worrisome labor; pain”.
The chief fight for the believer is not against Satan or the forces of the darkness of this world, but it is against “worrisome labor”. In a nutshell, our battle is to enter into the “resting place” while everything around us tells us to worry and work. The Apostle Paul knew this when he instructed the believer to “labor therefore to enter into that rest” (Hebrews 4:11). This is the token statement in the entire New Covenant where Paul tells the believer to labor for anything. Isn’t it interesting that our one labor is to stop laboring?
Moses sends Joshua into the valley to confront the Amalekites while he goes to the top of the mountain to stand with the rod of God. Moses understood the symbolism of the rod, as it had been held up to part the waters of the Red Sea, signifying God’s arm of strength. With the arm of God fighting for Israel, Moses knew that they could not lose. As long as the covenant keeper was lifted up, there would be victory then, and if we hold up covenant now, the victory is ours through the covenant that Jesus made with His Father at Calvary.
No matter how much we know about covenant and grace and God’s goodness and kindness, as we labor to enter into rest, our own works will most likely become involved. Moses’ hands began to grow heavy (Exodus 17:12) as a sign of our own works growing more and more wearisome. Though we know the answers, sometimes we falter and fail in their application. We need something more to help us than our own knowledge and intelligence.
“There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9, 10). This is not to insinuate that you will not cease from your works until you enter into His rest, but rather that you will not enter into His rest UNTIL you cease from your own works. When the hands grow heavy, it is time to sit down, just as Moses did. Look at what he sits on, and who helps him:
“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” (Exodus 17:12). Moses sits upon a stone, which is the solid rock of Christ, which Jesus said if we build our house upon, it will stand during the storm (Matthew 7:25). Aaron and Hur are a type of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, holding up our hands. In this position, the believer is off of their own feet and being supported completely by the finished work of Jesus. Only here will we see victory in our valleys, when we are resting on the mountain.
One final note: the word “steady” which describes how Moses’ hands remained until the going down of the sun is the same word in Hebrew as “faith”. Let your faith rest on the perfect, finished work of Jesus until the setting of your sun, when you meet Him in glory.
This passage chronicles the only fight that Israel had between Egypt and Sinai. Once they go under the Covenant of Law they are found fighting constantly, but here, while still under the Abrahamic Covenant of promise, they have one fight that defines the position of the believer under God’s grace and favor.
Israel arrives at Rephidim, which is “resting places” in Hebrew, showing us the place of rest that we have in Christ. Immediately, Amalek comes to fight with Israel in the resting place, which makes sense due to the fact that Amalek comes from the Hebrew root word “amal” meaning “worrisome labor; pain”.
The chief fight for the believer is not against Satan or the forces of the darkness of this world, but it is against “worrisome labor”. In a nutshell, our battle is to enter into the “resting place” while everything around us tells us to worry and work. The Apostle Paul knew this when he instructed the believer to “labor therefore to enter into that rest” (Hebrews 4:11). This is the token statement in the entire New Covenant where Paul tells the believer to labor for anything. Isn’t it interesting that our one labor is to stop laboring?
Moses sends Joshua into the valley to confront the Amalekites while he goes to the top of the mountain to stand with the rod of God. Moses understood the symbolism of the rod, as it had been held up to part the waters of the Red Sea, signifying God’s arm of strength. With the arm of God fighting for Israel, Moses knew that they could not lose. As long as the covenant keeper was lifted up, there would be victory then, and if we hold up covenant now, the victory is ours through the covenant that Jesus made with His Father at Calvary.
No matter how much we know about covenant and grace and God’s goodness and kindness, as we labor to enter into rest, our own works will most likely become involved. Moses’ hands began to grow heavy (Exodus 17:12) as a sign of our own works growing more and more wearisome. Though we know the answers, sometimes we falter and fail in their application. We need something more to help us than our own knowledge and intelligence.
“There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9, 10). This is not to insinuate that you will not cease from your works until you enter into His rest, but rather that you will not enter into His rest UNTIL you cease from your own works. When the hands grow heavy, it is time to sit down, just as Moses did. Look at what he sits on, and who helps him:
“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” (Exodus 17:12). Moses sits upon a stone, which is the solid rock of Christ, which Jesus said if we build our house upon, it will stand during the storm (Matthew 7:25). Aaron and Hur are a type of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, holding up our hands. In this position, the believer is off of their own feet and being supported completely by the finished work of Jesus. Only here will we see victory in our valleys, when we are resting on the mountain.
One final note: the word “steady” which describes how Moses’ hands remained until the going down of the sun is the same word in Hebrew as “faith”. Let your faith rest on the perfect, finished work of Jesus until the setting of your sun, when you meet Him in glory.
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