The First Battle

From: Messages of God's Love: 1937

Exodus 17:8-16⁸Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ⁹And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. ¹⁰So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹²But 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. ¹³And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. ¹⁴And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. ¹⁵And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: ¹⁶For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. (Exodus 17:8‑16)

WHILE the people of Israel were at the place where the Lord gave them water from the rock, some people who did not fear God came to the edge of the camp and tried to do harm to the people, — the ones who were tired and weak. The name of the leader was Amelek (Deut. 25:17-19¹⁷Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; ¹⁸How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. ¹⁹Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it. (Deuteronomy 25:17‑19)).

So Moses sent a young man named Joshua with other strong men, to fight against them. Moses stood on top of the hill above them, and held up the rod which showed God’s power. As long as he held up the rod, Joshua won, but Moses’ hands were tired, and he let the rod down, and then Amelek won. So Aaron, and a man named Hur, stood on each side of Moses and kept, his hands with the rod steady until night, and Joshua and his men won the battle.

Moses built an altar to offer thanks to God for saving them, and called it Jehovah-Nissi, which meant, The Lord our banner. And God told him to write about this in a book for Joshua to read, and remember to be watching when those same people should come again.

People who believe in God are not now to fight with swords or other weapons, but, instead, to treat those who hate them with kindness (Matthew 5:44⁴⁴But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44)).

But there is an enemy within us which we all need to watch. It is our own will which wants to do our own way instead of doing as God’s Word tells us. We cannot win against this enemy unless we ask the Lord’s help as Moses did, and remember His banner is the one we also have.

ML 04/11/1937

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