From the Beginning to the End

God knows us and goes before us

If you ever get a chance to visit the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, you should do it.

As much as Las Vegas points a person towards satan, Red Rock Canyon points a person towards God.

It is incredibly beautiful - such amazing colors and rock formations - it’s really astounding.

I was the oldest person among the group I was with - mostly folks in their 20’s and 30’s

So our guide called an audible and decided to take the group on a more challenging hike than we had signed up for.

I was a desk jockey at the time, hadn’t done anything particularly strenuous in a while - but it’s a hike, and I’m always down for a good hike.

We climbed up and over rocks - literally jumped from rock to rock.

At one point we were about 20 feet high and we had to traverse the face of a rock.

The ledge we were on was about 6 inches wide - maybe 8.

You had to lean on the rock and scoot across the ledge for about 15 - 20 feet.

I was not amused.

When we took a rest break, guess who was last to get there?

Guess who was huffing and puffing and sweating profusely - while the young kids twittered and flirted?

The guide offered me an out - there was a gentler path from the rest point if I wanted to take it - “there is no shame” he said.

But I was determined.

I had started the hike with the group, I would finish the hike with the group.

And I did.

It made me so sick I had to leave the evening activity - but I finished the hike.

Moses not only records our story today in Exodus 17, but he mentions it again in his farewell address to Israel before he died.

In Deuteronomy 25:17–18

Deuteronomy 25:17–18 ESV

“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.

It makes me feel good to know that the Lord looks out for people like me at Red Rock Canyon.

Those who were “faint and weary,” who were the “tail” of a long line of travelers.

People who were old and weary, ill, and very possibly women and men with small children who couldn’t keep up.

That’s who Amalek chose to attack.

That wasn’t smart.

Because the Lord has a very long memory.

Kids, I want you to pay particular attention to the end of the message today.

One of the people we talk about today was a leader, he just didn’t consider himself much of a leader.

He was not arrogant - He didn’t think he was all that.

He was humble and the Lord noticed.

So the Lord encouraged him.

One day, and maybe not too long from now, you’ll be required to take a stand for Jesus.

And you might wonder why you have to take a stand.

But when it’s time, you will remember the words you’ll hear the Lord tell Joshua.

Because He will be saying the same words to you.

The three words to help you focus are Jesus, Eyes and Church.

Everyone, hear now the Word of the Lord from Exodus 17:8-16.

Exodus 17:8–16 ESV

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Who is Amalek and what is his beef?

Amalek is a terrorist and his people are terrorists.

Israel certainly isn’t the largest nation on earth and just coming out of Egypt, they aren’t really prepared for a fight

But there are always bad guys, and bad guys are always happy to hit you at your weakest.

So here comes Amalek.

For those of you who are familiar with the story, Amalek is the grandson of Esau of Jacob and Esau fame.

We don’t know if Amalek heard the story of how Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew but he might have.

Maybe there was bad blood between them or maybe Amalek was just as reckless as his granddad

But for whatever reason, Amalek organized his relatives into a band of marauders.

They domesticated camels and used the speed of those animals to swoop in on unsuspecting people

To rob them and if they resisted, to kill them.

Amalek attacked the stragglers first.

Too weak to defend themselves - easy prey.

Think about how you feel when you videos of some elderly person getting sucker punched walking down the street.

Or some kid getting ganged up on and beat up by a bully and their cronies.

That’s how you should feel about Amalek.

Because that’s how God feels about Amalek.

Look at verse 8 - Exodus 17:8 “Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.”

On the map you can see Meribah - that’s where the Israelites complained about no water that we talked about last week.

Now they moved a few miles south skirting the mountains on this plain.

And that makes them easy pickings.

The folks would see the dust cloud before they saw the marauders

But they knew before they saw them that this wasn’t going to be Welcome Wagon bringing them a pound cake.

They were exhausted and thirsty and were not trained for war.

They had spent the last 400 years raising sheep and making bricks.

They didn’t have a prayer.

Verse 9 - Exodus 17:9 “So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.””

This is the first mention of Joshua in the Bible.

They estimate that about this time Joshua is probably about 45-ish years old.

He probably had some training in weaponry and defense and later on we’ll be told he is “Moses’ Assistant.”

But for right now, he’s just received his field promotion to commander of the troops.

Of which they have no troops.

“Choose for us men, and go out and fight...”

That would have been frightening, had Moses finished the sentence there - but he didn’t.

“Tomorrow, “ when you are fighting, “I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

You aren’t going alone, Joshua.

The Lord is with you.

You’ll see the staff of God

That had turned into a snake and had swallowed all of Pharaoh’s snakes.

That had turned the Nile into blood

And had parted the Red Sea.

That staff represents the power of God.

“God will be with you, Joshua, you just wait and see.

Moses isn’t simply going to stand, he’s going to “take a stand” with the Lord held high

Jesus says in John 12:32 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.””

When Jesus is lifted up, what is required of us to see him?

We have to “Lift up our eyes.”

Psalm 121:1 “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?”

Psalm 123:1 “To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!”

John 4:35 “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”

Lift up your eyes.

Quit looking down and thinking “oh woe is me.”

No, lift up your eyes and see what the Lord is doing.

Look away from your problems - look away from your fears.

Lift up your eyes to see your Rescuer.

You heard the story.

Moses went up on the mountain so he could be seen.

He lifted the rod of the Lord up - the warriors could see it and they started winning.

But Moses’ arms got tired, so he lowered them to rest - and the warriors could no longer see it and they started losing.

So Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses.

Had him sit down so they could hold his arms up with the rod of God in his hands.

Exodus 17:13 “And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.”

Because no matter how hard the battle was, they knew the Lord was with them.

What is it Paul says?

Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

What happens when we look up and see Jesus.

We got a prayer request in our email the other day from a woman who is very concerned for her friend who is very ill.

She reached out to her church for her church to lift up our voices.

To lift our eyes to Jesus for His help for our sister’s friend

She knew her friend needed Jesus - and we are the place where people see Jesus.

Jesus Christ reveals, not an embarrassed God, not a confused God, not a God who stands apart from the problems, but one who stands in the thick of the whole thing.

Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

Jesus is there.

Jesus is in the thick of every mess we find ourselves in.

And Jesus sends His people to help us lift up our eyes so we can win the battle.

Who has stood beside you, walked the hard road with you.

Sat with you while you cried

Encouraged you to lift your eyes to Jesus?

Maybe you are thinking - that’s the problem with the church - I don’t have anyone like that.

Let me encourage you to come to Sunday School - come to my Sunday evening group - come to the Theology Bootcamp that we’ll start in a few weeks.

Come to Wednesday in the Word - Go to Jarochos on Thursday mornings.

Go somewhere where you can meet church people and eventually you’ll connect with someone.

And then you’ll have your own group.

Church is good for that.

We really are good for that - it takes intentionality - it takes a bit of vulnerability.

It takes a bit of guts.

But we need each other and the church of Jesus Christ is the best place to find a brother or sister.

Because we have Jesus here.

We have things to remind us Jesus here.

Look at verse 15 Exodus 17:15–16 “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.””

There’s a little word play going on here.

The word banner and the word throne are almost identical in Hebrew.

So what is a banner, a banner is a flag you carry before you in battle to remind you who you are fighting for.

The banner reminds you of the throne.

Moses is telling them, the battle truly does belong to the Lord.

We may be fighting for him - but in reality, He is the one fighting for us.

When we rally around the flag, we are rallying around the throne of God.

We are rallying around Jesus.

We write Jesus’ name upon our banner, for it is hell’s terror, heaven’s delight and earth’s hope.

Charles Spurgeon

With Jesus lifted up, with our eyes lifted up to Jesus, there is no battle that He calls us to, that is too big for us.

There is no battle that we cannot win.

There is no battle that the glory of the Lord won’t be seen.

Now, the last thing we need to see is in verse 14 - Exodus 17:14 “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.””

Joshua has no way of knowing that 40 years from now, he’ll be leading the Israelites into the promised land.

He has no way of knowing that in every battle he fights from today going forward

He’ll be the underdog.

He’ll always be undermanned.

Under armed

Under trained.

Every. Single. Time.

You see what the Lord is doing here, right?

The Lord is creating a way for Joshua to be reminded.

“The battle belongs to the Lord.”

“Joshua, follow me and we will prevail.”

Our God is a God of encouragement.

The apostle Paul blesses people by saying Romans 15:5

Romans 15:5 ESV

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

Not the God of the quick and easy, but the God of the long and the difficult.

When they finally get ready to enter the promised land

Moses and Aaron are dead - it’s all up to Joshua to lead, the Lord comes and He gives Joshua a pep talk.

Joshua 1:5 “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.”

Verse 6, “Be strong and courageous.”

Verse 7, “Be strong and courageous,” and “be obedient.”

Verse 9, “Be strong and courageous.”

When life is so dark you can hardly breath, and you ask, “Where is God?”

He’s right here.

Quit looking down.

Quit looking around.

Lift up your eyes to the one who provided for you before you knew you needed the help.

Look to the one who conquered death for you

Who showed you that not even your greatest enemy on earth has any claim on you.

Because Jesus shed His blood to purchase you from sin.

In Isaiah 46:8-11

Isaiah 46:8–11 ESV

“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

Before the foundation of the world

I love this line, “declaring the end from the beginning.”

He tells us the end before we even start.

And He’s done that today.

We’ll live in a land of no tears and no pain one day.

That’s a guarantee.

No guilt - no shame - no regrets

Just an eternity of looking up at Jesus and realizing with Him nothing was impossible.

My brothers and sisters,

Whatever has caught your eye, I implore you to lift up your eyes to Jesus.

The Lord is not asking us to be like your crazy uncle Bernie who says “Praise the Lord” and “Hallelujah” every other breath.

The Lord is asking us to look up and see Jesus on the cross and realize that He is our banner.

That He is our victory.

That man on the cross guarantees there is nothing that we cannot survive

There is nothing we cannot endure

There is nothing in our lives that is hopeless.

Paul David Tripp said, “When you are convinced that God, in His infinite wisdom always knows what’s best, you are able to be at peace when He interrupts your plans.”

This week, make an effort to see how many times you compare yourself to someone else.

Then make an effort to start lifting up your eyes to see Jesus.

See what kind of difference that makes.

In a moment we’ll pray and we’ll sing.

I invite you to lift up your eyes and see Jesus.

So you can remember that you are never standing alone.

Be strong and courageous, for the Lord is our banner.

Let us pray.