Thank God for the Hur's

This is a very important moment in the life of the nation of Israel. As they journey toward the Promised Land, they are faced with their first encounter with an enemy army. The Bible tells us that they came face to face with the armies of Amalek.

These people were a fierce nomadic tribe that was a constant thorn in the side of the people of Israel. In this first encounter, they prove their nature by conducting an unprovoked attack against the Israelites. This prompted the Lord to promise the total annihilation of the Amalekites. This promise was later fulfilled.

In this scene from the travels of Israel, we the three great leaders of the nation mentioned. The passage speaks of Moses, Aaron, and Joshua. Each of these men played a very important role in the early history of this great nation.

There is another man mentioned in these verses and he deserves our attention.

His name is Hur.

I have not been in pastoral ministry all that long but the time that I have been in it I have found it to be true that there are some people that are invaluable to ministry.

There are certain people that come into your life that always seem to be one step ahead of you, helping you, making things easier to manage.

This is a man who steps out of the shadows, does just that, and then disappears into the same shadows from which he came.

His name means “hole” and like a hole in the ground, Hur received very little attention.

People have long looked to Moses and Joshua as great leaders and as role models. Both men are classed, and rightfully so, as true heroes of the faith.

I would like to suggest that the real heroes of this particular story are Aaron and Hur.

Notice the context.

When Moses hands were held up, as a sign of intercession, Israel prevailed in the battle. When Moses’ hands were allowed to fall down, Amalek prevailed.

After a while, Moses became too weary to hold his own hands up and Aaron and Hur stepped in and held up the hands of Moses until the battle was finished and until victory was won.

In my mind, Aaron and Hur are the true heroes here.

Of these two, Hur stands out to me.

Here is a man about whom we know next to nothing, yet he was instrumental in bring victory to an entire nation.

I would like to pay tribute to every Hur in the auditorium tonight,and there are many

You know, those who are willing to take the second seat;

who are willing to make up the second line;

who are often unnoticed,

un-thanked and underappreciated,

people just like Hur.

People who perform a function in the Body of Christ that is so vital, but who never get the recognition they deserve.

I would like to honor the people who enable the rest of us, those who make up the front line, those who take the first seat, to do what the Lord has called us to do.

As I preach on the thought: Thank God For the Hur’s,

I want to show you the special characteristics people like Hur possess.

I. People Like Hur are Invaluable

v.12

A. Moses is unable to hold his hands up.

If they fall, the Amalekites will win the battle.

Aaron and Hur step forth and hold the hands of Moses up until the battle is won.

B. The task Hur help to accomplish that day doesn’t sound like a lot to us.

Yet, had it not been for Hur, and for the work he did, Moses would not have had the strength to do his job and Joshua would never have been able to lead Israel to victory in the battle.

As I said, Aaron and Hur are the heroes of this conflict.

Had they not been there that day Israel would have suffered defeat at the hands of their enemies.

The job they performed was absolutely invaluable!

C. We still have the people like Moses, Aaron and Joshua in the church today.

These are the people who are out front; who are visible; who do the headline grabbing work of the ministry.

Yet, behind every one of those people, there is an army of Hur’s.

There is a vast number of people who are praying, fasting, and carrying the load so that the first line people are able to do their work.

(Ill. Every now and then I’ll preach a message that helps someone. After the service, people will come up and tell me they enjoyed it, that it helped them, and that they were blessed.

People will try to give the preacher the credit.

Thing is, I know that anything good that comes out of this mouth and mind comes from the Lord.

I also know that every time I stand to preach, I do so after some saint of God has spent time before the Lord praying for me.

Nothing means as much to me as the knowledge that some of God’s most precious people are holding my hands up in prayer. I want you to know today that I appreciate you. I love you and I beg you not to quit! Please stand in the gap for those who are out in front!

The world may never know your name, but if the battle is ever to be won it will be won by the saints of God who are winning the victory in the closet of prayer as they lift up the hands of God’s servants.

J. Wilbur Chapman’s prayer warriors.

(Ill. Even Jesus had some who held up His hands as He ministered, Mark 15:40–41. If the aid of others helped the Lord, then how could anyone think that they could get by without it?)

This church would be nothing if it weren’t for those people who spent time lifting it up in prayer.

This preacher would be nobody if it weren’t for the Hur’s among us.

If genuine revival ever comes to the church again, it will come through the prayers of the unknown saints of God!

God bless everyone who stands in the gap for God’s servants! No price could ever be placed on what people like Hur are worth to the church!)

II. People Like Hur are Involved

V. 10, 12

A. Hur wasn’t a great leader like Moses.

He wasn’t a great General like Joshua.

He wasn’t a great High Priest like Aaron.

He wasn’t a warrior like those in the army.

He was just Hur.

The Bible does tell us later that Hur was a man of influence among the people, Ex. 24:14.

Rumor even has it that he was Miriam’s husband.4

However, on this day, there was one thing Hur could do and he did it willingly, actively and faithfully.

He could hold up hands and he did the best job he could!

Hur just did what he could, not what he couldn’t.

B. What a lesson for the church today!

Not everyone can preach sermons, sing solos or play these instruments.

Not everyone can be effective as someone else may be as a witness.

Not everyone can do the visible jobs.

We need to remember that the Lord has placed us in His body in the place that pleased Him, 1 Cor. 12:4–27.

Therefore, whether we are a highly visible part of the body, or an obscure, unnoticed part, we are all essential to the proper functioning of the body of Christ!

(Ill. The whole idea here is that while we can’t do everything, we can do what we can do!

Remember the words of Jesus to Mary in Mark 14:8

Mark 14:8 KJV 1900

She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

It isn’t important if you can do what others can do, it is important that you do what you can do.

Be what the Lord has saved you to be and He will bless your life!)

David had the right attitude about serving the Lord, Psalm 84:10

Psalm 84:10 KJV 1900

For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

(Ill. Thank the Lord for those who are willing to stay out of the spotlight while they serve the Lord. No task is unimportant; no task is small, especially if it is being done for the glory of the Lord!)

D. Thank God for those people who know they can’t do everything, but are determined to do something!

Thank God for those who know that God saved them to be more than window dressing.

There is always a place in the Lord’s work for people who want to be involved, 1 Cor. 15:58; Eph. 2:10; James 2:18—

We are saved to serve!)

III. People Like Hur are Invisible

A. Hur is not mentioned before this incident and there are only a couple of menions afterward.

He was a man who lived in the shadows while others around him received the glory.

He was invisible to a crowd that could only see Moses, Aaron and Joshua.

Imagine the scene in the camp of Israel after the battle. Here comes General Joshua as he led the victorious Israelite army back into camp? I am sure there were congratulations all around, slaps on the back and shouts of “Way to go!”; “Good work, Joshua!” I can see the people as they received Moses back into the camp with shouts and expressions of gratitude. I can hear Aaron as he led the congregation in a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for giving them the victory.

Then I can see a fellow named Hur as he walks wearily towards his tent to rest. No one pats him on the back; no one tells him that he did a good job. In fact, only a couple of people know what he did that day. To the people, he is invisible, but in his heart, he is overjoyed because he knows that what man does not know, God does!

While no one in camp is telling Hur that he did a great job that day, God in Heaven makes note of Hur’s sacrifice and whispers, “Well done thou good and faithful servant!” The Holy Spirit saw it and, in the end, that’s all that matters!

B. There are many in our churches today that are just like Hur.

They are invisible to the crowds.

The preachers, the teachers and the singers all get their pats on the back and hear the people say, “Well done!” People like Hur remain invisible.

Being like Hur carries with it some clear disadvantages:

1. It is Often a Thankless Task

—People like Hur work and they labor, yet few ever says, “Thank you!”

It can be hard to keep working when it seems that nobody appreciates what you are doing.

Of course, it is times like those that reveal our true motives.

If we stop serving God because no one brags on us, then we were just in it for recognition.

Jesus had something to say about that crowd, Matt. 6:2, 5, 16.

2. It is Often a Thoughtless Task

People like Hur work and others get the recognition

—The sermon may be great and the preacher may have done a good job delivering it, but behind him were many who sacrificed their time to pray for the message.

The preacher gets the credit, and the real workers go unnoticed.

People give no thought about those that spent hours in prayer for the Man of God.

People give no thought about how a broken toliet gets fixed or flowers get planted (even fake ones)

People give no thought about how the grass gets cut or bushes trimmed.

Its not the preacher or preachers family

Its the Hur’s

Its those that do it because they just want to serve the Lord.

They are not doing it for the preacher

Aaron and Hur helped Moses but they weren't doing it for Moses, they were doing it so the Children of Israel would prevail.

They were doing it for God!

Hur was invisible to man but may I remind you that while men may not see all that Hur did and what you are doing down here for the glory of God, the Lord in Heaven is keeping a perfect record and He will reward you for your labor.

(Ill. Make the contrast between those who do things to be seen and those who do them for the glory of the Lord, Matt. 6:4, 6, 18. Ill. God sees and He says: “That is my son! That is my daughter!”)

God often uses the unknown, invisible servants to accomplish His greatest work.

For instance:

• A slave girl helped Namaan, the Syrian general with leprously, come to God.

What was her name?

• A little boy gave his lunch and Jesus used it to feed 5,000.

What was his name?

• A widow fed Elijah during a time of severe drought. What was her name?

• A widow dropped 2 mites into the offering and was honored by the Lord Jesus.

What was her name?

• Some disciples rescued Paul from Damascus by letting him down the wall in a basket.

What were their names?

The donkey that Jesus rode in to Jeruselem on, what was the Owners name?

• Do you get the point?

You don’t have to be well known or always in the spotlight to be used of the Lord to make an impact on the world!

C. I am convinced that those who lived like Hur while here below will receive the greatest acclaim in Heaven.

I also believe that those who were in the forefront all the time will have the greater judgment, James 3:1.

If the Lord has called you to perform a quiet, godly ministry, rejoice in the call He has extended and let Him use your life as He sees fit! A

fter all, it is His Kingdom and He knows where we are needed far better than we ever could!

(Ill. I praise the Lord for everyone who is faithful behind the scenes! Often, it is the thought of the second line that keeps the first line crowd going!

In my own life, my wife has always maintained a low profile, but she has been such an encouragement to me. You see, I can talk to her about most anything, and I can share my burdens, my discouragements and my hurts with her. She listens and always encourages me to look to the Lord and not to the circumstances. She stays in the second line, but she keeps me on the front for Jesus!)

(Ill. When William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, felt the call of the Lord to go into the streets of London and begin ministering to street people, he stood in a Methodist Conference meeting and requested permission from the presiding bishop to be released from his church to go into the streets and preach.

The bishop heard the request and denied it telling Booth that they would not waste a man of his education and talent on the people of the streets. Upon hearing this, Booth sat down, resigned to defeat.

His wife was seated in the balcony, because women were not allowed on the first floor. She stood up and leaned over the rail. She called to her husband and told him to listen to God and not to man. She vowed to stand with her husband against every foe.

She came down from the balcony, Booth took her by the arm and they left the building to go into the streets to win people to Jesus. He was ready to quit, but his wife, a lady who usually stayed in the background, stepped out of the shadow of her husband to hold up his arms at a critical time in his life!)

IV. People Like Hur are Investors

Exodus 31:2 KJV 1900

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

A. As Hur lived his life and performed his God-given ministry, others were watching.

Some time later, God needed someone to build the Tabernacle and provide a place where the Lord could meet with His people.

When the Lord looked down at those millions of Israelites, His eyes settled on one man.

It was a fellow by the name of Bezaleel.

This man just happened to be the grandson of a man named Hur.

My guess is that Bezaleel was watching as his grandfather served the Lord.

He watched as he took the backseat while others got all the credit.

He watched as the Lord used Hur time and again for his glory.

He probably remembered an evening when Hur returned from a hilltop, tired and drained from holding up the arms of Moses.

While the rest of the camp was excited about the great victory that Joshua and Moses had achieved, Bezaleel probably took note of the fact the it was his grandfather, a man who was willing to serve God in a quiet fashion that helped bring the great victory to pass.

B. What I am trying to get through to you today is this:

You may not have a high profile position.

You may think that cleaning the church,

praying for the services,

picking up a piece of paper,

straightening the song books,

cleaning out the candy papers from the book racks, staying after a fellowship to help clean the fellowship hall, or teaching your little class is an unimportant function.

May I remind you that others are watching?

There are people who are not saved who are watching how you serve the Lord in your position.

There are little ones who will see whether mom or dad is faithful in the little things.

There are no unimportant duties in the church.

The wise follower knows that his life is an investment.

As we do the little things God gives us, we are telling all those around us that God’s work is important in every detail.

That’s why I believe that we ought to be on time and ready for the Lord’s work on Sunday and Wednesday. That’s why I think sermon preparation is so vital. That’s why I believe that this building should be kept clean, modern and inviting both inside and out. People are watching! Let’s show them that God’s business is the most important business in the world

C. When we serve the Lord as we should, we are making an investment in the lives of others.

We are making a grand statement about the greatness of our God.

However, there is another investment that is taking place.

You see, people may not see what you do and you may never get thanked for it here, but God sees and He will take care of you in Heaven. Every deed is an investment in eternity—Mt. 6:19–21.

Conclusion

I am almost sure that there are some here today who can relate to Hur.

You are dedicated to the Lord, but you are never recognized for your contributions. Let me tell you today, you are appreciated. This preacher thinks you are precious!

I love you and thank God for everyone who is involved in the Lord’s work in whatever capacity.

Maybe some here today have thought about quitting. Please, let me say, “Don’t!” You are too important to what is being done in this place. You are too vital to the Lord’s work. If the devil has been trying to convince you that you are unimportant, let me tell you that you are very important!

I would like to see you come before the Lord today and renew your commitment to serve Him in anyway that He may see fit to use you.

Maybe you haven’t been as faithful to the Lord as you should have been and you wonder if the Lord could use you.

The answer is “Yes!” God will use anyone who will make themselves available.

Won’t you come to Him and tell Him that you are sorry for not serving and that you are ready to do whatever He asks you to do?

While the Music plays, lets all come down this evening and first thank Him for the Hur’s but also to ask Him to give us more Hur’s

Maybe you use to be a Hur but you got tired of not getting recognized, come this evening and ask God to but a Hur heart back in you

Maybe you want to be Hur, come ask God to help you get to the place in your life that you can be one.

Amen and Amen

Now tonight we preached on people like Hur, there are many in here tonight that we could recognize as just that, that is one reason why I started the Servants Heart Award, so that those that serve in the shadows with a herat of service can be recognized. But what I want to do tonight is recognize two very special people not only to this church but to me and my family.

They have been like parents to Heather and I and grandparents to our girls since day one.

*Tell some stories*

Rick and Jane would you please come forward.