Exodus 17:8-16: How to Fight the Battle

Introduction

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jaythan-gilder-alleged-swallowed-770-diamonds_n_67c8bb56e4b0e50d686ac4b7 - How dumb can you be?

You’ve probably asked yourself the same question, “How dumb can I be?” Or, “What possessed me to do that?” Likely asked that question after you have sinned. The conviction comes.

You know the war that rages within you. You probably often feel like the Apostle Paul: “For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate” (Romans 7:15). Do you feel that way?

Followers of Jesus know what it is like to be engaged in spiritual warfare. A real enemy constantly attacks your faith, tempting you to sin against the God who saved you from sin. Satan is like a roaring lion seeking to devour you (1 Peter 5:8).

How do you fight the battle?

Exodus 17:8-16 is a short story about the first of many battles the Hebrews faced. In a lot of ways, Israel’s encounter with the Amalekites is a picture of the battle we face with the enemy as followers of Jesus. This historical event is a picture of a spiritual reality. Ephesians 6:12: Our struggle not against flesh and blood but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil.

We have been delivered from the Egypt of our sin, and we are heading for our Promised Land. Ultimate victory is certain, but there’s still a battle along the way. How do we fight the spiritual battle we’re engaged in? Three ways from this text.

Always be ready for an attack.

It’s been a couple of months since the Hebrews came out of Egypt. Their journey to the Promised Land was interesting. First, miraculously delivered through the Red Sea. They were gloriously saved. Then, supplies scarce and they complain. However, God miraculously provides. God protects and provides for His people.

Now, a challenge at Rephidim. The Amalekites come out to fight against Israel. This is an unprovoked attack. Perhaps the Amelekites saw the Hebrews in the land and were threatened. Well over 600,000 people journeying through the land. Perhaps they viewed the Hebrews as a threat to their food and water supply.

Amalekites were a thorn in the Hebrews side. They were descendants of Esau. They attacked the Hebrews several times. They opposed God’s people several times in the Book of Judges, again in 1 Samuel 15, and the final Amalekites were probably not wiped out until the time of Esther.

vs. 9 - to Joshua - “Select some men for us to go out and fight.” First time we’re introduced to Joshua - the man who will eventually succeed Moses. Challenge of selecting an army of men who have no fighting experience. One day to train for battle.

During the Plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea the Hebrews not told to fight but to stand still and see the salvation of God (Ex. 14:13-14). Their deliverance completely a work of God, but now Israel called to fight. First of many battles they will face on their journey to the Promised land. But, they do not fight alone. They fight while at the same time depending on the power of God.

Joshua would go down to the valley to fight while Moses went to the hilltop with God’s staff and Aaron and Hur.

Our salvation is completely a gift from God. We didn’t fight for our salvation. God fought for us, but He does call us to go to battle against our sin. He calls us to put it to death. Philippians 2:12 - Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Ultimately, it’s God’s work, but He works by empowering us to walk in His Spirit.

How does the enemy attack? We want to think that every time we’re sick or diseased it’s an attack from the enemy Or, when something doesn’t go your away you think you’re under spiritual attack. Reality, the enemy’s attacks are much more subtle and targeted.

The enemy targets your mind.He targets the way you think about life. He deceives by trying to cause you to disbelieve the truth. He entices you by trying to cause you to lust after the things of this world. He targets the way you think about others. The enemy wants us at war with each other. The enemy wants you ignorant of God’s will. The war is inside of you as the enemy wants you to fall to sin.

You can expect an attack when life is good. Life had been good for Israel. They had been delivered. How often have people fallen to sin when it seemed like everything was going well in their walk with the Lord? Or, when it seemed like they were at the height of success? Temptation to let your guard down in times of victory. When life is good, you take for granted the blessings of God. Think you’re too good to fall…

You can expect an attack when you are exhausted. Israel exhausted. Traveling in the wilderness. How often do we let our guard down when we’re exhausted with life? When we’re stressed? How many times have you fallen into sin because you simply didn’t have time to invest in your relationship with Jesus? Life was too busy and exhausting? The enemy doesn’t care that you’re exhausted.

You can expect an attack when you’ve been complaining. Problem in your heart - you’re already dissatisfied. The enemy loves that - when you allow yourself to become more bitter, more discontent, and complain even more, you’re giving in to the enemy.

Spiritual warfare is constant. Satan doesn’t take a day off.

Ill. Luke 15 next year - start driving- not ready… Parking at hospital - always ready for bad drivers in CHS…The attack of the enemy is more common than bad traffic…

Never forget why you are fighting.

You are NOT fighting for deliverance. You’ve already been delivered. BUT… you are fighting for the glory of God to be made known.

In the wilderness, Joshua and his warriors are engaged in a holy war. Moses on the hilltop interceding for the people. What is the goal of this war? That Israel simply survive and not be exterminated in the valley? Or, that the Amakelites might know that these wandering Hebrews are fighting in the strength of Yahweh, the true God of all creation?

Remember theme of Exodus - God wants people to know Him. He doesn’t want just the Hebrews to know Him. He wants all nations to know Him. While the Amakelites will continually reject God, God still reveals Himself to the Amakelites through the Hebrews.

God wants the Hebrews to know Him - that He is faithful, provider, merciful, gracious, and He is their banner. They are fighting so the glory of God would be made known.

You’re fighting to see the glory of God in your own life. What happens when you give in to sin? Conviction, despair, fellowship with God suffers… You’re witness suffers. What happens when you fight your sin with all the resources God has given you? You see God at work! You stand back and say, “Look what God has done!” NOT “Look at what I’ve done…” You may have made decisions to put yourself in a victory, but ultimately, you know that any victory you experience is because of the Spirit’s work.

You’re fighting so that others might see the glory of God at work in your life. Power of a changed life. God has changed you so that through you He might extend grace to someone else. How you live your life before others really does matter because the way you live out your faith says something about the God that you serve. Do you want to see family members and friends saved? Then live out your faith. Go to war against your sin. Display the fruit of the Spirit and see how God works through you to impact the lives of others as you live out your faith. Is your life a faithful witness to the glory of God at work in you?

What I’ve learned: Spiritual apathy is contagious AND spiritual growth are both contagious. What are you spreading? What are you spreading at home? On your job? In your school?

Don’t try to fight alone.

Joshua in the valley, Moses on the hilltop with Aaron and Hur. Joshua needs Moses to intercede for the Hebrews. Joshua knew the people needed God to win this battle. Moses takes Aaron and Hur because he knows he is not sufficient. He knew he wasn’t sufficient to go before Pharaoh alone. He knew he was insufficient to lift his hands to God and intercede on his own. Moses is a significant man, but he’s just a man.

As Moses’ stretches out his arms in a posture of intercession, the people win, as Moses tires, the people lose ground against the Amakelites. The people need a constant intercessor. They need someone constantly before Yahweh crying out for victory. Aaron and Hur position themselves on either side of Moses, sit Moses on a rock, and keep his hands steady.

With his hands lifting towards the heaven, God gives His people victory over their enemy and promises that there will come a day that he will blot out the Amalekites for their rebellion against Him.

vs. 15 - Moses builds an altar of Thanksgiving and named it “The Lord is My Banner.” In a battle, a banner is where you look to remind yourself of whose side you are on. You look to the banner to remember what you’re fighting for. For followers of Jesus, we look to our Banner, Jesus Christ, to remind ourselves of the victory we have in Jesus.

We can’t stop depending on each other. We fight the battle with prayer, on our knees praying for God to strengthen us to stand firm in the battle, asking God to clothe us with His armor. We fight the battle depending on each other. Don’t take for granted how much we need each other, how much we need to pray for each other, encourage each other, lift each other up.

The church is not a place of judgment, but it is a place of accountability. I want people in my life who call out my sin, who encourage me to walk with Jesus, and who pray for me. Often we don’t want accountability because we don’t want people in our business, but we need people in our business. If no accountability, you will fall in the battle and give in to sin. Who is holding you accountable? Who is pushing you in your relationship with Jesus? Who is praying for you when you are struggling in the battle? This morning, if you are battling, will you let us pray for you?

We can’t stop depending on Jesus. Jesus is our intercessor. He is the ONE who now has His hands raised in victory for us, who is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25).

On a mountain, Jesus stretched out His hands on a cross, interceding for us. He said, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they’re doing.”

If you think about it, on that mountain in the wilderness, as Moses lifted his hands in intercession, God dispensed judgment to the enemies of Israel. However, when Jesus stretched out His hands on the cross, He received the judgment we deserve. The cross is our hope, because we know that at the cross, Jesus died for our sins, only to rise again, so that we might come out of our Egypt, and so that we can know that in every battle, we have One who is empowering us to overcome. Have you turned to Jesus by faith? Have you repented of your sins and given your life to Him in surrender?