Israel against Amelek

Introduction

We all face battles in our lives. We often believe that these battles are simply physical. However, everything that we face is ultimately a spiritual battle.

One of the largest reasons that we struggle is that we do not see the things that happen in the world as a spiritual struggle instead of a physical one.

God fights, and no matter the strength of the enemy, God wins!

CIT: Our Lord, Yahweh, is a strong and mighty warrior.

Explanation

English Standard Version Chapter 17

8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 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.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

The Amalekites fought against Israel.

The Amalek had a long history with the Israelites.

Amalek was the grandson of Esau, who was the jaded brother of Jacob, later named Israel.

Joshua was employed by Moses to lead the Israelites in battle.

Joshua appears for the first time in the story of the Israelites, but it certainly will not be his last.

Joshua will actually lead the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses dies.

Moses, Aaron, and Hur watched the battle from above the battle on a hill.

English Standard Version Chapter 17

11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 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. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

When Moses held up his arms, the Israelites would start winning in battle, and when he put his arms down, the Amalekites would start winning the battle.

Lifting his hands.

They are a sign of faith - a prayer for God to deliver.

They signify that if the battle is to be won, God will win it.

They are a sign that God will win the battle. Lifted hands cannot do much except for praise.

He sat, and Aaron and Hur held his hands on each side. God has established Moses as the authority of the people. God hasn’t mistakenly caused this to happen after Moses thought the people would kill him. God is establishing Moses’ authority over the people. He is saying, “There are some things that I have specifically called Moses to do.”

There are some things that only Moses can do.

There are some things that only Moses can do with the help of his friends.

There are some things that only you can do, but you will need the help of your friends.

The Israelites won the battle against the Amalekites.

English Standard Version Chapter 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.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

They built an altar and named it, “The Lord is My Banner!”

Yahweh Nissi, “The Lord is my banner.”

What is a banner? The banner is the place that those who are fighting are to look so that they will be reoriented.

The banner would often lead regiments into battle.

They built at altar and named it Yahweh Nissi.

Altars are places that we remember what God has done in a place and worship him because of it.

We need to do this in our own lives.

When I struggle with the issues of the day, I can remind myself at certain points of my life that God never fails and he rescued me from the worse of places.

The Lord will go to war against the Amalekites.

Our God never loses a battle.

Later, God would drive out the Amalekites. The Israelites would be victorious.

He is not simply a God who fights; he is a God who wins.

Application = The Gospel

“The Lord is my Banner.”

I want you to imagine being in the heat of the battle. You look up, and you see Moses holding up his hands. You know that as long as his hands are up, the battle belongs to the Israelites.

Isaiah 11:10 ESV

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Another man stood on a hillside. He had two men beside him as well - one on either side. However, they didn’t hold his hands up. They couldn’t. Their hands were tied. No, Jesus hands were held up by two nails in his wrists.

He is our banner.

You know why I preach the same thing every week? Because you don’t need a self help book, or 10 weeks to a better marriage, or parenting in three steps. You need Jesus.

So often, we study the enemy and we stare at ourselves, but we fail to look up and see the man on the hill and know that the battle has already been won.

Look to the hillside. Look to Calvary. We have one who intercedes.

Invitation

Christ on Calvary is our hope this morning. Look to Him.

Your battle is won in the Lord.