The last few posts have started off with Exodus 17:1-7. And now for the fourth time--haha, just kidding. We’re actually moving forward this time to the rest of the chapter, which means we are going to be looking at Exodus 17:8-16. I posted it earlier but didn’t talk about it much if at all. So we are going to do that a little bit now.
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:8-16 NIV).
There are several people mentioned in this chapter:
The Amalekites- They attacked the Israelites at Rephidim, but were defeated.
The Israelites- They were attacked by the Amalekites at Rephidim, but won the battle.
Moses- He told Joshua to go fight the Amalekites with some Israelite men while he obeyed God on top of a hill with his staff in his hands. When his hands were raised, the Israelites were winning. When they were lowered, they were losing. He also obeyed God in making sure there was a written record of these and many other events. He built an altar to the Lord and named it, “The Lord is my Banner.” As with many other times, the Lord supernaturally worked through Moses to achieve victory for his people.
Joshua- He was a “General” of the Israelite men who fought back and overcame the Amalekites with swords.
God- He displays his supernatural power here by granting the Israelites victory when Moses cooperated in obedience to the Lord by raising his hands with his staff in them.
Aaron- He hold up Moses’ hands with the staff in them so that God would continue to grant the Israelites supernatural victory. The Lord then told Moses to keep a record of the events, as he did with the rest of the Torah. God also said he would blot out the name of Amalek from under Heaven.
Hur- He hold up Moses’ hands with the staff in them so that God would continue to grant the Israelites supernatural victory.
EXODUS 4-17
The word “staff” is used 71 times in the NIV Bible and 22 times here in Exodus. The very first time we see it, God asks Moses when he sees it, “What is that in your hand?” And, of course, Moses answers (Exodus 4:2). I’m pretty sure God does not have a vision problem. I’m also certain that is not the first time he had ever seen a staff. When God asks questions like that, he is not seeking information because he is omniscient. He has other reasons for doing so depending on the context of the question at any given time. When Holy Spirit asks you questions, it would be helpful to remember that as well.
Immediately we see either the supernatural properties of Moses’ staff or, more likely, what God directly does with a normal staff in order to demonstrate his power. According to the Midrash Yelammedenu, the staff with which Jacob crossed the Jordan is identical with that which Judah gave to his daughter-in-law, Tamar. It is likewise the holy rod with which Moses worked, with which Aaron performed wonders before Pharaoh, and with which, finally, David slew the giant Goliath. David left it to his descendants, and the Davidic kings used it as a scepter until the destruction of the Temple when it miraculously disappeared. When the Messiah comes it will be given to him for a scepter in token of his authority over the heathen (Jewish Encyclopedia). In reading that, the first thing I thought of was Revelation 2:27. He will rule them with a staff of iron and dash them to pieces like pottery (CJB).
The story of Moses’ staff in Exodus continues with Moses throwing it down and it became a snake on the ground. Then he picked it back up and it turned back into a staff (Exodus 4:4; 7:9-12). With this staff, Moses was able to perform many other signs (Exodus 4:17). With it, he turned the water of the Nile River into blood for a time (Exodus 7:15-20), brought a plague of frogs (Exodus 8:5), gnats (Exodus 8:16-17), brought thunder, hail, and lightning (Exodus 9:23), and brought a plague of locusts (Exodus 10:13). Moses brought it with him everywhere he went (Exodus 12:11; 17:5), including using it to part the Red Sea for he and the Israelites to walk through as the Egyptians pursued them (Exodus 14:16). It was used to supernaturally aid the Israelites in defeating the Amalekites as I have already mentioned here (Exodus 17:9). And we will see one more mention of the word “staff” of the book of Exodus a little later when God gives the Mosaic Law in Exodus 21:19.
DEUTERONOMY 25:17-19
Remember earlier when we read that the Lord said he would be at war with the Amalekites from generation to generation? You never want to be at war with God. Here’s a hint: In the end, God always wins one way or the other. Look at what the Lord will command Moses to tell the Israelites later in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” Some Bible critics have made false claims of racism (some things never change) against God because he ordered the Amalekites to be totally wiped out. This command had nothing to do with their “race”--although, in reality, we are all a part of only one race (Acts 17:26)--but with the character of the people. Some have even falsely claimed that the God of the Old and New Testaments must be different because the God of the Old Testament is angry, hateful, and genocidal while the God of the New Testament is full of love and compassion. I suggest anyone who thinks anything even close to that to read their New Testament again from beginning to end. Here’s another hint: When Jesus returns, he’s not going to be turning the other cheek at his enemies, but returning as a conquering king to bring about an everlasting righteous government. God is full of mercy, love, grace, and extraordinary patience. However, he is also holy, just, righteous, jealous, and sometimes angry. The Lord is a man of war (Exodus 15:3) and the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). These are not mutually exclusive or contradictory. They work together to form the total character of God. If we are going to worship God as he truly is and all that he reveals about himself, we must accept all aspects of who he is, not just the ones that we like, are most comfortable with, or give us the most warm and fuzzy feelings. God isn’t Barney, but he is love (1 John 4:8, 16). God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16 NIV). He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9 NIV). But the choice of whether or not you will accept the gift of pardon that Jesus died and rose from the dead to purchase for you because of your sin debt you can never pay on your own--that’s up to you. Will you accept his loving, merciful gift and have a relationship with him that will last forever and grant you eternal life? Or will you die in your sins and experience his eternal wrath that will never end? Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them (John 3:36 NIV).
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