Thursday, August 3, 2006
Exodus 17:11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
A MOSES-HELPER
The battle involving Israel and Amalek raged on. While Joshua was dealing with the combat situation, Moses served the LORD in a different way. He had climbed to the top of a hill and there he held up the staff of God for all the people to see.
Even though Moses was not fighting hand-to-hand, his role in the conflict was an important one. When the warriors looked to the top of that hill and saw God's staff high in the air, the name of the LORD was brought to their minds. They were reminded that it was God Himself who had sent them into battle and He Himself would give them the victory. So important was Moses' job, in fact, that when he let down his hands and his staff, the tide of the battle turned against them. Only when the name of the LORD was front and center did Israel have the advantage.
Who holds the name of the LORD before us Christians today? Is it not especially pastors and teachers, elders and other leaders in the church? Think of those who have put the LORD in front of your eyes throughout your life as you battle against the devil. How such people have indeed served God!
What about you? Could you serve the LORD by being a pastor, teacher, mission helper, or some other public minister of the gospel? Could you be a Moses-Helper, placing ever before the nations the blessed love and peace which Jesus gives? The Apostle Paul wrote, "If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task" (1 Timothy 3:1).
