From Pyramids to Promises - Sermon notes from Exodus

The Lord is my banner

Exodus 17:8-16

1. The power of the Lord

There is an ambush, an unprovoked attack on the Israelites from Amalek. Though they weren't prepared to fight, each time Moses' hands are raised the momentum shifts and the Israelites start winning the battle.

V9-11 Moses is the leader of the Israelite nation, the man who stood at the edge of the Red Sea as it opened. He is the human leader so surely the Israelites would need him to be leading the charge on the battlefield. However instead of Moses leading, the role is given to young and inexperienced Joshua whilst Moses scurried to safety on a distant hill. We need to remember it's not Moses' fear taking him out of battle but faith as God's plan was different.

Some people say that Moses is lifting his hands to pray like in psalm 141:2, others say that as that's not mentioned in the passage Moses is just lifting his hands. But remember that Moses and his staff have been inseparable and so that is what's being lifted, this same staff that what was stretched out on the Red Sea to open it and the very thing that struck the rock to pour out water. This staff is the symbol of Gods power and judgement. The point is that power comes from the Lord, Moses is up on the hill because he knows that the Israelites need God to fight for them.

2. The weakness of men

We can see that Israel's army would have lost if it wasn't for the power of God intervening. Every time Moses' hands drop they start to lose. It's an army made up of weak men, in their own strength none art particularly strong, but that's just like us as a church. We aren't strong enough or skilled enough, if it was for us and our abilities the church would be done because we are not up to the task. "The best of men are just men at best" - JC Ryle.

We even see Moses is weak, all he has to do is hold his arms up and Israel wins, but even Moses who'd led them out of Egypt grew tired. But remember that it was God behind it all, Moses was always just a weak man. See how God uses us, just normal men and women. We may be weak but with God we are made strong.

The disciples were just fishermen and tax collectors who fell asleep when they were supposed to be praying but God used them to spread the gospel throughout the world.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7. We are all weak and He alone is strong and when we recognise this it should change the way we do things. When we see our weakness and God's strength that should lead us to prayer. Trusting ourselves will not get us anywhere but trusting in God will have us constantly in prayer.

3. The hand in the throne

V14-16 What does God have against the people of Amalek? These people were descendants of Esau, the man who traded the blessing of God for a bowl of stew, practically spitting in Gods face. They don't care about God or His people.

The Amalekites were trying to snatch God's throne, they were opposing God and trying to put themself in His place. Moses' hands were raised in prayer to God whilst their hands were outstretched to try and snatch the throne away.

It never ends well for those who fight against God, who one day will find themself blotted out from heaven. We should take this as a warning in our society, people have the thought that they don't need God and that they're right. While this might get them through this physical life just fine, the truth is eternally their end is in darkness.

Are we rejecting the Lord as our king like the Amalekites? Pay attention to this warning, we cannot fight against God and win. Our grubby hands don't belong near his throne, instead we should submit to Him.

4. The man on the hill

Three men on a hill who are going up between the people and God, they are essentially mediating. It's from these men in the hill that the Israelites win because of Gods power. But who are these men? We have Moses, Aaron and Hur, there's not much known about Hur except that he's from the line of kings so these men are a prophet, a priest and a possible king.

We see moses on this hill with a man on his right and his left and holding a wooden staff. If we fast forward to the New Testament we see Jesus on a hill with a man on his right and his left, this time with a wooden cross. In Exodus 17 the victory comes from these men mediating between God and the people all thanks to God's power, we see the same in the New Testament with Jesus Christ.

For those who know and love the Lord we stand in the shoes of the Israelites, we might feel as if we're not up to the task but all we have to do is look up to that hill and see the prophet, priest and king and victory will come from our Lord. When we look there now we see Jesus as our Prophet, Priest and King. Our saviour through who our battle against Satan, sin and death is won.

16/4/23 Evening