The Israelites have been camped at Rephidim where the Lord caused water to flow from the rock of Horeb. They are moving out of the camp and heading on toward the promised land when some of the descendants of Jacob's brother Esau (a tribe named after Esau's grandson Amalek) come out and attack them. The Israelites are minding their own business when this happens. The motive for the Amalekite attack is not made clear but it may be that they are opposed to the Israelites being in the area or it may be that they intend to seize all their worldly goods from them. It could be they intend to do both things---send the Israelites running away so fast that they leave all their goods and flocks herds behind for the Amalekites to take as their own. Whatever their motive, the Lord doesn't let them get away with it. The Lord finds it despicable what the Amalekites do in Exodus 17, attacking people who are their kinsmen through common ancestors, sneaking up from behind where the slower and weaker people are. It will be said of this incident in Deuteronomy, "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!" (Deuteronomy 25:18-19) The Lord gives Israel an early, temporary victory against the Amalekites in Chapter 17 but intends them to grant a permanent victory against the Amalekites later.
"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.'" (Exodus 17:8-9) This is the first mention of a young man named Joshua who will become the successor of Moses upon Moses' death. But we can already see that he's a man Moses trusts. Moses recognizes Joshua has the skills to be a general, so he tasks him with choosing fighting men for the battle ahead.
Moses intends to hold his rod (the shepherd's staff) up while the battle rages. He doesn't know exactly how the Lord will bring victory on the following day but he knows the shepherd's staff will be important. This is the same rod that was held up before each plague fell upon Egypt. It's the same rod that was held up when the Red Sea parted. It's the same rod with which Moses struck the rock of Horeb before the water gushed out. The Lord could have accomplished all these miracles without the rod but He understands human weaknesses. Humans like to see things with their own eyes. The people can't see God Himself but they can see the object that has come to symbolize His power. During tomorrow's battle, when the people look up and see Moses holding the rod high on the hill, this will symbolize God being in their midst and fighting on their side. This will give them strength and courage to fight the battle fiercely.
"So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill." (Exodus 17:10) Moses also needs encouragement and help, so he takes his brother Aaron with him and also Hur who is possibly the brother-in-law of Moses and Aaron. Some rabbinic teachings state that Hur was married to their sister Miriam. If this is so, then Moses takes the two men with him who are his closest kin. Whether or not Hur is Moses' brother-in-law, it would appear that he is the great-great-grandson of Jacob's son Judah, according to 1 Chronicles 2:19. He is of a different tribe than that of Moses and Aaron who are of the priestly tribe of Levi. Hur is of the tribe from which the Messiah will come.
"As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning." (Exodus 17:11) Moses holds both hands high over his head with the rod in his hands. No doubt he is also engaged with the Lord in prayer at the same time. As long as the Israelite fighters can look up and see the rod held high, they fight mightily. When Moses' arms become weary from time to time, and when they start to tingle and go to sleep, he has to lower them for a few minutes. When that happens, and the fighters don't see the rod of God held up on the hill, they become temporarily discombobulated. When they can't see the visible symbol of God's power they momentarily lose heart. They stumble a bit on the battlefield. They lose some of their concentration. Not being able to see the rod is, in this moment, like not being able to see the face of God. It brings doubt into their minds. They think in their hearts: Has God left the battle? Are they in this fight alone? No wonder the Apostle Paul said this about the frail human body and the frail human mind that so often leads us into doubt and failure: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" (Romans 7:24) Paul was frustrated with his inability to live a life without faults and failures. He was frustrated with the limits of the human body and human mind while living in a fallen world. The men fighting the battle in Exodus 17 are subject to these same faults and failures and limitations, so when Moses has to let his arms rest from time to time, and when they can't see the rod held high, they falter in the fight.
Moses too is struggling with the limits of the human body. It's impossible for him, in his own strength, to hold his arms over his head for the duration of the battle. But God doesn't intend him to perform this work in his own strength. God knows Moses needs a little help from his friends, and in this instance instead of God holding Moses' arms up with supernatural power, He has Moses' friends come alongside him and give him the strength he needs. Sometimes in our troubles the Lord works supernaturally and at other times He sends help to us through others. Aaron and Hur figure out a way to help Moses hold his arms up the whole battle through. "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 til sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekites with the sword." (Exodus 17:12-13)
Aren't we thankful for our friends? What would we do without their encouragement---especially the encouragement that comes from friends who are fellow believers? Their help is both practical and spiritual, just as the help of Aaron and Hur is both practical and spiritual. They solve a practical, physical problem for Moses. They seat him on a large rock and stand on each side of him to hold an arm up for him. By having him sit while they stand, Aaron and Hur aren't having to hold their own arms over their heads. They are probably holding Moses' arms by the wrists at what is probably about chest level for them. This allows them to keep their arms bent and even rest their arms against their own bodies. This way they don't grow weary and let Moses' arms drop. Their help is also spiritual, for in performing this service for Moses they are displaying their faith in the Lord and their faith in what Moses is doing for the people. They're saying, "We're with you! We believe that as long as you hold this rod up, the people will prevail in battle. We believe the Lord is going to win this battle for Israel. We are standing firm in the faith alongside you."
The victory is won by sundown. The Lord instructs Moses to write down the very account we're reading today. "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.'" (Exodus 17:14) Because Joshua is the man the Lord has chosen to succeed Moses when the time comes, it's important for him to know what Moses was doing while Joshua was down in the trenches with the men fighting the battle. Joshua has already proven himself to be skilled in battle but he'll need more than military smarts to lead the nation. He'll need leadership skills and he'll need a close, personal relationship with the Lord. Joshua is to look to Moses for an example to follow, so the Lord tells Moses to make certain Joshua hears about the battle from his perspective. In addition, Joshua needs to know that someday the Lord will win such a decisive battle against the Amalekites that their tribe will be wiped out. Joshua will have a written record that assures him that the cruel and unprovoked attack which occurred in Exodus 17 will be avenged by Israel's God and Defender. I think Joshua would have liked to have wiped out the Amalekites himself here and now, but it's not the Lord's will to erase this tribe from the earth at this time. The Amalekites will never be able to claim the Lord didn't give them time to repent and change their ways (they never do, but not because they never had opportunities) and in the meantime the Lord wants Joshua to know that this enemy will be dealt with in the proper way and at the proper time.
To commemorate the victory the Lord gave the Israelites at Rephidim, Moses builds an altar. "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 with the Amalekites from generation to generation.'" (Exodus 17:15-16) Moses calls the altar "Jehovah Nissi"; the Hebrew word "nissi" means "banner" or "flag" or "ensign". Moses may have held the rod up all during the battle, but under whose banner, flag, or ensign did the Israelites really fight? The Lord's! The Lord is the true general of this army. It is the Lord's name these people call upon and it is by His name they are called---they are known as His people. When the Amalekites attacked the Israelites without provocation, it was an act of war against the Lord Himself. The Lord mightily defended His own name and honor when He defended the people He's sworn to protect and bring into the promised land. Moses may have literally been holding up a rod during the fight, but spiritually speaking he was holding up the battle flag of the Lord. Just as armies throughout the ages have had someone holding up the flag of the king or government under which they serve, Moses held up the flag (symbolized by the rod) of the Lord and King of Israel.
Let's go out and fight the good fight of faith today by keeping in mind we are fighting under the flag of Almighty God, under the royal banner of our King! He is our army general. He is our protector and defender. When anyone or anything attacks those of us who have placed our faith in Him, He considers it an act of war against Himself. He will be fighting on our side!
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