Exodus 17:8-14

8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 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.”

10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 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. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

14 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.”

Reflection:

One intriguing aspect of this scene is that until now there was no formal “army” of Israel. There has been no enlisting, no boot camp, no weapon making. Moses just tells Joshua to get some guys and go fight! Amazing how there is no reaction from Joshua but just doing what he is told. And at the end of the battle he is given the record of the victory that God brought by Moses raising his hands, so that Joshua would learn that the Lord is the one who fought - a crucial spiritual principle that Joshua learned as he made himself available.

Response:

It’s about making ourselves available – our hearts, minds, all of who we are.  Let’s pray that with open and willing hearts, we would embrace making our lives available to the Lord.