Supporting one another

So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. Exodus 17:10‭-‬12 NKJV

This wasn’t about Moses getting even.

Joshua wasn’t picking this fight.

These were God’s people trying to go where He called them and instead of helping them, Amalek chose this opportunity to attack God’s people while they were on the way.

Already, the people of Israel had complained about no food.

So, God provided Manna.

Then they complained about no water.

So, God provided, from the rock, water.

Now, they are being attacked.

So, God provides an incredible picture of people supporting and encouraging one another through days of great peril.

Moses told Joshua what to do and he didn’t hesitate, but obeyed.

Moses went up on the mountain and stood with his hands raised to God.

(Have you ever tried holding your hands up in the air for a long time? It’s not easy.)

But when Moses’s hands lowered the battle began to go poorly.

Thus, Aaron and Hur got a stone for Moses to sit on…

“And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

Wow.

Talk about tangible support.

No easy task, but so needed.

What about Joshua?

He’s the one literally fighting the enemy, whose out to kill and destroy them all.

So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Exodus 17:13 NKJV

God is the Reason for the victory.

Both then and today.

Then, He gave Joshua and the children of Israel victory over their enemies.

Later, God’s Son came to earth to save all from sin.

(Doesn’t the picture of Moses’s outstretched arms point to Christ and His arms, stretched out on the cross?)

Through His sacrifice, we can have victory in Jesus.

But we still have an enemy, whose out to destroy us in one way or another.

Thus, God gives us the body of Christ.

Not just for our support and encouragement, but also for us to be that support and encouragement of others as well.

This story shows us the beautiful way we as followers of Christ are to lift up one another, especially in prayer.

For the days are full of peril for many throughout our world.

And what a privilege it is to lovingly support others in anyway available.

Romans 12:10 KJV — Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for this beautiful story of Moses, Aaron, Hur, and Joshua. Lord, please help us to see those opportunities to lift up one another. Lord, help us to be diligent to prefer one another in all things, looking to build up those around us. Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your love and faithfulness. You are the reason Joshua was victorious that day and You are still the reason we can be victorious today, not over other people, but over sin. Lord, thank You for Your wonderous works. I love You, Jesus. Amen.

November 23

Today’s prayer:

For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.
I Samuel 12:22 NKJV

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for choosing the Israelites. Thank You for opening that door of salvation to the Gentiles through Your death and resurrection. Thank You for being so faithful, so loving, so true. Lord Jesus, please let me and my family honor You no matter the circumstances. Please hold us fast to Your ways and Your Word. Lord, please do not allow us to look on any evil or worthless thing, that our hearts might not be tempted away from serving You. Lord, please let us be wise and aware of the tricks and snares of the enemy. Please help us to see the pitfalls and avoid them. Lord, please bless my husband. Lord, please continue to make him a Mighty Man of Valor. Please let his words be truth, his thoughts pure, and his ways steadfast before You. Lord, our sons, please let them be Mighty Men of Valor. Men of renown who are faithful, full of integrity, wise, and loving. Lord, please let me be a woman of worth, godly in my attitudes, my actions, and purposeful with my time. Lord, please help me to be of soft heart and filled with Your praise, unafraid of the future. Lord, please let our daughters be the same, women who follow You and are an example of quiet strength, beautiful surrender to Your will daily. Lord Jesus, thank You for so many blessings. Please reach those who have yet to know You. Let Your name be spread throughout the whole Earth. Lord, please stop the violence against the innocent and the helpless. Please raise up leaders of integrity and honor, who will stand for justice. Lord, please open the eyes of the blind and hard hearted, that they might see You and turn. Thank You so much for salvation! Thank You for Your faithfulness and love. I praise Your holy name, Jesus! Amen.

“No king in Israel…”

Judges 17:6 NKJV — In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

The book of Judges contains some excellent lessons.

As this verse states there was no king in Israel.

The reason for this was that God was their King.

Later, we see God clearly state this when the children of Israel ask Samuel to anoint a king over them.

1 Samuel 8:7 NKJV — And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.”

Obviously, here in the book of Judges they had already rejected the LORD as their leader for : “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

The entire book of Deuteronomy is a reminder of all the words God gave Moses and all that the children of Israel were to do as His people.

No where does it say: do what is right in your own eyes.

Why?

Read the book of Judges.

It’s not pretty nor is it nice.

The sins of people quickly lead to suffering.

Only through God’s appointed judges do the people find some relief.

Unfortunately, many of these judges do not cling to God and His Word throughout their entire lives and the consequences of this cause more suffering.

It’s an important reminder for us.

In our society it has been said truth is in the eye of the beholder.

Truth is what is true to you.

Absolute truth has been degraded and disregarded.

The book of Judges makes it clear what happens when a society lives as if there is no absolute truth.

The people suffer.

Therefore, those who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ have an opportunity.

The first thing is to live unto the Lord and not unto ourselves.

God’s people daily living for Christ is one way God reaches the world.

Secondly, we have the privilege to pray for others to know God’s truth.

The Bible is the absolute truth and we have the responsibility to know it and to stand in the gap for those who have yet to know.

We can also learn something else from Judges.

God sent judges to help the children of Israel.

He hasn’t changed, God is still in control, even of the authorities. Romans 13:1

We can seek Him and pray for godly leaders, beginning at home (pray for our family as individuals) and outward (pray for your church leaders, your community leaders, for the government leaders).

When we pray and trust the Lord for every facet of our lives we are putting God where He belongs, we make Him King.

And God is faithful.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for the lessons in Your Word. Thank You for truth. In You I put my trust. In You I find security. Lord, I lift up my husband to You and humbly ask that You continue to guide and direct him. Thank You for giving him to me, he is such a blessing. Lord, I lift up my family to You. Please guide and direct them. Please teach them Your ways. Lord Jesus, I lift up our leaders to You. Please let those in authority be people of integrity. Lord, speak truth into their lives and let Your ways be clear. Lord Jesus, please continue to grow Your church, that many would call upon Your name. Thank You Jesus for all You have done and all You are doing. I praise and worship Your holy name! May the whole Earth be filled with the glory of the Lord. Amen.

Allied with the children of Israel

And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,  They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their donkeys, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;  And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.  And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
Joshua 9:3‭-‬6 KJV

These people of Gibeon heard how God had given victory to the children of Israel.

Kings had gone to war against the children of Israel.

Barak had hired Balaam to curse them and then followed his advice to snare the children of Israel with idolatry.

Nothing anyone had done previously had worked, all had been over thrown.

So we see the people of Gibeon try something new.

They tricked the children of Israel into making a promise.

They made an alliance with the children of Israel.

The old saying: “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” comes into play.

The people of Gibeon joined the children of Israel.

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
Joshua 9:15 KJV

Although the people of Gibeon lied and deceived, they made a far better choice than any other group who had dealt with the children of Israel.

It was a wise choice and God honored the promise made to them.

Of course, when one chooses the Lord God, it’s noticed by those who consider Him their enemy.

Wherefore Adoni–zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,  Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
Joshua 10:3‭-‬4 KJV

And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
Joshua 10:6‭-‬8 KJV

God wiped out those who had set themselves up to take out the people of Gibeon.

It’s certain the people of Gibeon were seen as traitors by the peoples around them, but the truth is they had been traitors to God, serving idols instead of God. When they made their alliance they were returning to God, although they may not have known it then. With the covenant they became servants of God’s people for generations.

God never forgot the promise made to the Gibeonites. 2 Samuel 21:1-14 KJV

The people of Gibeon joined the Israelites and found two things.

First, they experienced persecution from those around them who didn’t like the alliance they had made.

Second, they found themselves rescued by God Almighty.

Today we do not have to try to trick, lie, or deceive others to join God’s people.

Jesus opened the door to salvation and called the Disciples to spread the good news to every tribe and tongue.

The only thing required to join God’s people is to believe in Jesus Christ and what He did for us.

When that choice is made, they who have chosen change masters.

No longer are they slaves to sin and wickedness, but instead servants of the Most High God.

Truly, God is the best Master.

Jesus said:

Matthew 11:30 NKJV — “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for this story. Thank You for salvation. Thank You for being such a wonderful Master. Lord, You served people while You walked upon this Earth and You call us to serve as well. Please help us to be humble and loving people. People who shine the light of Your truth. Lord, what a wonderful privilege to have an alliance with You, to find redemption and salvation in You. Thank You, Jesus for all Your blessings. May Your glory fill the whole Earth. Amen.