Exodus 17:12
From the very beginning, in the Garden, we have not been created to be alone. Throughout the Bible we see countless examples of pairs of people completing tasks given them by God. Just a few of them are David & Jonathan, Paul & Barnabas, Peter & John, Timothy & Erastus. Jesus sent the 72 in pairs, He sent a pair to prepare for the last supper, a pair was sent by John the Baptist to talk to Jesus and there are many, many more. With such a long list it must be an important concept that God wants to get across to us. But why? Why is it so important that we not travel alone?
The 12 step groups call them sponsors. The criminal justice system calls them mentors. Parts of the Bible call them armor bearers. I like the term "ally." If this is a spiritual war that we are in, and it is, then we need to have allies. In Ecclesiastes God tells us the simple truth.
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Satan is patient. Much more patient than me. If need be, he'll sit back for as long as he needs to in order to find the perfect time to attack us. We are told to be alert and to expect that attack. However, it is literally impossible to always be alert. We need to rest, to relax, to sleep. This is exactly where we need our allies to step in to help and this passage in Exodus is a great example of that.
After only a short time out of Egypt the Israelites are engaged in their first war, against the Amalekites. Moses, at the top of a hill, can watch the battle. Following the direction of God, when Moses lifts his hands in the air his people are victorious. With his hands lowered they are trampled. It reminds me of a scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Indy is fighting an evil priest while the young Emperor watches in delight. The boy has a voodoo doll of Indy and whenever the doll is stabbed, Indiana is helpless to do anything. But when the pin is removed, his strength and vigor instantly return and he is able to fight to victory.
This isn't Hollywood though. And in the real world, in the battle of Moses' time, we get tired. We get sore and weary. Try to hold your hands over your head for even thirty minutes. It's hard! But Moses had to do so for who knows how many hours. The task was simply impossible by himself. If he had been on that mountain alone, this would be a very short battle. As he stood there, on that hill, his brother Aaron saw what was happening and came to his side as an ally. They got a giant rock for Moses to sit on so that he could maintain his strength. Then, Aaron and Hur each grabbed one of Moses' hands and ensured that they were never lowered. They took the weight for Moses and victory, at the end of the day, was theirs.
Are you getting weary from fighting the enemy? Are you sick of trying to carry the burden alone? If you are trying to do so, then you should be tired and weary. It is in that exact time that your enemy, the devil, stops waiting, pounces and devours you. So how do you stop that? You must have an ally. You must have someone that you can talk to, rely on, trust. If you don't have one like that, find one. If you can't find one, I'll be that one.
God bless and thanks for reading.
The 12 step groups call them sponsors. The criminal justice system calls them mentors. Parts of the Bible call them armor bearers. I like the term "ally." If this is a spiritual war that we are in, and it is, then we need to have allies. In Ecclesiastes God tells us the simple truth.
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Satan is patient. Much more patient than me. If need be, he'll sit back for as long as he needs to in order to find the perfect time to attack us. We are told to be alert and to expect that attack. However, it is literally impossible to always be alert. We need to rest, to relax, to sleep. This is exactly where we need our allies to step in to help and this passage in Exodus is a great example of that.
After only a short time out of Egypt the Israelites are engaged in their first war, against the Amalekites. Moses, at the top of a hill, can watch the battle. Following the direction of God, when Moses lifts his hands in the air his people are victorious. With his hands lowered they are trampled. It reminds me of a scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Indy is fighting an evil priest while the young Emperor watches in delight. The boy has a voodoo doll of Indy and whenever the doll is stabbed, Indiana is helpless to do anything. But when the pin is removed, his strength and vigor instantly return and he is able to fight to victory.
This isn't Hollywood though. And in the real world, in the battle of Moses' time, we get tired. We get sore and weary. Try to hold your hands over your head for even thirty minutes. It's hard! But Moses had to do so for who knows how many hours. The task was simply impossible by himself. If he had been on that mountain alone, this would be a very short battle. As he stood there, on that hill, his brother Aaron saw what was happening and came to his side as an ally. They got a giant rock for Moses to sit on so that he could maintain his strength. Then, Aaron and Hur each grabbed one of Moses' hands and ensured that they were never lowered. They took the weight for Moses and victory, at the end of the day, was theirs.
Are you getting weary from fighting the enemy? Are you sick of trying to carry the burden alone? If you are trying to do so, then you should be tired and weary. It is in that exact time that your enemy, the devil, stops waiting, pounces and devours you. So how do you stop that? You must have an ally. You must have someone that you can talk to, rely on, trust. If you don't have one like that, find one. If you can't find one, I'll be that one.
God bless and thanks for reading.