"We All Need Somebody to Lean On" (Exodus 17:8-18:26) | 4/30/23
Exodus 17:8-18:26 | 4/30/23 | Thad Yessa
Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua,“Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, andfought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand,Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it underhim, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in theears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek fromgeneration to generation.” Exodus 17:8-16
The POSITION of Dependency (17:8-16)
Here we see Israel’s first outside enemy after the exodus from Egypt. The Amalekites have a lineage that traces all the way back to Esau, who was the brother of the Patriarch Jacob, so the history between the Israelites and Amalekites goes further back than just this story. We aren’t given a lot of information as to why the Amalekites attacked; in fact it is just one sentence, but in the book of Deuteronomy, when Moses is looking back on the (25:17-18):
“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.
The Amalekites were attacking the weary and those who were toward the back of the groups, the likely the sickly, women, and children. It adds in there the phrase, “He did not fear God.” Indicating that this was an unethical and unrighteous attack.
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Moses calls on Joshua, Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” I have to wonder if Joshua had the thought running through his mind, you mean I am going to go fight this army with swords, but you are going to stand up on a hill with your stick? NO WAY! But Moses’ future successor obeys faithfully, probably a glimpse into the future when Joshua was going to be one of the only ones who remains faithful in this wilderness season.
The focus of this whole scene is not on the ground where Joshua is displaying extreme bravery, but on the hill. The battle is not one of just physical power but of spiritual power.
While prayer is not specifically mentioned, it seems rather obvious that what happened was meant to make a connection between what happened on the ground and what happened on the hill. The uplifted staff and hands of Moses equaled victory on the ground. And when his hands were lowered, the battle took a turn for the worse.
Moses was unable to sustain this position by himself. In a beautiful picture of solidarity and community, Aaron and Hur hold up his hands for him. They helped Moses by “holding his hands steady until the going down of the sun” (Ex. 17:10-11). Aaron and Hur provided the additional help that Moses needed in his intercessory role.I love the scene in my mind of Moses lifting up his hands and being supported by Aaron and Hur. Moses did alone, he sent Joshua to physically fight, and he took Aaron and Hur, knowing his own weakness. He doesn’t push them away when they begin to help. Part of being in this position of dependency isn’t only being dependent on God, put on those God places in your life.
The effect of this hill-top prayer was an important victory, and one that Israel needed to mark in their memory. This lesson was important enough to memorialize.
This was a typical act of commemoration for events in life that were defining. The altar was meant to communicate a particular message, and therefore Moses gave it a name – “The Lord is my banner.” The Hebrew word and the use of it in Ancient Near East had the idea of a “signal pole.” The word was used for a sign or signal that was used to rally people or troops to a particular point. It was a pole that was raised high about the ground in order to send a signal. The word is used in Isaiah 11:10 to refer to the Messiah:
“In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10, ESV)
In the immediate context, Moses was simply making the point that while Israel was fighting the battle on the ground, it was the Lord who was their rallying cry. They were fighting the battle, but the battle really belonged to the Lord. What’s more, their victory was dependent upon God’s help. There was a direction connection between God’s assistance and their success. In our circumstances we must remember that God’s presence transcends our circustances
The conflict with the Amalekites was a part of the instruction of Israel regarding God’s ability to be their provider. He had proven His ability to provide a path through the Red Sea, sweet water, manna from heaven, and water from the rock. But now the people were to learn that even their battles are dependent upon the Lord. There are moments when they are called to trust Him and wait, but there are other moments when they are called to trust Him while fighting. They need God’s help in everything!
So there is beautiful sense in the Bible that no matter what battle we are facing, there are divinely given means of grace and help. The struggles in which we are engaged may be difficult and scary, but we are not left on our own.
Jesus is the banner we trust. He provided mercy by absorbing judgment. And He pours out power when we face struggles in life. And the beauty of this passage is that whether the issue is battles within or battles without, God’s greatest provision is Himself.
The TESTIMONY of Dependency (18:1-12)
Exodus 18:1-8
Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God haddone for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he hadsent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer(for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword ofPharaoh”). 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in thewilderness where he was encamped at the rmountain of God. 6 And when he sent word toMoses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sonswith her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him.And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told hisfather-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD haddelivered them.
Moses and the Israelites have made their way from Rephidim towards Sinai, the mountain of God. But now, Jethro has heard something amazing from Moses’ family, and he is coming for a visit. That phrase, “ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE” is the important phrase in this section.
So after greeting Jethro, asking him how he’s doing, how the flocks are, how the tribe is, Moses launches directly into this incredible story of deliverance. He tells Jethro everything. He doesn’t hold back any details. He tells him ALL that the Lord had done, for their sake, because He loves them. He made sure to hit every high point, every supernatural punch landed by their warrior God Yahweh as He got glory over the Egyptians and saved his people in the process. But Moses didn’t stop there. He also explained ALL of the hardships that had come along the way, the bumps and bruises, the winding roads, and the constant whimpering of the people. He explained both the incredible deliverance AND the real-world reality of the journey following God out of slavery, but he emphasized how the Lord had DELIVERED them from it ALL. He told the whole story of God’s rescue.
And don’t miss Jethro’s response here. He exhibits joy, praise, and faith. Look at verse 9 - he “rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel” - he is overjoyed! Next, in verse 10, he praises Yahweh, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you.” And finally, he shows his faith in both word & action - in verse 11, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods,” and verse 12, as he “brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God.” Because of all of these elements - joy, praise, faith, in response to Moses’ explicit & complete telling of God’s victory, I believe Jethro is one of the first examples in the Bible of a converted outsider. Which points to God accomplishing his purpose that “I will make my name great among the nations!”
This is a man who has put his faith in the true God after hearing the good news of deliverance. It seems that Moses and Aaron agree with this perspective, as we see later in verse 12 that they “came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.” They had a communion meal in the presence of the Lord, welcoming Jethro in.
So this is where we can connect Exodus 18 to sharing the gospel. If you are a Christian in this room, an application point for us here is that we too are to tell the WHOLE story of God’s rescue in our lives. We tell of the situation that we were in before Christ, where we were in bondage, enslaved to ourselves, and devoid any real lasting satisfaction. We tell of the great news that Jesus came for us, died in our place to deliver us, and was raised that we might be forgiven, perfect in the eyes of the Father. We tell of how Jesus came back to life, showing us there is a life to come and promising to bring us with him there.
But just as Moses did with Jethro, we can and should also speak of the hardships as well. It’s not all roses and butterflies immediately once you put your faith in Jesus. In fact, oftentimes, your life here on earth circumstantially may be harder before it gets better. Christianity is not about being healthier, wealthier, and wiser - it’s not a quick-fix program. Jesus said that his followers would be hated for his sake, so we should expect rejection. He said that in this world, we would have trouble. But we also know that God promises to work all things, the highs and the hardships, together for the good of those who love him.
But here’s the thing. In the busy, hurried, modern world in which we live, we may not have the opportunity to monologue for 45 minutes without the context of a relationship. Remember, Moses lived with or near Jethro for 40 years in Midian prior to these events, and he’s married to the man’s daughter. Yes, we should tell the whole story, but the whole story can take time - and you don’t have to get it all out in one shot. But we do need to speak. It’s been said most ministry happens when ordinary people do ordinary things with gospel intentionality, and watch as God gives them growth. But it’s still hard, isn’t it? Why is that?
We have a deeper issue than not knowing how to share the gospel with others. The problem is - our allegiances are divided, and oftentimes, we don’t even know it. We worship the approval of other people - “what do they think of me?” - and we seek safety there. Think about it. The last time you could have shared your faith with someone, talked about Jesus with them, why didn’t you? Did you feel that creeping awkward sensation right before you opened your mouth? That uncertainty that they wouldn’t like what you had to say? The knowledge that they might think you’re strange, or judgmental, or worse?
But listen - the Bible tells us in Proverbs 29:25 that “the fear of man lays a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is safe.” At the end of the day, the approval of others may seem safe, but it’s a trap. It has no bottom, no foundation. People are fickle. Harmony is a good thing, but it cannot save you. Jesus is the One who will come to judge the living and the dead. The One whose opinion ultimately matters. Let’s recommit to telling the whole story of God’s rescue, pointing Christ, to the many relationships that are scattered throughout our lives and watch how God will work.
One last thing to mention before we move on. Perhaps you’ve been reminded of a relationship or a conversation in which you didn’t tell the whole story, and you are feeling a sense of holy conviction. To encourage you, I want to call attention to the contrast between this interaction between Moses and Jethro and their previous recorded one back in Exodus 4. After God meets Moses in the burning bush and lays out the entire rescue plan, Moses needs to ask his shepherd boss Jethro for some time off. I’m sure Moses felt a little bit awkward at this point - in fact, no one else had seen the burning bush, would anyone believe him? And so Moses asks Jethro sheepishly, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” He doesn’t mention God, and He doesn’t mention the rescue plan at all. And what happens to Jethro there? Absolutely nothing. They part with a simple “Go in peace.” So it’s incredibly encouraging to me to one, see how the Lord grows and matures Moses in the months ahead during the Exodus rescue, but also, how God graciously gives Moses a second chance to tell all that the Lord had done to Jethro, with a glorious result. And He can do the same thing for us.
The DELEGATION of Dependency (18:13-27)
Exodus 18 continues with another interesting window into Moses’ and Jethro’s relationship and the heart of Moses as the leader of the Israelite people. We discover that Moses needs the wisdom of his father-in-law in order to give him some practical help.
EXODUS 18:13-27
The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses frommorning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for thepeople, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, andall the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to hisfather-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have adispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make themknow the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for thething is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will giveyou advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bringtheir cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and makethem know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties,and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shallbring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you,and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will belable to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs ofthousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.
As you can imagine, this newly formed nation had “issues.” People are people, and Moses needed to help maintain unity and peace, so he heard their cases and helped them understand what should be done.
Jethro observed this set-up and asks Moses why he is leading the people this way.
At one level this is legitimate and commendable. The newly formed nation did not know the heart of God on practical matters, and Moses was the prophet upon whom the mantle of leadership had been divinely placed. And it is commendable because Moses was working really hard – so hard that it was deeply concerning to his father-in-law.
Jethro, despite his newly found faith, has some important wisdom for Moses. Look at what he said:
“What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. ”” (Exodus 18:17)
Now there are many points here which are loaded with wisdom:
Moses is not God and he must know his own limitations. (Millions of Israelites, it would have been an impossible task.)
It was unwise and unsustainable for Moses to carry this burden alone.
Moses needed to prioritize the way in which he could be most helpful to the people, but he could not do everything.
He needed to look for men of character and empower them to serve the people as assistant “judges.”
A shared leadership model would create the harmony and justice Moses was longing for.
This was an important moment for Moses, and I’m sure it was not easy. Moses was encountering what most leaders face: when the mission and my abilities don’t line up, am I willing to change? Moses wanted justice for his people, but the need had eclipsed his ability, so he would have to decide if he was willing to release some of his authority. Moses had to be willing to uncouple his sense of identity and value from his role as the only judge and trust others to judge in a right manner.
I can think of a number of reasons why Moses could have rejected Jethro’s advice:
“You’ve only been here a day. You have no idea what you are talking about.”
“You are not an Israelite and only yesterday you were an outsider.”
“You don’t know God’s law or how complicated the issues are.”
“The people are not ready. They are scared, and they need to hear from me.”
There are a number of reasons – good ones! – as to why Jethro’s advice could have been rejected. But Moses didn’t allow those reasons to prevent him from listening to some really wise advice. He didn’t allow any number of self-centered objections to hinder him from considering a better path for himself and for the people of Israel.
Verse 24 is beautiful, and it is followed with a great solution.
“So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.” (Exodus 18:24–27)
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15, ESV)
Here are a few other texts in Proverbs that I think are really helpful:
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14, ESV)
“Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” (Proverbs 19:20, NLT)
Moses gives us a great example here to consider. Here is a man who has met with God, has controlled plagues and parted the Red Sea, has struck rocks and had water come out, and who empowers victories in battle. But he still listens. He is still teachable. It is no wonder that he was so greatly used of God. Moses was not only ready for God’s mission; he was ready to learn.
How do we apply this? To take this passage and point it to the New Testament, a healthy community practices shared ministry, by having a plurality of qualified elders, who care for the flock. (Acts 20:17; 1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1). But the elders do not do everything, they oversee the ministry of the church. They EQUIP God’s people to do the work of the minsitry (Eph. 4:11-16). Every member is to serve.
While some are appointed to leadership, every Christian has a part to play in the body of Christ. Every Christian is a “priest”. You can pray for people. You can care for people. You can teach others. Every Christian has a spiritual gift for the good of the body.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace” - 1 Peter 4:10