Never Too Old, Never Insignificant

"So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then 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 one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." -Exodus 17.11-13

Moses, while too old for hand to hand combat on the battlefield, is still a warrior and still plays a crucial role in the battle. He is up on a hill overlooking the fight, and as he holds up his hands Israel wins, but when they grow tired and heavy, they fall and Amalek wins. The only chance Israel has is for Moses' arms to stay up, but physically he can't do that. Fortunately, Moses isn't alone. Aaron and Hur are with him, they bring a stone for him to sit on, and then the two of them hold up Moses' arms. Since his arms stay up, Joshua defeats Amalek and the battle is won.

Without Moses, the battle would have been lost, and without Aaron and Hur, Moses would have been lost. There is no role in the battle that is insignificant, and every man is always a warrior. Moses, Aaron, and Hur fought the battle in a way that they were able to, but they still fought. They weren't too old, and their role was essential.

Men, you are never to old to fight. As we've seen, the way that we fight must change over time, but we are made in the image of a warrior God, and we are warriors until the end. We are never too old to engage in battle with evil.

The roles that we play may not seem too important. Age eventually catches up with us, and we can't do the things we used to be able to any more. I think back to the workouts I used to do in high school and college, and part of me can't believe it, and I'm only 27. But just because our time on the front lines comes to an end, it doesn't mean we sink into obscurity.

Maybe we take on the role of mentor and encourager. We find younger men, young warriors, and hold our hands high for them as the fight. Maybe we find a behind the scenes way of supporting others, and we hold up the hands of someone else. And maybe we're still young enough to take the fight right to the enemy, let's make sure our swords are sharp and our shields are ready so that we can be chosen for the task. Each role is significant and essential for victory.

You are never too old. You are never insignificant.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Not Alone

"Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill." -Exodus 17.10

Joshua leads the men to front lines, Moses heads up the hill with his brother and Hur. They each have a part to play in the battle that is about to take place, and neither of them attempts to do it alone. Neither one can succeed without the help of those with him. Joshua, skilled and knowledgeable as he is on the battlefield, cannot defeat an army alone. And as we'll see, Moses is unable to do his part on his own. We need eachother.

Men, we aren't supposed to do this all on our own. Yes, there are times when we go out on solo missions. There are times when we have to face enemies alone, but we aren't supposed to fight this war by ourselves. The Navy SEALs go out in teams, the Spartans fought together in the phalanx. Both sets of warriors are made up of individuals who are forces to be reckoned with, but no individual is as strong as the group working as a single unit.

We don't have to do this by ourselves. We weren't created to do this alone. Let us band together, working as a unit, to fight the battles of this war. This is not a never ending solo mission. We are not alone.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Choose Men

"Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, 'Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.'" -Exodus 17.8-9

God has led His people through the wilderness. He has provided food and water for them, but now they face a different challenge. Amalek has come to do battle with Israel. At the beginning of the journey God intentionally led them away from war, taking them around the land of the Philistines, but this time it won't be avoided. And it's time that the people got some experience in battle. They are going to have to fight for the Promised Land, and so God is providing hands on training on the journey there.

Moses has Joshua lead the army, and he instructs him to choose men to go out and fight. He doesn't say take every man, but to choose men. He knows that men were made for battle, and that it isn't the place for women or children. But he also knows that not every man is ready for, or capable of, battle. And so he instructs Joshua to choose some able bodied men to go out and fight for the people.

Moses at this point is an old man in his early eighties, and the battle field is no longer his place. But he will not sit in his tent waiting for news from the front lines. He will be up on the hill with the staff of God in his hand. He leaves the actual fighting to younger men, but he will be very much involved.

Men, this is part of our role, a big part. Are you willing to be chosen for battle? Some of us are in the prime fighting years of our lives. We are strong and capable, are you willing to offer your strength? Some have seen the last of their fighting days, but that doesn't mean you are useless. You can station yourself on the hill overlooking the battlefield.

Some are too young, and it is not yet time for them to be exposed to war. They are part of why we fight, to protect them from the horrors of battle and to make the world safe for them. But we must realize that the time will come for them to join us, or even for us to turn the the fight over to them. Let us prepare them, train them, so that when the time comes they will be men ready to be chosen.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor