“And Moses built an altar and named it, The Lord Is My Banner. He said, ‘Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward the Lord’s throne.’”
EXODUS 17:15-16
The Israelites escaped slavery in Egypt because God forced Pharaoh to submit. Pharaoh’s army was destroyed because God drowned them in the Red Sea. And now Moses and Joshua led God’s people in search of the promised land. As they wandered through the wilderness, the people became tired, hungry, thirsty, afraid, and even angry.
About that time, Moses realized that an army of raiders had come to attack them, led by Amalek-the grandson of Esau. There were thousands of men who were well-armed, well-prepared, and determined to defeat the Israelites. It was a grim situation, to say the least. Not only were the Israelites tired and discouraged, it’s the first time they had to defend themselves in a battle. And they were not warriors.
Upon realizing the threat, Moses tells Joshua the battle plan:
“Select some men for us and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand....” (Exodus 17:9)
Can you imagine what Joshua must have been thinking? Oh okay. I’ll go out with a group of weak, complaining men to fight these vicious raiders while you watch the slaughter from the top of the hill. Sounds great.
In human wisdom, the plan had to sound ridiculous, but we can conclude that the many miracles Joshua had witnessed with his own eyes caused him to trust what Moses said. So, without hesitation, “Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill” (Exodus 17:10).
As Joshua and his men fought with swords, Moses fought with his hands raised in prayer. Each time Moses held his hands up in prayer, the Israelites prevailed. Each time he grew tired and lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed. After many hours, Amalek and his army were defeated by an exhausting mix of courageous fighting and fervent prayer.
Exodus 17:13 reports, “So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.” True. But the prayer at the top of the hill was a more powerful weapon than the sword that day. God used both to bring victory.
Moses recognized that his prayers were important. He recognized the actions of the men who fought were important. And he recognized that only the Lord carried their banner of victory. It’s difficult to understand how prayer, God’s ordained plan, and human work all fit together. But scripture makes it clear that they DO work together.
Our part, as a soldier of God, is not to make sense of the battle plan. It’s to fight hard, pray harder, and trust the Lord our Banner to bring victory.
Making it Personal
- Do I tend to rely more on prayer, human works, or God’s power to bring victory?
- In what specific ways has God provided and guided through life’s battles?
- How has God used the talents and/or prayers of others to fight my battles or the battles of my kids?
KRISTI is the author of the Before books and coloring books for children and the Your Soul To Keep one-year prayer book for parents of adults. She writes to inspire parents and grandparents to shine the joy of Jesus into the lives of their families and to laugh without fear of the future (Proverbs 31:25). She and her husband Tim live in Iowa where they love doing life with their sons and daughters-in-law, six grandbabies, and two very spoiled dogs. Contact Kristi at kristi@thelaughinggrandma.com or Facebook Messenger.