The arms of Moses

Israel was fighting the Amalekites in a tough battle. Moses and his two aides (Aaron and Hur) were watching from the top of a nearby hill. When Moses lifted his hands, the Army of Israel prevailed; and, when he lowered his arms the Amalekites started winning. Eventually Moses became weary, his hands heavy. Aaron and Hur found a rock for Moses to sit on, but soon that wasn’t enough. Moses’ strength failed, his arms came down. Aaron and Hur, the faithful and ready aides, saw what was needed: each took one of the arms of Moses and lifted it high, holding his hands up for all to see. Before long, Israel won the battle.

(Read the story for yourself at: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17%3A8-16&version=NIV)

What an amazing report.

Leaders know the importance of motivation. And to inspire others, we have to be seen. In today’s story, Moses was on the top of the hill not in the valley.  His hands were raised, his arms high. The army could see him encouraging them on to victory. In this instance, being in the middle of the battle was not Moses’ job.

But the task became too much for Moses. His personal strength was inadequate. He was unable to do the job alone. The scripture does not say that Moses asked for help; perhaps he was too proud or too embarrassed that he was not strong enough. Maybe Moses simply kept pressing forward, praying that God would give him the energy. I cannot imagine the pain Moses felt when he saw his troops suffer every time his arms started to drop downward.

But, Aaron and Hur were there and they took over when the great leader, Moses, needed them most. They got a rock for him to use as a stool. (Maybe he argued with them saying something like, “I’m fine; leave me alone.”) And, they each grabbed an arm and held it up when Moses’ strength failed. (Let’s not forget that Aaron was Moses’ older brother by three years.) Aaron and Hur saw and answered the call, they served their leader.  The battle was won.

Today, we might want to take a lesson out of Moses’ life –

• Let’s sit down when the chair is offered with kindness.
• Let’s understand that we really do need for that friend, that brother to hold our arms up for us.
• And, let’s acknowledge that sometimes our weakness provides opportunities for others to serve.

We need each other.