Don’t be shocked if the enemy counter attacks, God is training us to be overcomers.
Moses and the large company of Israelites(possibly 2 million people) may have hoped for a quieter time after escaping Egypt, but they’d just changed one set of problems for another, so often the way.
As we saw in an earlier blog, a series of events occurred in those first three months, ‘to the day’. Exodus 19:1 Moses leadership was tested to the fullest, from within and without. After travelling 3 days in the Desert of Shur without finding water, they came to Marah, means bitter, but couldn’t drink the water until God healed it. Then the Israelites complained about the lack of food and God sent them quail and manna(bread from heaven). A further episode with no water occurred in the Desert of Sin and Moses struck the rock at Horeb with the Staff of God and water came out of it. Moses called it Massah(testing) and Meribah(quarrelling), the people not happy with life.
Then a new problem appeared, ‘the Amalakites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephedim’. Exodus 17:8 Israel were thrust into their first battle without warning and they had no alternative, but to fight. Moses told Joshua to choose some of their men and go fight the Amalakites and tomorrow he would stand on top of a hill with the Staff of God in his hands.
The battle was fought in the valley but won from the hilltop! Men were needed in the valley(battleground) but authority was required on the hilltop.
As long as the Staff of God’s authority was held up, by Moses, supported by Aaron and Hur, the Israelites were winning. Once it came down, their enemies had the upper hand. Moses needed support to see the battle through to victory at night fall and so may we. I’ve been privileged to be part of international Prayer Teams going to pray in other nations. The leaders carried powerful authority in the Lord, but they always valued the support of others to help win the battles. It’s good to have support if you’re standing against enemy opposition, like the Amalakites. Moses had a strategy for the battle, just like teams on a sport’s field have a strategy for their game. Seek the Lord for His plan before you enter the battle and then go in full confidence in the Lord.
This was Israel’s first physical battle, unfortunately the first of many, even to modern times. I feel it is significant, for one main reason, God worked with His own people to ensure victory. There will be conflict before the Lord returns and on many levels, but the ‘authority of heaven and the Church on earth, working together in close harmony will win the day’. Israel needed the support and direction of heaven to be victorious over powerful enemies and so will we.
God bless and keep you in these days.