You’re Stronger Than You Think
There’s an interesting incident in the life of Moses and the whole mass of Israelites in the wilderness. They’d hardly left their slave quarters in Egypt when they were attacked. The Amalekite army attacked a nation that knew everything about masonry and building projects and nothing about warfare. But the Israelites were God’s people, and all they needed was some encouragements, a reminder that God was with them (Ex. 17:8-16).
So, Moses stood where the whole army could see him, and he raised his staff in the air. And with that, the Israelites did well. It sounds like an odd strategy, and I don’t think strategic planning at the Pentagon has ever included “have someone hold up a big stick.”
But this was no mere big stick. The staff Moses had used to shepherd sheep was now used to shepherd God’s people, and that staff had been repeatedly used as God’s tool to remind everyone of His presence and power. In Moses’s hands, God had used that staff to perform miracles, kick off several plagues, and part a sea. The power was not in the staff but in the One that staff represented.
Moses had confidence in God, and he held up the staff of God to show the people his confidence was in God. I’m convinced the army took confidence from Moses’s confidence!
But Moses was just a man, and his arms got tired. When I was a kid and I wanted the teacher’s attention I held up my hand. She might call on me, and she might not—but I kept that hand up. After a while, I’d use my other hand to help hold that hand up, but I was not going to give in. The blood would drain from my hand and I’d almost weaken, but then—finally!—the teacher would call on me. And I’d give the wrong answer.
Moses got tired too, but he had Aaron and Hur to stand beside him and hold his hands. These two men received no credit for the victory, but their confidence lay in God also, and they were determined to help the army see that reminder of the presence of God with them. With Moses sitting on rock, it was not a difficult task for Aaron and Hur to support Moses’s arms, but what a difference it made! Their support was invaluable.
As followers of Christ, we are to support one another. We are to support our leaders in the church. We can help hold up the arms of our pastors and others who lead us week in and week out. They get tired too, but the support we offer can make a huge difference.
What Aaron and Hur did was not an overwhelming task. They were present. They supported, and I doubt they even broke a sweat—at least no more sweat than from already being in a dry, barren wilderness. It can be the same for us. Simple things—words of encouragement, a note of thanks, an offer to watch his kids for a few hours while he takes his wife for a quiet meal that doesn’t include a clown and plastic forks—can be an incredible refresher for those who lead.
In the past, I’ve thanked individuals who stepped in with just such a word of encouragement. Some did a small favor for me, and when I thanked them, they practically blew it off. “But I really didn’t do anything.” Yes, they did. They didn’t realize the power and strength they gave by their simple act of kindness. They didn’t know their own strength.
Be an Aaron to someone. Find a way to come alongside him and simply hold up his arms. You are stronger than you think.
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This post supports the study “Aaron and Hur” in Bible Studies for Life and YOU.
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