“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.” (Exodus 17:11)
This is one of my favorite Old Testament stories. I can just picture Moses, as old as he was, straining to keep his arms up so that the Israelites could win the battle. And because he couldn’t do it personally, he needed Aaron and Hur to support him. I guess if someone had taken a photograph at the time, it would have looked like the raising of the US flag over Iwo Jima, or the firemen raising the flag at Ground Zero in New York.
The story also symbolizes the crucifixion, for only when Christ’s arms were raised up and pinned to the Cross could the battle against sin, evil, and death be fully won. And it’s also symbolic of the power of the Trinity with Moses, Aaron and Hur representing the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.
This story is also the reason why some pastors and church members raise their arms during prayer or praise times in worship. They raise their arms to invoke God’s blessing and strength, His favor and support of what the congregation is doing. Perhaps if more people were more open to invoking the Lord in this symbolic and sacred way, our churches would be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps as you are reading this today, you are in need of comfort and strength, victory and recovery. Invoke the Holy Spirit to help you and be consistent with those prayers. As in Moses case, so long as he kept up his arms, his people were winning. So long as we keep praying to God, invoking the Holy Spirit, and calling upon the name of Christ, we can win the battle, too.
Prayer: Almighty God, You are perfectly aware of what we need and the things that deeply concern us. Help us to remain focused in prayer and to invoke Your help where and when we need it most. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit this day, and direct all our decisions. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart