Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Exodus 19:1) In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, that same day they came to the wilderness of Sinai. (2) For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the desert of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mountain.
The third month of the Jewish calendar, Sivan, contained part of our May and part of June. It was then that the children of Israel came into the wilderness of Sinai. The above passage could also be read that it was three months after they left Egypt that they came into the wilderness of Sinai. That day was one and the same, as the new calendar began on the original Passover when the Israelites began the great exodus (Exodus 12:2). The people had left Rephidim and had come to the wilderness or desert of Sinai. I have noted previously that Horeb and Sinai were two peaks of the same mountain. Horeb was on the western side, near to which lay the plain of Rephidim, and Sinai was on the eastern side, at which the wilderness or desert of that same name lay. The Israelites camped at the foot of the mountain.
In this particular chronological study, I am using an order set forth by Skip Andrews. It now takes me to Numbers 33:15:
(Numbers 33:15) And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
This is just an abbreviated account of the same fact. We now return to Exodus 19:
(Exodus 19:3) And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: (4) ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.'"
Moses went up to God, which suggests that God was in the pillar of cloud now situated above the top of the mountain. The Lord called to Moses from there and told him to speak to the people, calling them both "the house of Jacob" and "the children of Israel". Perhaps this was to remind them of Jacob's former and lower state of life as the people may have likewise felt lowly, but now they were called by the name given Jacob by God as they were partakers of the promises made to Jacob or Israel. God told Moses to remind the people of what He had done to the Egyptians, and how He lifted the children of Israel up and carried them as on eagles' wings, denoting the strength, size, speed, and care, with which He brought them to Himself.
(5) "‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,
then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the
earth is Mine. (6) And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Moses was to tell the people that God had said to them if they would obey Him and keep His covenant, they would be His special people above all people, as He had sovereignty over the whole world. They would be a holy nation of priests consecrated to God. Instead of being in their former lowly state of servitude to the Egyptians, they would become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation of God.
(7) And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. (8) And all the people answered together, and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses returned the words of the people to the LORD.
Moses took the words of the Lord to the elders of the people and laid before them God's proposal for a covenant between Him and the people. I assume that the elders then took the words to the people, or else they answered for the people; either way, the people answered unanimously that they would do just as the Lord had spoken. Moses then took the words of the people back to the Lord.
(9) And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” And Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
I believe the point of what the Lord was telling Moses was that He would come to Moses in a different form that they would recognize as their Lord speaking directly to Moses, so that they would know that the Lord spoke directly with Moses, and they could forever trust him. This "thick" cloud would be different from the normal pillar of cloud the people were used to seeing. This cloud is better described in a later verse as a smoke of a fire that enveloped the whole mountain and the mountain even quaked (Exodus 9:18). The fact that Moses told the Lord the words of the people is repeated. It seems like the thoughts put forth in this verse are reversed, but at any rate, Moses relayed to the Lord the unanimous words of the people, and the Lord told Moses He would speak to him in a manner that the people would have no doubt was the Lord speaking directly to him.
(10) And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. (11) And be ready for the third day; for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people on mount Sinai."
The Lord told Moses to go back to the people and they were to purify themselves inside (spiritually, set aside for the Lord) and out for the next couple of days, for on the third day the Lord would come down Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
(12) “And you shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up into the mountain or touch its border; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. (13) There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether man or beast, it shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain.”
Moses was to set up a boundary for the people and and to tell them that they be careful not to go up on the mountain or even touch its border, under penalty of death. My first thought was that whoever touched the mountain would not necessarily be "put to death", but would instantly die, because God was a consuming fire Who could not be approached. However, the scripture seems clear that anyone touching it was to be put to death by stoning or shot with an arrow. All the early commentaries agree that the "it" in the first part of verse 13 refers to the one who dared to disobey and touch (or the animal that wandered up and touched) the mountain, rather than the mountain itself. No one was to touch or try to pull back the one that touched the mountain, as he or it would be an unclean and accursed thing and should rather be immediately stoned or shot. When the trumpet sounded long, that was the people's signal to come to the mountain, but obviously not up it.
(14) And Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. (15) And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come at your wives.”
Moses went down from the mountain that apparently he alone was allowed to climb, to go back to ready and purify the people. They washed their clothes, and Moses told them to even abstain from sexual relations with their wives in order to be purified and sanctified before the Lord.
(16) And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. (17) And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the lowest part of the mountain.
On the third day, when the Lord had said He would come down the mountain to the people, in that morning there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain. A trumpet sounded so loudly that the people in the camp trembled. We can only imagine the awesome power and terror with which the Lord began His descent to the people. There was thunder and lightning and a long sound of a trumpet so loud it must have come from a band of angels, and it terrified the people and made them tremble. Moses brought the people out of the camp to the foot of the mountain to meet with God.
(18) And Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
Not only had there been thunder and lightning, and a tremendous sound of trumpeting, but now there was fire and smoke and the whole mountain quaked. What an awesome and terrifying sight this must have been to the people, realizing the power of so great their God so near their presence!
(19) And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. (20) And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
The blast of the trumpet sounded long and became even louder. It would seem by the scripture that Moses, knowing this was the sign of the Lord coming down the mountain to meet the people, spoke to the Lord, and the Lord answered him by an audible voice. However, this event was recorded in the New Testament in Hebrews, chapter 12, and it appears that what Moses actually spoke was, "I exceedingly fear and quake" (Hebrews 12:21), to which the Lord answered in an audible voice, probably one designed to comfort and encourage Moses, as well as to be heard and understood by the people. The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai and called Moses up to the top of the mountain, and Moses indeed went up.
(21) And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD, and many of them perish. (22) And let the priests also, who come near the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.”
It appears that just as Moses went up the mountain to the Lord, he was sent back down with a message to the people. The Lord did not want their curiosity to get the better of them and cause their deaths, so He sent Moses to warn them not to break through to sneak a peek at the Lord. The Lord had a warning for the priests, as well. Perhaps because of their positions as priests, they might have felt they had no need of extra purification, but it seems the Lord was warning them to make sure and sanctify themselves lest the Lord break forth and smite them. Up until the time that the Lord instituted the Aaronic priesthood, priestly duties and sacrifices were performed by the firstborn or heads of families. Even these priests, who officiated for their respective families, and were therefore said to come near to the Lord at other times, must now keep their distance, and conduct themselves with a great deal of caution.
(23) And Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and sanctify it.’”
Then Moses answered the Lord in a manner which suggested there was no need for him to do what the Lord had just told him to do, which I find interesting. He told the Lord that because He had already warned them, they had already taken precautions, set boundaries, and warned the people against crossing the set boundaries.
(24) And the LORD said to him, “Away, get down, and you shall come up, you, and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest He break forth upon them.” (25) So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
Moses should have realized that the Lord knew better than he did that the people needed yet another reminder and warning. Dismissing Moses's reply that he need not go back down to the people to give them further warning, the Lord sent him back down to warn the people and the priests not to attempt to break through to come up to the Lord. However, the Lord did tell Moses that Aaron might come back up with him, but no one else. So Moses went back down to speak to the people as the Lord commanded him.
Showing posts with label Rephidim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rephidim. Show all posts
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
The Lord is My Banner
Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Exodus 17:1) And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink.
In their wilderness trek, the children of Israel now journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Rephidim. It was by instruction from God that the people were led to camp there, and yet they came to a place where there was no water for them to drink. The chronological study I am doing is one ordered by Skip Andrews, and it now takes me to Numbers 33, which gave a little more detail:
(Numbers 33:12) And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. (13) And they departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. (14) And they moved from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
We see from this passage that actually the Lord led the people through two other stations (Dophkah and Alush), before bringing them to Rephidim. Moses, in his Exodus account, apparently didn't record every camp probably because nothing eventful took place there; now the people were brought to a place where they were again wanting water and not finding it. Now back to Exodus:
(Exodus 17:2) Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?”
The people, unbelievably, quarrel with Moses and demand water from him. Had they not learned anything from their last need of water (and their subsequent need of food) that was ultimately provided by their Lord? Moses again directed them away from him and to their actual supplier, the Lord. He accused them of tempting the Lord because they obviously did not have faith in Him to provide them with water, even though He had shown Himself to be faithful in providing all their needs up to this point.
(3) And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”
Moses had already addressed the people and reminded them it was not him to whom they should complain. Then it said "they thirsted...and the people murmured", so I would assume because they didn't immediately get water after contending with Moses the first time, they really started murmuring and complaining, once again using the old complaint that he brought them out of Egypt just to kill them in the wilderness. Being without water would have been especially hard on children and cattle, so perhaps the meaning is not that they truly thought that Moses brought them out to kill them, but that they sincerely believed that would certainly be the result if they didn't get water soon.
(4) And Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
Moses cried out to the Lord because it seems the anger of the people toward Moses was so great that he believed they were ready to stone him. He didn't necessarily pray that God do something for the people, as I believe he had shown in what he said just before, that He knew the Lord would provide for the people, but he honestly did not know what to do with this people whose fevered pitch was so high that he feared they were about to stone him.
(5) And the LORD said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. (6) Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
The Lord told Moses to go out before the people, taking with him some of the elders, and it seems direct them nearer to a particular rock at Mount Horeb. I have read the rock remains to this day, and is red granite, 15 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 12 feet high, and lies in the wilderness of Rephidim, to the west of Mount Horeb. The Lord told Moses to take his rod with him, specifically his rod with which he had struck the river. The Lord would stand upon that rock; probably that pillar of cloud that led them through the wilderness would then stand on that particular rock. Moses was to take his rod and strike the rock and water would come out of it for the people to drink. Moses did as the Lord instructed, and he did it in the sight of the elders.
(7) And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
"Massah" meant "temptation", and "Meribah" meant "strife" or "contention". It is unclear to me if there were two different places, or if Moses called the place two different names in remembrance of the people's murmuring against the Lord. It doesn't appear that the scholars of old had a consensus either. Since they were at one rock, and the scripture said, "he called the name of the place...", I choose to believe Moses called the place by both names. He was memorializing not the miracle of the provision of water by the Lord, but the people's tempting of the Lord and their contention with him. It seems the people actually questioned whether or not the Lord was among them or not. That makes the fact that the Lord presented Himself on that rock at Horeb seem a direct answer to the people's question. Yes, indeed, He was with them, and He alone provided them with water.
(8) Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Amalek was the son of Eliphaz, who was the son of Esau (Gen. 36:12), and the Amalekites may have held some hatred for the people of Israel because of Jacob's birthright and blessing, as has been suggested. However, this may have been a random attack for the purpose of plunder. According to another passage in Deuteronomy (Deut. 25:17-18), the Amalekites did not boldly confront the Israelites as a nation invading their land, but rather came up from behind and attacked their feeble, faint, and weary ones who lagged behind. It may be that both facts were true. The Amalekites thought of the Israelites as enemies, and they sneakily attacked them from behind so as to plunder them more easily. The timing of this attack is interesting, too. Did God send the Amalekites because the people had tested Him? I'm not suggesting it was a punishment, but it certainly became a teaching moment. God certainly allowed the attack, just as He allowed all the struggles for food and water. His people easily could have been constantly provided with a steady stream of food and water and easy sailing, but facing these daily difficulties and having them daily remedied by their Lord, kept them in constant remembrance and dependence on God. How quickly we forget the blessings of the Lord when we have hardship! Sadly, it seems we must be reminded daily, and in His mercy, our sweet Lord patiently gives us what we need.
(9) And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” (10) So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Moses called on Joshua to choose and organize men to go out and fight the Amalekites. Meanwhile, he said he himself would stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand. Moses had called on Joshua to lead the men into battle, but he himself had a most important job, as well. On top of the hill, in view of the Israelite army, with that rod of God lifted up as encouragement and a reminder of God's promise and provision, Moses surely prayed to God and spiritually ministered to the children of Israel. Joshua did as Moses has directed him, and likewise, Moses, with Aaron and Hur, went to the top of the hill. We will find that they were needed to assist Moses. Aaron is, of course, Moses's brother, and it has been written by the historian Josephus that Hur was Miriam's (the sister of Moses and Aaron) husband. That part is not clear in scripture, but he was obviously someone in whom Moses had much confidence, as he was paired with Aaron by Moses another time, as well (Exo. 24:14).
(11) And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
There are a couple of different ways to look at this verse. From verse 9, we learned that Moses planned to stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand. When the rod was up, it may have inspired the Israelites to fight on, and when they could not see it, their hearts failed them and the Amalekites prevailed. The verse could refer to Moses raising his hands toward heaven in prayer. The ancient targums interpreted it that way. Dr. John Gill wrote that even among the "heathens", Moses "was famous for the efficacy of his prayers". Perhaps when Moses was the most stretched out and upward in prayer, he was the most fervent in prayer, and Israel prevailed; and when he faltered in prayer, Amalek prevailed. Probably both ways of looking at this verse are correct. When Moses was stretched upward to heaven, he was the most fervent in prayer, AND the Israelites saw the rod which inspired them to go onward. When Moses faltered in prayer, likewise did the people when they couldn't see the rod of God. Either way, or both ways, it's a perfect illustration of the spiritual battle in which we are engaged daily. When God is lifted up, we are victorious over our spiritual enemies, and when we falter in our faith and in our walk with God, the enemy can prevail. The daily battles move back and forth from victory to defeat, and it is a reminder that we should be in constant prayer with our Lord, the One from whom all victories come.
(12) But Moses's hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
Moses became tired and weary and he couldn't keep his hands held upward, so they brought him a stone so that he could sit down, and Aaron and Hur, on either side of him, held his hands upward, and in this way, he was able to keep them up until the sun went down. And when his hand was up, we know that Israel prevailed.
(13) And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
In fact, we do read that Joshua and his army defeated the Amalekites in this, the first war of the Israelites.
(14) And the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
God told Moses to specifically and literally write about this war in a book to be a lasting memorial. It was to be recounted especially in Joshua's hearing because God would eventually completely blot out the memory of the Amalekites. The Israelites had not yet completely annihilated the Amalekites, but Joshua was chief in this first war against them. God knew His plans for Joshua, and I believe He wanted Joshua especially to remember what Amalek had done to Israel and especially how God had saved them from Amalek. He wanted him to know, as well as all posterity by the written account, that in the process of time Amalek would be totally destroyed and not even remembered (except, in history, I suppose).
(15) And Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovahnissi; (16) For he said, “Because the LORD has sworn the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Moses built an altar and called it Jehovahnissi, which literally meant, "Jehovah is my banner". The Israelites fought under the banner, and therefore under the direction of their Lord, in His name, and in defense of His truth. Much has been written about how this is the incorrect translation of verse 16. It is supposed what was meant, and what was scrambled by unfortunate translations of contractions and hyphens, was that because the hand of Amalek was upon the throne of God, therefore the Lord would have war with Amalek from generation to generation. I don't really have a problem with the KJV translation as it stands. The Lord indeed had already said that He would ultimately completely put out the remembrance of Amalek, which does insinuate there would be a continued struggle with Amalek until that obliteration was achieved. I believe making the altar to the Lord that was looked upon as their banner of their Lord, would serve as a reminder to the people that they were never to form any union with the Amalekites because they were sworn enemies of the Israelites, doomed to ruin. Dr. John Gill wrote this about Amalek: "Amalek may be considered as a type of antichrist, whose hand is against the throne of God, his tabernacle, and his saints; who, with all the antichristian states which make war with the Lamb, will be overcome and destroyed by him."
(Exodus 17:1) And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink.
In their wilderness trek, the children of Israel now journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Rephidim. It was by instruction from God that the people were led to camp there, and yet they came to a place where there was no water for them to drink. The chronological study I am doing is one ordered by Skip Andrews, and it now takes me to Numbers 33, which gave a little more detail:
(Numbers 33:12) And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. (13) And they departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. (14) And they moved from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
We see from this passage that actually the Lord led the people through two other stations (Dophkah and Alush), before bringing them to Rephidim. Moses, in his Exodus account, apparently didn't record every camp probably because nothing eventful took place there; now the people were brought to a place where they were again wanting water and not finding it. Now back to Exodus:
(Exodus 17:2) Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?”
The people, unbelievably, quarrel with Moses and demand water from him. Had they not learned anything from their last need of water (and their subsequent need of food) that was ultimately provided by their Lord? Moses again directed them away from him and to their actual supplier, the Lord. He accused them of tempting the Lord because they obviously did not have faith in Him to provide them with water, even though He had shown Himself to be faithful in providing all their needs up to this point.
(3) And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”
Moses had already addressed the people and reminded them it was not him to whom they should complain. Then it said "they thirsted...and the people murmured", so I would assume because they didn't immediately get water after contending with Moses the first time, they really started murmuring and complaining, once again using the old complaint that he brought them out of Egypt just to kill them in the wilderness. Being without water would have been especially hard on children and cattle, so perhaps the meaning is not that they truly thought that Moses brought them out to kill them, but that they sincerely believed that would certainly be the result if they didn't get water soon.
(4) And Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
Moses cried out to the Lord because it seems the anger of the people toward Moses was so great that he believed they were ready to stone him. He didn't necessarily pray that God do something for the people, as I believe he had shown in what he said just before, that He knew the Lord would provide for the people, but he honestly did not know what to do with this people whose fevered pitch was so high that he feared they were about to stone him.
(5) And the LORD said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. (6) Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
The Lord told Moses to go out before the people, taking with him some of the elders, and it seems direct them nearer to a particular rock at Mount Horeb. I have read the rock remains to this day, and is red granite, 15 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 12 feet high, and lies in the wilderness of Rephidim, to the west of Mount Horeb. The Lord told Moses to take his rod with him, specifically his rod with which he had struck the river. The Lord would stand upon that rock; probably that pillar of cloud that led them through the wilderness would then stand on that particular rock. Moses was to take his rod and strike the rock and water would come out of it for the people to drink. Moses did as the Lord instructed, and he did it in the sight of the elders.
(7) And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
"Massah" meant "temptation", and "Meribah" meant "strife" or "contention". It is unclear to me if there were two different places, or if Moses called the place two different names in remembrance of the people's murmuring against the Lord. It doesn't appear that the scholars of old had a consensus either. Since they were at one rock, and the scripture said, "he called the name of the place...", I choose to believe Moses called the place by both names. He was memorializing not the miracle of the provision of water by the Lord, but the people's tempting of the Lord and their contention with him. It seems the people actually questioned whether or not the Lord was among them or not. That makes the fact that the Lord presented Himself on that rock at Horeb seem a direct answer to the people's question. Yes, indeed, He was with them, and He alone provided them with water.
(8) Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Amalek was the son of Eliphaz, who was the son of Esau (Gen. 36:12), and the Amalekites may have held some hatred for the people of Israel because of Jacob's birthright and blessing, as has been suggested. However, this may have been a random attack for the purpose of plunder. According to another passage in Deuteronomy (Deut. 25:17-18), the Amalekites did not boldly confront the Israelites as a nation invading their land, but rather came up from behind and attacked their feeble, faint, and weary ones who lagged behind. It may be that both facts were true. The Amalekites thought of the Israelites as enemies, and they sneakily attacked them from behind so as to plunder them more easily. The timing of this attack is interesting, too. Did God send the Amalekites because the people had tested Him? I'm not suggesting it was a punishment, but it certainly became a teaching moment. God certainly allowed the attack, just as He allowed all the struggles for food and water. His people easily could have been constantly provided with a steady stream of food and water and easy sailing, but facing these daily difficulties and having them daily remedied by their Lord, kept them in constant remembrance and dependence on God. How quickly we forget the blessings of the Lord when we have hardship! Sadly, it seems we must be reminded daily, and in His mercy, our sweet Lord patiently gives us what we need.
(9) And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” (10) So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Moses called on Joshua to choose and organize men to go out and fight the Amalekites. Meanwhile, he said he himself would stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand. Moses had called on Joshua to lead the men into battle, but he himself had a most important job, as well. On top of the hill, in view of the Israelite army, with that rod of God lifted up as encouragement and a reminder of God's promise and provision, Moses surely prayed to God and spiritually ministered to the children of Israel. Joshua did as Moses has directed him, and likewise, Moses, with Aaron and Hur, went to the top of the hill. We will find that they were needed to assist Moses. Aaron is, of course, Moses's brother, and it has been written by the historian Josephus that Hur was Miriam's (the sister of Moses and Aaron) husband. That part is not clear in scripture, but he was obviously someone in whom Moses had much confidence, as he was paired with Aaron by Moses another time, as well (Exo. 24:14).
(11) And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
There are a couple of different ways to look at this verse. From verse 9, we learned that Moses planned to stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand. When the rod was up, it may have inspired the Israelites to fight on, and when they could not see it, their hearts failed them and the Amalekites prevailed. The verse could refer to Moses raising his hands toward heaven in prayer. The ancient targums interpreted it that way. Dr. John Gill wrote that even among the "heathens", Moses "was famous for the efficacy of his prayers". Perhaps when Moses was the most stretched out and upward in prayer, he was the most fervent in prayer, and Israel prevailed; and when he faltered in prayer, Amalek prevailed. Probably both ways of looking at this verse are correct. When Moses was stretched upward to heaven, he was the most fervent in prayer, AND the Israelites saw the rod which inspired them to go onward. When Moses faltered in prayer, likewise did the people when they couldn't see the rod of God. Either way, or both ways, it's a perfect illustration of the spiritual battle in which we are engaged daily. When God is lifted up, we are victorious over our spiritual enemies, and when we falter in our faith and in our walk with God, the enemy can prevail. The daily battles move back and forth from victory to defeat, and it is a reminder that we should be in constant prayer with our Lord, the One from whom all victories come.
(12) But Moses's hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
Moses became tired and weary and he couldn't keep his hands held upward, so they brought him a stone so that he could sit down, and Aaron and Hur, on either side of him, held his hands upward, and in this way, he was able to keep them up until the sun went down. And when his hand was up, we know that Israel prevailed.
(13) And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
In fact, we do read that Joshua and his army defeated the Amalekites in this, the first war of the Israelites.
(14) And the LORD said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
God told Moses to specifically and literally write about this war in a book to be a lasting memorial. It was to be recounted especially in Joshua's hearing because God would eventually completely blot out the memory of the Amalekites. The Israelites had not yet completely annihilated the Amalekites, but Joshua was chief in this first war against them. God knew His plans for Joshua, and I believe He wanted Joshua especially to remember what Amalek had done to Israel and especially how God had saved them from Amalek. He wanted him to know, as well as all posterity by the written account, that in the process of time Amalek would be totally destroyed and not even remembered (except, in history, I suppose).
(15) And Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovahnissi; (16) For he said, “Because the LORD has sworn the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Moses built an altar and called it Jehovahnissi, which literally meant, "Jehovah is my banner". The Israelites fought under the banner, and therefore under the direction of their Lord, in His name, and in defense of His truth. Much has been written about how this is the incorrect translation of verse 16. It is supposed what was meant, and what was scrambled by unfortunate translations of contractions and hyphens, was that because the hand of Amalek was upon the throne of God, therefore the Lord would have war with Amalek from generation to generation. I don't really have a problem with the KJV translation as it stands. The Lord indeed had already said that He would ultimately completely put out the remembrance of Amalek, which does insinuate there would be a continued struggle with Amalek until that obliteration was achieved. I believe making the altar to the Lord that was looked upon as their banner of their Lord, would serve as a reminder to the people that they were never to form any union with the Amalekites because they were sworn enemies of the Israelites, doomed to ruin. Dr. John Gill wrote this about Amalek: "Amalek may be considered as a type of antichrist, whose hand is against the throne of God, his tabernacle, and his saints; who, with all the antichristian states which make war with the Lamb, will be overcome and destroyed by him."
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