Exodus 17:8-16
The battle for freedom is tangible. Each of us must take personal responsibility to fight the battle for freedom. The battle for freedom is Spiritual. It must be fought with Spiritual weapons. The battle for freedom is social. We cannot win the battle alone, but we must fight together to win.
As Moses is leading the people from the shores of the Red Sea, and they are getting their first experience of freedom, a new tyrant takes a cheap shot at the people of God. We learn in Deuateronomy 25 that Amalek came from behind and attacked the weak and the elderly of Israel, a dishonorable and twisted approach to battle. So Israel defended herself.
Joshua needed to go and fight. Surely, this was a real fight and if he didn’t fight the battle with real strategies, real weapons and real, gritty courage, they would have lost. We need to recognize that freedom, though it costs us nothing to receive, is work to maintain and grow in. We need real strategies to grow our faith, real disciplines to develop new patterns of thought and action, and real effort to achieve them.
Moses need to go and pray. We fight a real struggle against the flesh and real objective enemies to our faith, but the battle is not solely about our strategies and disciplines. Our strategies and disciplines are only ways to center ourselves within the moving work of the Spirit. When we have disciplined ourselves before God, the Holy Spirit can do its work. If our disciplines are only about making ourselves better in our own strength, then that is all we will develop—the fruit of our own strength. But if our work brings us into God’s presence where we can pray, the work of God happens in us.
Aaron and Hur needed to help. The battle for freedom isn’t a personal battle. We are not just seeking our personal freedom against lust, materialism, fear and people-pleasing. We are seeking to be a freed people who are no longer enamored by the charms of the flesh. So Joshua needs Moses and Moses needs Joshua. Both of them need Aaron and Hur. Together, they wage the war tangibly, spiritually and socially and God gets the credit.
Which part of the battle comes most easily/difficult for you? Tangible? Spiritual? Social?
The battle for freedom is tangible. Each of us must take personal responsibility to fight the battle for freedom. The battle for freedom is Spiritual. It must be fought with Spiritual weapons. The battle for freedom is social. We cannot win the battle alone, but we must fight together to win.
As Moses is leading the people from the shores of the Red Sea, and they are getting their first experience of freedom, a new tyrant takes a cheap shot at the people of God. We learn in Deuateronomy 25 that Amalek came from behind and attacked the weak and the elderly of Israel, a dishonorable and twisted approach to battle. So Israel defended herself.
Joshua needed to go and fight. Surely, this was a real fight and if he didn’t fight the battle with real strategies, real weapons and real, gritty courage, they would have lost. We need to recognize that freedom, though it costs us nothing to receive, is work to maintain and grow in. We need real strategies to grow our faith, real disciplines to develop new patterns of thought and action, and real effort to achieve them.
Moses need to go and pray. We fight a real struggle against the flesh and real objective enemies to our faith, but the battle is not solely about our strategies and disciplines. Our strategies and disciplines are only ways to center ourselves within the moving work of the Spirit. When we have disciplined ourselves before God, the Holy Spirit can do its work. If our disciplines are only about making ourselves better in our own strength, then that is all we will develop—the fruit of our own strength. But if our work brings us into God’s presence where we can pray, the work of God happens in us.
Aaron and Hur needed to help. The battle for freedom isn’t a personal battle. We are not just seeking our personal freedom against lust, materialism, fear and people-pleasing. We are seeking to be a freed people who are no longer enamored by the charms of the flesh. So Joshua needs Moses and Moses needs Joshua. Both of them need Aaron and Hur. Together, they wage the war tangibly, spiritually and socially and God gets the credit.
Which part of the battle comes most easily/difficult for you? Tangible? Spiritual? Social?
posted by Marc
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