May 1, 2013
HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER
Exodus 17
Cindy Wright
Central Truth
God provides us with Christian community to support and encourage us when we become weary in our walk.
Key Verse | Exodus 17:12
But Moses' hands were heavy. Then 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 one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. (Exodus 17:12)
Exodus 17
Water from the Rock
1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah 1 17:7 Massah means testing and Meribah, 2 17:7 Meribah means quarreling because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
Israel Defeats Amalek
8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne 3 17:16 A slight change would yield upon the banner of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Dive Deeper | Exodus 17
One of the Bible ''misquotes" I hear most often goes like this: "God never gives us more than we can handle." That quote is not found in the Bible. Honestly, God often gives us more than we can handle . . . alone. The most obvious example is redemption from our sins. Because we are totally unable to attain that on our own, God provided it through His Son, Jesus Christ. There are so many examples in the Bible that show our need of the support of each other as we go through life. Job definitely comes to mind, as well as all the "one another" passages in the New Testament. But my favorite example is right here in Exodus 17.
The first half of the chapter is probably the one most people remember. Who doesn't love how the Lord shows His power by using Moses to strike a rock and bring forth water!? But the very next task Moses had to fulfill required help from others. He simply could not hold up his hands any longer and needed help. Aaron and Hur sat him down on a rock and held up Moses' hands for him, enabling Joshua to defeat the Amalekite army.
What a beautiful picture of the support of community. Life is tough. We can't, and shouldn't try, to handle it alone. Galatians 6:2 (NIV) says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." A popular song from the 60's says, "He ain't heavy, he's my brother." It is said that the song was inspired by the motto of Boys Town, a community in Nebraska founded in 1917 by Father Flanagan, where homeless or troubled boys could go for help. The idea is that carrying your brother is not a burden. After all, he's your brother! I hope that you who read this are in a community of believers who can help each other through the burdens of life.
Discussion Questions
1. Are you in a community group or do you have a community of believers surrounding you to support, encourage, pray for, and challenge you?
2. What burdens are you trying to carry alone?
3. Who are you supporting with prayer and godly encouragement?
4. Have you accepted Jesus Christ for the redemption of your sins? If you have questions about how to do this, please contact The Journey staff by leaving a comment on this devotional.