By Sister Tarpley, NDG Religion Editor
“The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands'” Exodus 17:9.
Moses’ staff represented his vocation as a shepherd. When God first met Moses’ in the desert at the burning bush, He told him that He was going to use his staff to perform miracles and bring a people out of slavery.
God related to Moses through his vocation as a shepherd. Moses later faced one of his enemies in the new land, the Amalekites. God told him to go to the top of the mountain and hold his staff up to heaven. As long as his staff was outstretched to heaven, Israel would win the battle. But if it was not uplifted, they would suffer defeat.
“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.” Exodus 17:10-11.
Isn’t this an interesting picture? When we raise our “staffs” up to the Lord, He becomes our protector. He is our defender. As long we offer up our staffs before the Lord, He can work through it. He works on our behalf. When we lower it, we lose the blessing of God.
When God told Moses He was going to use his staff to bring a people out of bondage, he first had to lay his staff down on the ground. God changed it into a snake and then God told Moses to pick it up by the tail. God was telling Moses to take authority over the serpent in this prophetic act.
When Moses picked up the staff, the scripture tells us it is no longer Moses’ staff, but it is now the staff of God.
My Christen friend, the lesson for us is to continually offer up our lives to the Lord and see His protection and blessing upon us as we continually raise our lives to the Lord for His use.
Tell God that for every hurt, every fear, every worry, every need, there is a remedy–through the power of the Resurrection, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the care of the Almighty and everything is going to be all right. As long as God is in control of your life, everything is going to be all right. I hold to the Savior’s invitation to “come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Praise the Father, for loving you so much that He sent His only begotten son, full of grace and truth, to take our sins upon Him that we might be made righteous in God’s sight.
Thank You God, for the tremendous sacrifice, for Your love and mercy, for life eternal, for being all that really matters–for being our Remedy. Tell God that you I love Him, In the name of Jesus.
