Title: Victory over Amalek/Exodus 17:8-16
Contents Victory over Amalek/Exodus 17:8~16
When the Israelites left Egypt and passed through the Wilderness of Sin to a place called Rephidim, they complained against Moses because there was no water to drink, and they thought, 'Isn't God among us?' I think this is not our self-portrait today, and we would like to share the grace of how we won the war against Amalek.
1. The Rephidim War
Verse 8 says, “Amalek came at that time and fought with Israel at Rephidim.” The word ‘time’ here refers to the ‘time’ in Rephidim when the people complained and quarreled with Moses over water.
Then war broke out in Israel. Under what circumstances did the war break out? When they rejected God's guidance and rebelled against God's providence, complained and argued, God made war on them. War broke out when we did not believe in God and did not believe and doubt God. At this time, God is mobilizing Amalek to enlighten the people of Israel.
On the other hand, Amalek appears as a typical figure of Satan. Amalek is against the people of Israel. In the Bible, Pharaoh of Egypt, Amalek in the text, Haman in Esther, and Herod who persecuted Jesus in the New Testament all appear as typical images of Satan.
We learn three lessons from this Rephidim war. First, God uses war as a means of punishment when we commit a crime. Second, Amalek, who harasses Israel's chosen people, is Satan challenging God at the same time. Thirdly, it is the fact that God protects His chosen people and gives them victory.
In Job 2, when Job was sitting in the ashes and scratching the sores with a piece of tile, his wife said, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die” (verse 9). How stupid is this? Aren't our hearts, our homes, our churches, our workplaces, and our society becoming such a state of affairs today? In times like these, we need Job's patience. “Naked I went out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return to it. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. Let's drive out Amalek, the main culprit of the Rephidim war between good and evil, from our hearts.
2. Moses' Prayer
In verse 9 and below, Moses commanded Joshua to choose soldiers to fight against Amalek. Joshua obeyed immediately, and at the same time Moses went up to the top of the mountain with Aaron and Hur and prayed to the sky. The victory or defeat of the war was not determined by the fighting of the soldiers. It wasn't even decided by Joshua's hand. The judgment was not decided in the field of Rephidim at the bottom of the mountain, but by the hand of Moses at the top of the mountain. In other words, the war was controlled by the hands of Moses' prayer.
However, it is important to remember that Moses is not the only person capable of this. Moses raised his hand, but it was God who heard his prayer and defeated Amalek. This story clearly shows that the war against the Amalekites is entirely up to God's will. Israel won and lost as Moses' hand went up and down, not the people's hand or Joshua's hand. This did not mean that Moses had any magical powers in his hands, but that it was entirely God's miraculous work through prayer. Just as Joshua listened to Moses and led the people to the battlefield of Rephidim, Moses believed God's word and raised his hands to pray. We must see the power of God revealed through Moses' raised hand at this time.
Second, the Israelites must realize that they acted as Satan like Amalek. The Israelites resented Moses. I hated Moses. They even made plans to get rid of Moses. And they complained and complained against God. This was the content that the Amalekites desired the most and were delighted with. In other words, the people of Israel, who harbor such evil feelings, are the faces of Satan and act as enemies like Amalek. If Amalek died through Moses' prayer, we should know that they deserved to die through Moses' prayer. Realizing that the Amalekites in my words, the Amalekites of my family, and the Amalekites of my workplace are not others, but themselves, let us boldly kill the blood, stubbornness, and pride, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Third, they were faithful to the division of roles they were assigned to. Just like Moses raised his hands, it would seem like everyone would win if they all raised their hands, but it's not. If Moses had raised his hands, Aaron and Hur also raised their hands, and all the Israelites who went out to the battlefield at Rephidim had raised their hands, perhaps it was a happy sign and the Amalekites would have captured them and killed them. Only Moses raised his hand. Aaron and Hur supported them from below. Joshua went to the forefront and took the lead, and the people fought hard. It was a great role sharing.
3. Comparison with 6·25
Israel's Rephidim war is similar to Korea's June 25th.
First, it was a shameful battle of kinship. According to Genesis 36:12, Amalek is the grandson of Esau and is, after all, a descendant of Abram. The children (cousins) of the older brother Esau and the younger brother Jacob fought each other. Even on June 25, there were times when friends became enemies on the left and right, people in a neighborhood go north and south, and even a brother and sister became enemies.
Second, the purpose of the war was similar. If June 25 was an ideological battle between democracy and communism, the Rephidim War was also an ideological battle between Esau's materialism and Jacob's theory of justification. I hope that we too should cherish our faith (justice) more than material (red bean soup).
Third, we fought and won through prayer. Even on June 25th, the land was restored with the support of the fervent prayers of the Lord's servants. We also pray for victory through prayer and the word in the spiritual warfare with Amalek.