Raise Your Hands — Scripture Reflection #085
Exodus 17:10-13 (New Living Translation)
10 So Joshua did what Moses had commanded, and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. 11 As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 13 As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.
The Israelites—recently freed from slavery, and still making their way to the Promised Land—had a serious trust issue. Despite all that God had done for them up to this point, the Israelites were complaining against and questioning God and His leadership choice of Moses and Aaron. Simply put, they were not ready to enter the Promised Land. Nor were they ready to trust God in the battles necessary to claim that land.
The battle with the Amalekites served as an opportunity for God to show His power and for the Israelites to further put their faith in Him. In this battle, we see God at work in a supernatural way: when Moses lifted his hands and the staff of God, the Israelites were winning the battle; however, when his hands dropped, they were losing. This would teach the people, and their leaders, that they must rely not on their own limited strength, but on God’s unending power to win their battles.
Similarly, in our lives today, our strength is limited. We cannot solve all of our problems or win all our battles on our own. We cannot be the people God wants us to be on our own. We cannot claim the promises of God without God. Thankfully, the solution to these problems is found in today’s passage: you must raise your hands in praise and surrender to God, trusting that where your strength may fail, His never will. As we do this—as we lift our hands to the One enthroned in Heaven—we will start winning our battles, just like the Israelites did!
The Prayer: God Almighty, thank You for being strong where I am not. You are reliable and faithful, Lord, and I can trust in You. Please remind me to raise my hands to You when I am faced with life’s difficulties. And when my strength fails, please show me the people You have placed around me who can lift my hands for me. I love You and thank You, God. Amen.
