“Moses built an altar and called it,
‘The LORD is my banner.’”
Exodus 17:15
Because his heart was filled with gratitude, Moses built this altar to praise God for His provision.
We often ask God for help in the midst of the battle. These prayers are often both short and passionate—like Peter crying out, “Jesus, save me!” as he was sinking.
We often seek His help before going into the battle, our insufficiency and uncertainty prompting us to intercede for His help.
But the mature believer also remembers to cycle back after the battle, to acknowledge God’s provision and express gratitude for His abiding and sustaining presence.
The battle that prompted this altar was with the Amalekites. (For all the action, back up and read Exodus 17 in its entirety). As Joshua led the Israelites in fighting the physical battle, Moses fought spiritually by lifting up his arms. Surely, this outward raising of arms reflected an inward calling out in prayer. As long as Moses hands were raised, the Israelites were victorious. When his arms were lowered, the Amalekites pulled ahead.
When Moses grew weary, Aaron and Hur held up his arms. What a beautiful picture of community in the body of Christ!
Who is my Aaron and my Hur? Who is yours?
Perhaps there were other personal occasions (unrecorded in scripture) when Moses and Aaron held up Hur, and when Hur and Moses held up Aaron.
We need each other. God designed us for relationship. We were not meant to live alone. We need Aarons and Hurs in our lives to spur us on and hold us up when we grow weary. These trusted friends help sustain us when we are tired. They keep our compass pointed in a God-ward direction. They encourage us to keep seeking God even when — especially when — the battle rages.
When I served as a hospital chaplain I often would ask as I entered a patient’s room, “Are you a woman of faith? May I pray with you?” Even as they welcomed my prayers, often the patient would sigh and respond to my first question, “I used to be in church, but it’s been a long time since I lived that life.”
Those responses simultaneously confused and saddened me. How could one know the love of God and the fellowship of Christian community and walk away from it? I could only conclude that while God is perfect, humans are not. We hurt and wound one another … and the fallout is often sheep leaving the safety of the fold.
When we are tempted to walk away, a Hur and an Aaron should draw us back. When Hur and Aaron have our back, our feet stay planted on holy ground and our arms stay outstretched to God.
But here’s the thing: you can’t wait for the battle to find Aaron and Hur. We need to cultivate those relationships now, so that we are ready when the hard things come.
Aaron and Hur serve a powerful role in our lives. But Aaron and Hur make lousy gods. They are not God. In fact, Aaron and Hur might even let us down. Moses did not put the names of Aaron and Hur on his altar. His altar read, “The LORD is my banner.”
Long after Moses moved on, that altar would be there — standing as a monument to His great God. Acknowledging God, bragging on God, making much of God. Perhaps as others passed by, they would be reminded to thank God for His provision in their lives or to consider calling on Him for help in the battle they faced.
Aaron and Hur could look on that altar and rejoice with Moses. They could praise God for allowing them to be used by God, knowing their obedience and their faithfulness had helped Moses stand firm, seeking God all the way to the end of the battle.
We need each other.
We need an Aaron and a Hur.
We need to BE an Aaron and a Hur.
Sometimes we are Moses, fighting the battle. Sometimes we are Aaron and Hur helping Moses stay standing. That’s what Christian community is all about.
Perhaps part of what made Moses a good leader was the humility to know he needed Hur and Aaron. But most of all, he needed who we all need: God.
Do you have a Hur and an Aaron in your life?
Are you keeping your arms raised to God in the battle?
Have you built an “altar” to declare, “the Lord is my banner?”
Our 21-st century altars might not be made of brick, stone, or wood. They might be prayers written in our journals or words of praise shared with those in our hearts. But the heart and mindset will be the same as they were for Moses: God gets the glory for this victory!
We’re already half way through March!
Won’t you join us for the remaining weeks,
as we study the God’s Word together?
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