THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #37 | THE LIFE OF MOSES #19
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3719
THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #37
THE LIFE OF MOSES #19
GOD'S MOST HOLY NAME: YHVH #12
3 REVELATIONS OF YHVH'S NAME GIVEN TO MOSES #7
YHVH NISSI ( Part 3 )
The Battle of Rephidim is seldom given its due recognition as an important battle in the Bible.
When Israel faced the Amalekites in this battle at Rephidim, it wasn’t with overwhelming force, an experienced army, or the best commanders.
Israel en route to the Promised Land was like a transient tribe of herdsmen escaping slavery in Egypt and travelling uncertainly to a land they hadn’t seen in over four hundred years.
They were trespassers travelling through the lands of fierce fighting peoples.
They travelled with women, children, herds, and all their possessions.
The battle was thus for sheer survival, for hope and a future.
But they travelled with something else too, something that no other nation on earth had – a pillar of fire, a cloud of smoke, the very presence of God.
Thus Israel did not fight its battles alone. God was there fighting alongside them.
God was teaching His Chosen People that they only have victory through Him and that all should rally around Him and lift up their hands and voices in praise to Him alone.
Our battles can be internal, external or both. They can come through other people, spiritual forces or our own fallen nature. But Jesus is our rallying point in each of these.
What is today's teaching all about?
In the natural, Israel under Moses - if not for God's help and protection - would be slaughtered by their enemies and passed over as a forgotten entity in unmarked graves in the desert sand. There will be no historical record of their very existence.
Likewise in the natural without Jesus, we would not win the battle against invisible satanic forces nor overcome our sin nature, our flesh life, our selfishness.
Amalek in the Bible is a type of our fleshly nature. You know who this person is ... the one which you have problems with on a daily basis!
So God was teaching Moses, the Israelites, and us about this battle that we are in.
The battle belongs to the Lord.
It doesn't come down to our strength or great numbers.
It comes down to God's response to our praise and surrender (pictured in Moses raising his hands to heaven).
Moses built an altar and called it The LORD IS MY BANNER (YHVH Nissi). In fact he said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation." ( Exodus 17:16 )
But under YHVH Nissi they were overcomers. No matter how inexperienced or overmatched they were, they were never the underdogs.
No matter how desperate they felt, they were never at a loss.
The Great General, the Perfect Protector, the LORD was with them.
Their victory at Rephidim was thus a glorious day. It was a day to remember, for it was the day God first showed them as a nation that He fought for them, that He led them into battle, that He protected and conquered on their behalf, and that He was their banner.
Let us pray.
O God, Your banner over us is love.
Help us to keep our focus on You in our daily spiritual battles.
Help us to do this as instruments of Your peace.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
