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Awesome Hands – part 64

“The Lord, our banner”

August 27, 2014

We left off in Exodus chapter 16 with finding out more of our role as the Life of believers to which we have been called to.

In the study this evening, we are going to examine more examples of what it means to be a believer but also what it is we are called to do when we profess to being of God’s flock.

When we are being matured in the Way of the Lord, we are being gently instructed to listen diligently to all the words of the Lord, but there does come a time when the Lord simply expects us to listen as a mature “son” of God (physical sex is of no importance) and then act on those precise instructions.

Today and in the next study, we are going to view the contrast of the two…. a growing son versus a mature son. Today’s study will focus on a “growing son”.

“Pitching in Rephidim”

Exo 17:1  And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.

We find the Israelites, and ourselves by their example, being led away from the wilderness of sin. It was in the wilderness of sin that we were given manna after being given flesh.

In type and shadow, we are given to live according to the old man before we are given “bread” to live as the new man, and that was all covered in the last study.

We are being led each time to another encampment, according to the commandment of the Lord, and now He has commanded that the Israelites pitch their tents in Rephidim.

H7508

rephı̂ydı̂ym

BDB Definition:

Rephidim = “rests” or “stays” or “resting places”

1) a station of Israel in the wilderness between Egypt and Sinai

Part of Speech: noun proper masculine plural locative

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from the same as H7507

It is here in this place of rest that we again find no water. What then, do you think will be the response from the doubting Israelites when they again are given a trial and led into temptation?

Exo 17:2  Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
Exo 17:3  And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

I mention temptation because we just read that the people chided Moses and therefore tempted the Lord, but it is the Lord that led them there by commandment.

This is very similar to being told that the Spirit leads us just as Christ was led.

Luk 4:1  And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2  Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

We know that we are told to listen diligently to the Lord, but it is the Lord who gives us the ability to obey His commandments or not.

Exo 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Job 33:15  In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
Job 33:16  Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction
Job 33:17  That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

So, it is not a stretch to understand that it is the Lord who has led us here to tempt Him, but this is not for no reason. There is always a lesson to be learned by what the Lord puts us in.

Every trial and temptation is for our good, and the Israelites were being used here in Exodus for our benefit.

Here then is one of those benefits we are being shown in Exodus.

Exo 17:4  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
Exo 17:5  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
Exo 17:6  Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Exo 17:7  And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

Now we know that the parting of the Red Sea was due to the power the Lord gave Moses in the form of the rod.

The Lord now tells Moses to smite the rock of Horeb so that water comes out of it.

What other Rock do we know of that brings forth water?

Zec 13:7  Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

Mat 26:29  But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Mat 26:30  And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Mat 26:31  Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

Rom 9:33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1Co 10:2  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

 

“Smite the rock”

When we do as the Lord commands, just as Moses does here, we will be given Jesus Christ.

In type, Moses did exactly what the Lord tells him to do in that Moses smites the rock and it brings forth water.

This water of course was for their physical thirst, but we also know we just read that they also drank of the spiritual Rock which is, was and will always be Christ.

As a result, Moses will be used to give his people victory, and his people will equally be used to help him provide that victory.

What victory are they and we going to be given?

Exo 17:8  Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Exo 17:9  And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
Exo 17:10  So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Exo 17:11  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Exo 17:12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

It is right after Moses smites the rock that a fight begins.

The sheep of the Lord are scattered when the Shepherd is smote , and as the Lord goes to find the lost sheep, He does so with those who are having a battle rage in them.

Now, I know that I am mixing two very different stories together, but I will ask you to consider if they really are two different stories or are they two different angles and ways to explain the same spiritual lesson to us?

Mat 26:31  Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

See, when Christ was taken captive, the sheep under His care were scattered. Another way to say this is that a fight began in the hearts and minds of His disciples.

Here is what Peter says to Jesus in regards to being “offended this night”.

Mat 26:33  Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Mat 26:34  Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Mat 26:35  Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

The battle that begins with the Shepherd and Rock being smitten is that of the flesh battle with the spiritual, the natural man battling the spiritual, the carnal mind battling the mind of Christ.

If you think this is exclusive only to the sheep, let us see if the Shepherd is immune.

Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

When you connect the Truth that Jesus desired to have the cup pass from Him if it were possible, with Moses not being able to stand in his time of war, then you will know why it is Christ goes after His sheep.

It is now in Exodus that we are presented with war coming upon Israel, and that war is with Amalek.

H6002

‛ămâlêq

am-aw-lake’

Probably of foreign origin; Amalek, a descendant of Esau; also his posterity and their country: – Amalek.

We see a battle taking place with the descendants of Esau, our twin brother. Israel are descendants of Jacob of course.

What then does this battle tell us spiritually? What is it were can know about the lesson of Moses being helped by his kin, his brothers?

1Pe 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

What was different about how Jesus handled His temptation in the wilderness where He asked His disciples to wait and pray with Him? Jesus went on to say “nevertheless, thy will be done”.

For us, as the body of Christ, we are Aaron and Hur who hold up the arms of our brothers and sisters to help them win the battles they are in against whatever it is their battle is against.

Indeed, we are all in this war together.

Notice, it is Jesus who is our example of how to fight, and that example is “nevertheless, thy will be done”, but we are not always able to hold the Rod of God upright so that we can prevail in battle.

We need others to help us. Also notice that this is the first time we see Joshua come on the scene to do the ACTUAL fighting.

yehôshûa‛

BDB Definition:

Joshua or Jehoshua = “Jehovah is salvation”

We are simply here to see the battle rage on. We are witnesses from a hill that look down into the valley of death and see that it is the salvation of God who fights for us.

So, why does the “salvation of Jehovah” fight for us? Why does the Lord go looking for His sheep? How can we be so important to the Lord?

Eph 1:15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Eph 1:16  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of HIS INHERITANCE in the saints,
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

We are the bride of Christ, we are the glory of His inheritance, we are the fullness of Him!

We are so very important to Jesus, who like the first Adam, seeks for one made for him and is given his wife Eve.

The type of this, and why this battle we witness in Exodus 17 is so important for us to understand, is that Jesus Christ wants to be united with His body and will have His body be united to Him.

Exo 17:13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Exo 17:14  And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
Exo 17:15  And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
Exo 17:16  For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

We have an altar, for which we come to, and the name of that altar is “the Lord is our banner”.

If you ever doubt how important you are to your Lord and Husband, have no doubt that He does not forget and is Faithful to remember just how important you are to Him.

For, it is continuously being rehearsed in His ear as He sits on the right hand of God.

In the next study, we are going to see the entrance of Moses father in law and the instructions given to Moses by Jethro, which are so paramount to the functioning of a healthy body and a peculiar people.