Word of Salvation – Vol. 14 No. 33 – August 1968
How They Won The War
Sermon by Rev. J. F. H. VanderBom, B.D. on Exodus 17:8-15
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 27; Exodus 17:1-15
PSALTER HYMNAL: 260; 242; 444:2; 80:1-4; 315; 311
Brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Do you believe in the victory?
One day it will be seen that Jesus reigns. And His people will reign with Him. Paul tells us that the whole creation waits to see that. Children of God becoming visible. This will be the end – when every eye shall see Him victorious with his people.
But part of that victory may already be seen to-day. If there is a difference, if there are the people of God, then they will show up here and now already. Our fathers spoke about the antithesis. Right through mankind there falls a line that marks the contrast, the demarcation line, between light and darkness. But the contrast has not been settled yet. That’s why there is constant war. The Bible brings the joyful message of victory. But the same Bible also tells us the story of the numerous wars. Thus we read in our text: “Then came Amalek and fought with Israel at Rephidim.” In the deserts near Sinai, where Israel had made their camps – in one of the oases – war broke out…!
Now at first sight you might try to give a simple explanation for such a war. Of course it had to come to a clash, you may say. Israel and Amalek were both keen to have the same territory. There were the conflicting material and political interests. Both of them wanted to have things their own way. Of course, this must lead to war.
The Word of God tells us a different story. According to the Bible, we should look a little higher up. Here it was not a clash on the human level, of material interests in the first place. Here it was the mind of the flesh that clashed, because it stood over against the mind and purposes of Israel’s saving God. Where Israel was on its exodus – where the Lord had led his people on the way of redemption – there came that sudden and treacherous attack by the hordes of the Amalekites (Deuteronomy 25).
Now we do not mean to say, of course, that the Amalekites in themselves were all such bad and wicked people. Neither were the souls of the Israelites all so nice and clean and sweet. The Bible never tells us of a warfare of ‘the goodies against the badies’.
God’s Word shows us one thing: that the mind of the flesh is opposed to the thoughts of God. But His purpose will prevail. His victory is at stake. In Amalek’s aggression against God’s people on their exodus, we see part of the bitter world conflict.
Amalek was called (by Balaam) the first born of the heathen nations. It was foremost in bringing affliction to Israel, and so opposing the saving work of God. And the spirit of Amalek is still there. It will never give in. Which means war. Amalek fought with Israel.
What must we now say of Israel? Are God’s people – as people – so much better, nobler? We could rather say: the Israelites and their thoughts are just as foolish and conceited as the thoughts of their enemies. Or is there indeed so much difference between the church, God’s people, and the children of the world?
There is NO DIFFERENCE at all, APART FROM THE GREAT DIFFERENCE WHICH GOD HIMSELF HAS MADE.
There are still people who have never clearly seen the difference. Brother, it is possible to belong to Israel, yes, and even to belong to the people of God (we mean: the church) to-day, and still to be blind to that mighty reality that there is the light shining over poor Israel… “Happy are you, Israel, who is like you, a people saved by the Lord.”
God looks at his people as though it is a jewel in the sunlight. How blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. He fights for them.
In themselves they may be silly people. Still, they are on the way of their redemption. This is the great reality which no man seems to see. This is the reality of salvation which even God’s own people sometimes fail to see. But praise God for the reality. It exists. And part of that reality is also that a war is to be fought. Amalek and Israel…. they had to meet. “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other.”
* * * * * *
Now we must see there is something remarkable in the fight of God’s people. “And Moses said to Joshua: Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” Joshua must mobilize all the forces, a real people’s army. Still we read also that it shall be a war of the Lord for the full 100%. (Isn’t this interesting?) For the first time we read that Moses gives orders to have an army ready. In the past there had never been an army. It was the Lord Himself who fought the Egyptians. He did it alone. At the Red Sea the people were told: “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still.”
But now the time has come for Joshua to take the initiative. Don’t you think this contains a very important lesson for the church? Yes, Israel may still rely on the Lord as its strong Ally. Our fights are His fights. And His shall be the victory. Still, in the progress of His work of salvation, the Lord never destroys our human responsibility. Rather, He renews and sanctifies our will, so that by faith and perseverance we may take our part in the Lord’s battle.
You see, this makes the battle of God’s children a fight of a very special nature. Joshua is fully responsible. In the plain they have to fight hard. There is no easy way out for God’s people. Still, there is another frontier, another theatre of operations which is even more decisive. “And Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill.”
Moses on the mountain. What was he expected to do? Was he there to give orders, or perhaps encouragement?
No, Moses was not a spectator. Moses was the real fighter. The Hill was the main operations base. Just look what is in Moses’ hand. His rod? No, he speaks now of the rod of God! Sure, it was the old, and ordinary rod of Moses. Nothing magical had happened to the rod. But because of the fact that the rod had been used so many times to work God’s great deeds of salvation, Moses and the people could now look upon it as a real sacrament of God’s faithfulness, an emblem of His unfailing mercy and power.
Holding up the rod of God was understood as a cry of faith: Lord, Thy Word to me remember; Thou hast made me hope in Thee…! Great Shepherd of Israel, look down upon Thy flock. Our help is in the Name of the Lord….! Did we in our own strength confide, our battle would be losing…!
For Moses, the holding of the rod had the same meaning as the bread and the wine of the Lord’s Supper, or the water of baptism, for you and me. “Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but Thy Name, Thy work must conquer. Why would the nations now say where is their God?”
When the text was read, you may have thought: This is “only” an Old Testament story. But let us not forget! – the battle is the same. A victory must be won. Do you know that we, with all our efforts, would never obtain victory? But we have a faithful Mediator Who lives on the mountain to make intercession for us. “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.”
And this is saving knowledge. Here lies the only source of hope for real Christian action. As the battling army of the Israelites saw Moses on the hill with his hands lifted on high, so do we see Jesus.
No, we do not see the victory yet. But seeing Jesus makes all the difference. It gives us faith and perseverance. And in our battles, we may show that we belong to Him. His Name may not be blasphemed among the heathen because of us. Through us the difference must become visible. His power must become manifest in the world. “Lo, I am with you, all the days…!” “And with Thy help, O Lord, our battles we win.” So then let us not rely on ourselves.
* * * * * *
“Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him…. and Aaron and Hur held up his hands….!”
Do you understand what Aaron and Hur had to do? When Moses became tired, they supported his arms. Still, there was more to it than giving their leader some physical and moral support. They felt they should not leave Moses alone in his spiritual struggle. Moses was Israel’s mediator. But he was only a weak and imperfect mediator. It gave him comfort and strength to have the sympathy and support of God’s other children behind him.
We have already spoken of the better Mediator. Still, my brothers and sisters, have you ever considered that even the Lord Jesus Christ became weary under the cross? He has been so lonely. Can He be assured of your sympathy? Are you with Him? Are you truly behind Him? Here is a spiritual rule, that the victories of the church depend also on the spiritual fellowship that prevails in the church!
Why do we lose courage so often? Why is there so little joy, why are we not surer of our victories? The reason may be very simply this, that a brother lets his brother down. Instead of “seeing the brothers and taking courage”, it can happen that we lose courage and get down-hearted when we see the brothers. We complain because we do not see more victories. But victories are always given where there is harmony between action, prayer and fellowship.
“And so Moses’ hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.” This was the end of the weary battle: the victory, which from beginning to end was a gift of Israel’s great God. And at the same time it was a victory for which all God’s people had fought with all their strength.
Do you remember the beautiful prayer from our Form for Infant Baptism? There is this very moving passage: “that under our High Priest Jesus Christ they may fight against and overcome sin, the devil and his whole dominion…!” No there is no victory without the fight. Remember Jesus’ prayer: “Father, I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one.”
* * * * * *
Now these things were to be written in a book. “And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Write this as a memorial in a book…!
To-day the book is with us. The book of the spiritual warfare, …of the fights and victories of the Lord with His people – it was written that His mighty deeds should be preserved. They must be read and heard in as many languages as possible. Your children may tell you: “There is so much that we must read…!” But parents are bound to instruct their children. The church cannot afford to live without the book.
The book is there, first of all, to preserve the records of God’s deeds for His own people. Joshua, the future leader of the armies of Israel, must know once and for all that the secret of Israel’s victory is not by might nor by power. How happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
This is the sign; this is the secret by which the church shall win: that her leaders are like children, because the children of God are the leaders of the church!
But the book is there also for the world. In the centre of world history there is the altar of God, the record of what God has done and will do. For the battle is not finished yet. The Lord is going to continue and to consummate what He has begun. The world itself may know this.
Have you seen the fight of the Lord already? Have you been in the fight? Did you ever witness a victory? Then, are you prepared for the next fight?
The rod which Moses held up was the banner of God the symbol and pledge of His presence and working. And he held it up, not over Israel, not over their enemies, but toward heaven in prayer, to bring down that promised help in Israel’s actual contest.
But after the battle was over, the banner still remained. More victories must be won. For Jesus must reign from shore to shore. The difference must become visible in ever wider spheres. Families must be won for Him. Communities, yes, and whole nations must see Him and bow before His royal banner. One question. It is the same question we began with. Brothers, sisters, young friends, do you believe in the victory?
Today the complaint is heard so often: we do not grow. There are no victories. It seems that only the world grows. Sin grows. Satan is so active and powerful. Yes, and Satan’s power seems to indicate that the power of the people of God is decreasing and weakening.
But then: how small was Israel in the desert, and how weak was their power compared with the aggressive armies of the Amalekites! Here is the book that tells us that God’s people won only because they believed. Yes, God had planned victory for them. But God had planned His victory as an answer to their action, their exercise of faith.
And to-day there is no other remedy for the weakness and failures of the church, than this: that we strengthen our hands in the Lord, and live more closely with Jesus.
“Some boast of chariots, and some of horses, but we boast of the name of the Lord our God.” No, the Christian’s fight is not easy. But we have a mighty ally. This is the victory that conquers the world: our faith.
People who believe in Jesus, and in the power of His prayer for us, will always be amazed at seeing more wonderful deeds which He works through His church. And He cannot become weary any more. And with us is the book, the memorial of the victories of God. “The Lord is my banner.”
Amen.