“So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:10-12).
How do you feel about those who lead? Do you find yourself tending to be critical of those who lead or supportive of those who lead? Being a leader can be a lonely position when you don’t feel the support of those whom you are attempting to lead.
As Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, he is doing his best to serve God and lead God’s people to the Promised Land which God has given them. However, within a very short period of time, Israel begins heaping criticism upon his leadership. For example, within a few weeks of God’s wiping out Pharaoh and his army by drowning them in the Red Sea, Israel begins complaining to Moses about not having anything to drink (Exodus 15:23-25). Within a month of leaving the slavery of Egypt, God’s people rise up again Moses and Aaron and begin complaining about having a lack of food and even express a desire wishing they had died back in Egypt (Exodus 16:2-3). Again, as they continue their journey from the Wilderness of Sin and encamp at Rephidim, the people complain against Moses and accuse him of bringing them out of Egypt with a motive of trying to kill them with thirst (Exodus 17:1-3). Each time the people complained, Moses, as a godly leader, worked with God and God provided for the people’s needs. There appears to have been no gratitude on part of the people to thank Moses for what he was doing. Being God’s leader was an unappreciated position of service.
As if he was not faced with enough challenges, now Moses has to deal with an attack by the Amalekites upon God’s people (Exodus 17:8). Moses calls upon Joshua to gather some men and go and fight against Amalek. Moses goes to the top of the hill and oversees this battle with the rod of God in his hand (Exodus 17:9). Then, as the opening verses describe, as he holds the rod of God up, God’s people prevail; but, when he is too weak to hold it up, Amalek prevails (Acts 17:10-11). Thankfully, Moses had Aaron and Hur to support his hands and keep them held up so Israel could claim the victory (Exodus 17:12). Without their support, Israel would have not won this battle.
The church needs a lot more people like Aaron and Hur who stand behind godly leaders and offer them their support. Godly leaders have to make very difficult decisions at times, lead the church through the ups and downs, all in an effort to help God’s people towards our Promised Land of Heaven (cf. Hebrews 13:17). At times, like Moses, they hear a lot of criticism from those they are attempting to lead. Many leaders become discouraged and simply give up their leadership positions.
Whether they be elders, preachers, teachers, or other types of servants of God, like Aaron and Hur we should be there beside them to hold up their hands. So often we allow ourselves to become tools of Satan by being critical of a preacher for preaching too long, or a teacher for not being “dynamic” enough, or elders for not making the decisions we think they ought. Satan is doing his best to discourage them in their efforts to serve God. Don’t allow him to use you as his tool to discourage these fellow servants of God. Today, think of someone who is striving to serve God and pray for them and speak a word of encouragement to them.
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).