What Are You a Doing Moses?

Perspective is everything isn't it?

It is easy to lose perspective while on the field of battle.

Many times, when we lose perspective, and get caught up in battles that we seem to be losing,

we will begin to look for somebody to blame, or a way out of the battle..

As I was praying over some recent errors of my own, The Lord showed me the battle between The Children of  Israel and the Amalekites.

I can imagine there was a warrior or two that were getting weary in battle. I got a picture of a warrior covered in sweat and blood. They see comrades falling beside them. It seems they win, then lose, then win, then lose. I imagine it must have gotten frustrating at times. 

I then saw this warrior looking up and seeing Moses sitting high up away from the battle, sitting on a rock having his support team holding up his arms

 I wonder if a warrior or two thought to themselves: 

"What are you doing Moses? Sitting up there, resting on a rock, can't even hold your own hands up, you even have people to do that for you. Come down here and help!"

From their perspective, Moses may have looked like he didn't care about their plight. From their perspective it may have seemed like they were sent into battle by a leader who thought he was to important to come down the hill and fight in the battle.

Oh, but how wrong they would have been. 

From the perspective of  Moses,  he heard the command of The Lord,  He raised The Staff of The Lord, and saw that when he lowered his hands, the ones he sent into battle, began to be overcome. So he stood and held his arms up until the point of exhaustion. He knew he could not leave the warriors on the field to lose, so Aaron and Hur came to his side, to hold his arms high. Imagine the pain in his hands and arms as the blood drained from them, and his muscles began to cramp.

If he would have left his place, and joined the battlefield, the warriors would have been defeated, along with Moses.

Perspective Is Everything

Exodus 17:8-16 (NLT)

Israel Defeats the Amalekites

8 While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. 9 Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”

10 So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. 11 As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 13 As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.

14 After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). 16 He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now[a] the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”