THE STAFF OF THE LORD

Exodus 17:8-16

According to the passage that we just read, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. They attacked the weakest part of the people and that was the reason why God said that He’d destroy them completely. The first step for this was the counterattack that Moses planned: Joshua and the army should be in the valley while Moses, Aaron and Hur would be at the top of the mountain. And the staff of God would be in the hands of Moses. That’s our lesson.

I • THE STAFF OF GOD

The term “staff of God” appears only two times in the Bible (this one and the time when Moses, still living with his father in law, decides to go back to Egypt to free his people). The name “staff of God” gives, almost automatically, the idea of power to change the world, to save the weak, to heal the broken. Power. Simple as that. Power.

And, actually, the staff of God had indeed all that power and more. Nevertheless, just like a guitar by itself is worthless, the staff of God needed to be in the hand of somebody in order to unleash the power.

II • THE STAFF OF GOD IN THE HAND OF MOSES

Who wouldn’t love to lay a hand in that powerful staff, even for just a moment? Having the power of God at our service. Be able to hold that relic should be cool. But, if the “staff of God” only appears two times in the Bible but the staff itself appears a lot of times more, what was it called? Answer: The staff of Moses. Yep. The staff of God is the same staff that cut the sea in two, the same that turn the Nile into blood, the same that filled the city with frogs, the same that draw water from the rock, the same one that darkened the sun, the same staff of Moses. So, the staff of God isn’t a piece of wooden specially blessed, but a rod in the hand of a God’s servant who believed and obeyed God.

Now, since the rod was used to, among other things, protect the lambs when were attacked by wolfs, it wasn’t a weak staff, but a hard, strong and heavy one. And Moses was supposed to hold it high so Israel could win the fight. The problem was obvious: tiredness. So Aaron and Hur came up with a great and working idea.

III • THE ARMS OF MOSES IN THE HANDS OF OTHERS

They sat Moses down in a stone, so they could hold his arms “high” until the Israelites get the victory. Good strategy!

Aaron and Hur could have propose to Moses to hold the staff by turns. First Moses, then Aaron and then Hur, and the cycle would start again. But it wasn’t the right thing. Why? Because Moses was the one called to hold the staff, so Aaron and Hur asked themselves: “If Moses part is to hold that up, what should we do?” And they crashed right unto the answer: “We should hold Moses!” That’s team work! Up in the hill, Moses was holding the staff while Aaron and Hur were holding Moses, and in the valley Joshua was fighting with the army.

CONCLUSION

From this passage, the great lesson for this day can illustrate with a game of words in the English language: the STAFF of God isn’t a piece of wooden, but a group of people, like a church staff, concert staff, newspaper staff, etc. The staff of God is not a relic lost in some foreign monastic refuge, but a group of people that follows the Lord, serving and loving people in Jesus name. The ones who hold the rod high (in leadership and Word teaching). The ones who hold these ones up (helping and serving in every aspect of the church). The ones who lead the armies that helps in the society and the people that form these armies. You are the staff of God!

And all that we should be doing is to hold high the name of Jesus. Make Him famous. Protecting His truth. Proclaiming Him out loud with our lives! And then, God’s people will always win the battle!