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| James Lesson #27 Look at Exodus 17. In this chapter, the children of Israel have come out of the land of Egypt. They have come to the wilderness of sin (it�s literally called that-) In that �wilderness of sin,� they become very very thirsty. The people get restless and ticked off at Moses. They murmur and complain about the condition they�re in. Moses goes to God and asks God what to do. God tells Moses to take the staff that�s in his hand and strike the rock. When you strike the rock � Read verses 5-7 Ever been in a position of absolute impossibility? Where you�re absolutely tested to the wall as to whether or not you believe enough to trust the �heart of God?� Moses was right there- so were the people. Moses takes his staff and hits the rock. What�s the point in this picture? Turn to I Corinthians 10:1-4. When you�re in an impossible situation � a �no water � we�re going to die � there�s no way out� situation- Remember, the test is meant to DRIVE YOU TO THE ROCK which is greater than you are. It�s meant to drive you right into the arms and lap of Jesus Himself. The rock in Exodus 17 was a picture of Jesus. (mark that) Mt. Horeb was called the �mountain of God.� God told Moses to go to the �mountain of God,� and �strike the rock � which was Jesus,� � why? So that the people could drink from the rock. Mark all of that in Exodus 17. Moses did exactly as God told him. After this event we move into warfare. Look at Exodus 17:8-13 God is giving us a picture of what we do in warfare. Look at the text. Verse 8-9 Notice that the battle is intense � where was Moses stationing himself? �on top of the hill. That�s a position of power and authority. Notice that Israel prevailed against the enemy as long as the rod of God was held up. The enemy doesn�t give up easily. Moses gets tired. Then Moses gets weary. When Moses got weary he began to �lower the rod,� �THAT was when the people began to lose the battle. Remember that God never intended for any of us to walk alone right? In the heat of the battle � Moses is starting to wilt � to the rescue come Aaron and Hur. They aren�t tired � they�re not in the thick of it. They�ve got strength that Moses doesn�t have. What do they do? Look at verse 12 � Aaron and Hur did what to his hands? SUPPORTED them. Why all the effort? Because the outcome would bless everyone. It wasn�t at all about �Moses� � it was about God�s family. �Amelek� is a picture of our �flesh.� Mark that. When we battle with desire we start off by doing exactly what Moses did � we move to a high position of authority and power: the one given to us by God. Remember, when our position and our authority begins to drop � the enemy prevails. WE are the �restraining� influence. Aaron and Hur are pictures of the �support of other believers.� Look at verse 13. How did Joshua overwhelm them? -with the edge of the sword. The weapons of our warfare include �the sword, which is the Word of God.� Some of you are ready to quit � just walk away from the battle. You�re weary. It�s been going on for a long time. You�ve got thoughts you can�t get out of your head. �Desires you can�t overcome. You�ve tried, and you just can�t escape them. At this point the question in your head is, �What�s the use � I�ve been at this a long time and it�s never going to go away.� Really? Turn to Exodus 4. I want to look at the rod / staff that Moses has in his hand. READ verses 1-2. Why was Moses carrying a staff? What had Moses been doing for forty years? He�d been shepherding sheep on the back side of the desert � in �his mind� � forever hidden. He�d been stung deeply � and fled. God�s plan was a little different. This �back side of the desert� in God�s mind was �training ground.� Just before the big �run and hide move,� Moses had played �deliverer� for the nation of Israel and hit the wall at a hundred miles an hour. He �thought� he was doing what he was �supposed to DO-� and in essence, HE WAS. Problem was, being �deliverer� had very little to do with Moses, and a whole lot to do with his heart relationship/dependency on God. Moses was busy �doing� instead of �being� � dependent. He�d tried to �be� what God has �designed� him to be � get this: WITHOUT GOD. - he acted in HIS OWN STRENGTH. Ok � let�s look a little closer and see if we can get the �analogy� that God�s portraying in this picture. God had shown Moses that he was to be the deliverer of Israel � just as when you come to Christ, God reveals to your heart that you will be His hands, His arms, His voice, His presence - What were the children of Israel doing in Egypt? They were slaves. Egypt, all throughout the scriptures is a picture of �the world � flesh.� Who ruled over them? Pharoah. Before we come to Christ we are slaves too � and serve Satan. So many times before we come to �know� Christ we think WE have to �go out there and do it for God � perhaps to be good enough? -to find His pleasure? To try to earn it? And we smack into the wall over and over and over. There�s no relationship � we don�t know the God we �think� we�re serving � and are deceived into believing that �we can do it by ourselves� �and if we do it �right enough,� we�ll earn God�s favor. Wrong- Deliverance and freedom will NOT come through you. Doesn�t work that way. God tells Moses to confront Pharaoh. Moses freaks out because he thinks no one will believe him. Look at Exodus 4:3-5. This �staff� is going to be a �testimony� to the children of Israel that God has appeared to Moses. Look at Exodus 4:21. The word �power� is literally �hand.� Mark that �then reread it and substitute the word hand for power. What was Moses carrying in his �hand?� The staff. The �staff� is a picture of the �power of God.� Mark that. It was the �power of God� that God had put in Moses� hand. Look at Exodus 7:1-3 Pharoah�s hardened heart was going to bring glory to God. Look at verses 4-6. What did he say? He said, �I have given you �POWER.� Where? He was holding it in his hand: the staff. �I have given that to you and THAT will be the means of delivering Israel. Read Exodus 7:9-12 Here�s a �power encounter.� How was Moses to respond? He was to do what God told him � and stand back and watch. Ok- so we�ve got Pharaoh�s snakes over here � Moses� serpents over there � what happens? Moses� serpents swallow up Pharaohs. Look at verse 12. If the staff is a symbol of the power of God, what did we just see? God�s power is greater than the enemy�s power. Mark that. Look at verse 20. Then look at Chapter 8:5-7. Initially it�s just power for power � but God prevails. Read Chapter 8:16-19. Why? Because the enemy�s power could not stand against God�s power. Now- Go back to Exodus 17:13 When the battle is going on in the valley � Joshua is in the field prevailing. Why? Only for one reason. The power of God up on the hill is being upheld. While Joshua is in the heat of the battle, there are others up on the hill SUPPORTING him � by intensely holding up the power of God. Remember: we don�t operate alone. When you are in the heat of the battle you have to remember that the power of warfare is not in you. The victory that comes in warfare is because of the power of God. We�ve seen that our warfare is not a �power encounter. It�s a truth encounter.� They held to the �truth.� The �raising of BOTH hands, raising the staff � showed total �dependence� upon the power of God. When the battle ends they all come under a banner: �The Lord is My Banner.� In the Hebrew, that�s a �name� of God: Jehovah Nissi. If you haven�t marked it already, do. Nissi means �banner.� The banner in warfare is used to declare to everyone involved �whose side you�re on.� When you go into battle you go under the banner of God: doing exactly what HE tells you to do � being careful NOT to move ahead of Him. You keep the �power� of God in your hand. Ok- so how do I walk free? THAT is the question we started out with. Turn to Ephesians 6. In James we�ve talked a lot about �desire� � and �temptation.� We get in trouble � we fall down � we run into the desert of sin thinking we�re going to �hide..� God�s there..and has a plan. Not only does He have a plan for your walk out of the desert � but He has a purpose for your life. Here we go: Ephesians 6:10 � Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of HIS might. �Stand firm in your position of authority and power. You are not a �nobody whimp� that can�t overcome. Look back over your margin notes in Ephesians 1:19-21. The battle may be intense down here on earth (in the valley � as it was with Amalek and Joshua) � but where are we seated? -on the mountain � above the power of the enemy � above the authority of the enemy- with the power of God in our hands. Later on in the story Moses is standing at the Red Sea � the Egyptians are roaring up behind them and he cries out to God �Help!� God basically turns around and says, �Why are you crying out to me? Take the power that�s in your hand and USE IT man! THAT is what God is saying to you and to me. Ok- so putting it in �your words� - You say, �God � and then you tell him what�s tormenting you - I thank you that you�ve positioned me in power over this through Jesus. THEN: you put on the belt of truth. You ask God to show you the truth in whatever your situation is. If you�re battling immorality, adultery, etc � look in the Word and see what God has to say about those things. If you�re in trouble with your mouth- look in the Word and see what God has to say about a mouth out of control..etc. THEN: you put on the breastplate of righteousness by confessing your sin as sin, and naming it for exactly what it is. Don�t get caught in the trap where you say, �God maybe if this is really wrong� � no.. you agree with God because it takes away the ground of the enemy. Then you tell God you don�t want to be involved in it anymore and that you�re sorry you ever went there in the first place. Then tell God that He is righteous in judging whatever sin it is. Then thank God for judging it at Calvary. Tell God that you�re choosing to turn away from whatever it is that you�re doing or thinking. Thank God for the blood of Jesus that �cleanses� you, and then remember that if you confess your sins He is faithful and just to forgive you of sin and �cleanse� you from all unrighteousness. Then thank God for �clothing you in righteousness.� Then- you put on the �shoes of peace.� Ask God to show you if there is anyone that you have not forgiven in your heart. In warfare, you want to cover all the bases. Go into battle with ALL of God�s armor on. If there is someone you have not forgiven, tell God OUT LOUD that out of obedience to Him, you WILL forgive that person. Than thank God that He has forgiven you as you have forgiven them. Thank Him that you now stand at peace with Him and now, with the person you have forgiven. The other person may not be at peace with you, but you are with them, because you have sent away their offense. You�ve given it to God. Then you take up the shield of faith in respect to what you�ve just done. You praise God that His Word is truth and that He�s sanctified you through it. Thank Him for the promise of I John 1:9 and Matthew 6:14. Take the Helmet of Salvation by thanking God for shedding His blood to deliver you. Thank the Holy Spirit for indwelling you and ask Him to completely fill you. What does Ephesians 5:18 say? Be filled with the Holy Spirit. You�ve sent the enemy away- now ask God to fill the vacancy with His Spirit. Take the �sword of the Spirit� which is the Word of God and use it. It�s the one �offensive weapon that you have and it�s all that you need. It�s like the rod of God. It wins the battle. Take the sword of the Spirit, speaking out loud, bind the enemy and every evil spirit connected with that particular sin or problem, doubt or whatever, as they are bound in heaven. Say, �In the name of Jesus, I bind the spirit of immorality, or lying or doubt or depression or fear or whatever it is that�s coming against me and every spirit connect with it and I command them to leave me right now. You�ve taken the Word of God and have executed the judgment that has been given against the enemy � not in your own strength, but through the strength of the Word. Finally, draw near to God in praise and thanksgiving, worshipping Him. What you have just done is resist the enemy, and submit to God. The enemy will flee from you. When temptations continue you hold your position and keep the rod up. In the gospels it�s clear that evil spirits go around looking for some place to dwell. Don�t leave the house empty. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit. When they come back you tell them that they have to be gone and refuse them � because you are an adopted son of God. Stand firm in the Lord and in the strength of HIS might. More tomorrow! Loving you, Robin �2001 Jim and Robin Hibschman |
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