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EXODUS: FUNCTIONING WELL IN A HOPELESS GROUP ASSIGNMENT
Part II: God's Sustainment Of Israel In The Wilderness Amid Humanly Helpless Trials
F. Trusting God Regarding Relentless Oppressors
(Exodus 17:8-16)
  1. Introduction
    1. An evil or errant relentless oppressor of the innocent can wear on the innocent person until he is tempted to yield to the evil party's will or agenda just so the oppression will cease.
    2. Yet, God never tires before relentless oppressors, a welcome truth of great hope for the oppressed:
  2. Resting In God Regarding Relentless Oppressors, Exodus 17:8-16.
    1. Exodus 17:8-16 reveals that God overcomes relentless, wearying oppressors that plague innocent folk:
      1. The Amalekites who attacked Israel in Exodus 17:8 were descendants of Esau (Gen. 36:12), cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Ex. 17:8. As such, they harbored the ancient hatred Esau and hi s descendants had for Jacob and his offspring, a perpetual and wearisome hatred that oppressed Israel, Ezekiel 35:5.
      2. Also, from Deuteronomy 25:17-18, we learn that this Exodus 17:8 battle with Amalek arose because the Amalekites had killed weary stragglers of Israel in her wilderness journey.
      3. Then, in the day long battle between Israel and her relentless foe, Amalek, Moses' hands grew weary and he could not hold up his rod, causing Israel's relentless Amalekite foes to start to win, 17:11-12a.
      4. God finally pledged to make perpetual war with Amalek to destroy it due to its long hatred, 17:14, 16.
    2. Combining these facts, this passages reveals God is to be trusted to handle relentless, evil oppressors:
      1. When Israel's relentless oppressors in the Amalekites attacked and overcame Israel's weary stragglers, God had Moses respond by going out to battle against the Amalekites, Ex. 17:8-9a; Deut. 25:17-18.
      2. As Moses was in his eighties and not able to lead in battle nor to do what was needed to sustain victory in holding aloft his arms all day with his rod so that Israel could defeat her relentless foe, God raised up helpful men in Joshua, Aaron and Hur to aid Moses so he could do his job for victory: (Ex. 17:9-13)
        1. As Moses was too old to fight (Acts 7:23, 30), he sent Joshua, his servant (Jos. 1:1) to lead Israel to fight Amalek, Ex. 17:9a. [This is the first time Joshua appears in Scripture, Ibid., ftn. to Ex. 17:9.]
        2. Now, Moses was to hold his rod aloft in his hands so that Israel might win the battle as a symbol of divine assistance for Israel, Ex. 17:9b. However, Moses was not able to hold up his hands all during the day-long battle due to his great age, so God used Aaron and Hur to put a stone under him so Moses might sit and not faint while they held his hands aloft for success in the battle, Ex. 17:10-13.
      3. After the battle was won, God told Moses to record in a book of memorial and to rehearse it in Joshua's ears that He would make perpetual war with the Amalekites until they were exterminated, Ex. 17:14.
      4. Deeply appreciative of God's capacity to be infinitely more relentless in His right stand against Amalek than the relentless Amalekites were in oppressing Israel, Moses worshiped the Lord in appreciation:
        1. Moses built an altar and named it "Jehovah-nissi," i.e., "the Lord is my Banner," Ibid., ftn. to 17:15.
        2. This title was given as the Lord had promised relentless, exterminating war against Amalek, 17:16!
        3. Thus, Moses appreciated that, regardless of the relentless oppression of Amalek in the face of the fatigue of Israel's stragglers and of Moses' own weariness in holding up his rod in facing these foes , GOD was infinitely more relentless than the Amalekites, so He would ANNIHILATE them!
      5. Of additional interest to us, in contrast to God's planning to exterminate the Amalekites for their relentless oppression, He planned to honor Joshua, Aaron and Hur for helping the weak: (a) Joshua became Israel's leader after Moses (Num . 27:15-23) and (b) Aaron and Hur were assigned custody of the nation of Israel when Moses ascended Mount Sinai to commune with the Lord, cf. Exodus 24:14.
Lesson: God is both able and willing to handle relentless, evil foes that oppress the upright.

Application: (1) If we are right with God and are being relentlessly oppressed by errant foes, we can trust God to overcome their power beyond our waning strength to stand against their evil. (2) May we learn to help and not oppress God's weary people and their leaders lest we face God's infinitely relentless discipline that WILL SURELY ruin US! (3) Then, may we help the people of God and their duly-appointed, God-ordained leaders (as did Aaron, Hur and Joshua) to enjoy God's reward of honor!