Real Victory
Read This Week: Exodus 17
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. – Exodus 17:10-13 NIV
In Exodus 17, two distinct episodes stand out: the provision of water from the rock at Rephidim (verses 1-7) and the battle against the Amalekites (verses 8-16). Both highlight trust, leadership, community, and God’s provision in times of need.
The chapter begins with the Israelites, newly freed from Egypt, traveling through the wilderness and facing an all-too-human problem: they are thirsty. They find no water at Rephidim and quickly turn their frustration toward Moses, accusing him of bringing them to the wilderness to die. We can easily relate to the Israelites’ reaction to their thirst: they complain. As we’ve seen, this is not the first time they’ve grumbled against Moses, and it won’t be the last. They forget the miraculous way God delivered them from Egypt and instead focus on their immediate discomfort once again. This response is a common human tendency—to lose sight of past blessings when confronted with present difficulties.
Faced with the people’s anger, Moses does what every good leader should: he turns to God for guidance. He cries out, not just for water but for help dealing with the people’s frustration and impending violence. God instructs Moses to strike the rock with his staff, and water flows, quenching the people’s thirst and solving the issue. This passage is a powerful reminder that God provides for His people even when our circumstances seem dire. The rock, which Paul later identifies as a symbol of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), points to God’s faithful provision in the desert places of our lives. When we face scarcity or difficulty, our challenge is to trust God, remembering His past faithfulness rather than giving in to fear or complaining.
It’s natural to feel frustrated or even afraid when life becomes challenging. But God is present in our wilderness moments as much as in our mountaintop experiences. Instead of reacting with panic or complaint, we can pray, trust, and wait on Him just like we tend to do when we’re feeling secure and hopeful.
Immediately after receiving water from the rock, the Israelites face another challenge in the Amalekites, a nomadic tribe, who attack them. It goes from internal strife to external threat and shows the Israelites’ multifaceted struggles on their journey. As the battle begins, Moses sends Joshua into battle while he, Aaron, and Hur go to the top of a hill. Moses then holds the staff of God and raises his hands, and as long as his hands are in the air, the Israelites prevail. When he lowers his hands, the Amalekites gain the upper hand. Here, we see that spiritual leaders play a crucial role in the welfare of people, but they cannot do it alone. Moses’ hands grow tired, and Aaron and Hur come alongside him, holding up his arms to ensure victory. That is why everyone in the family of God is valuable, meaningful, and necessary to fulfill the Lord’s purposes. We are all called to be spiritual leaders.
While the physical battle is fought by Joshua and the Israelites, the real victory comes from the Father. Moses’ raised hands symbolize prayer and dependence on divine power. The Israelites’ victory shows that while human effort is necessary, it is God who ultimately brings success. He alone brings real triumph no matter what we are going through.
We face both personal and external battles. These might be physical, emotional, or spiritual struggles. The lesson of Moses and the Amalekites is that we need to be persistent in prayer and trust in God’s power, but we also need the support of others. We are never meant to face our battles alone. Whether leading others or facing challenges, don’t hesitate to humbly seek Jesus and lean on our faith communities for strength. Leaning in and submitting to the Lord and doing so with each other is where the real victory lies in our lives.
The Lord is our banner
Exodus 1715 And Moses built an altar and named it The Lord Is My Banner;
He Lord is our banner means that we want to depend on God’s power for victory in our battles.
For the Israelites God wanted them to want to learn to defend on Him, trust Him in His strength to guide us and walk in His presence to be able to overcome our challenges daily.
I see Moses teaching them to look to God for what they need.
Like when He cried out to God and raised His hands up to God.
That’s where miracles happen if it’s God’s Will.
we need to trust God.
Even when things are happening, seeking Him is important to ask him for the right timing, to hear Him to know when we are supposed to do something, or not. It’s all about communicating with father God that’s what prayer is talking to him, listening and responding when you hear him tell you to do something, and we do need people in our life that will speak the truth to us to help us and we should be thankful to God and not complain. Don’t have to worry it’s all about communicating with God and getting his peace and being OK right where we’re at with God.
Jesus is the ultimate banner for Salvation and eternal life.
The Lord is our banner. He is the one who fights for us..
When Moses declared the Lord is my banner it was to give honor to God for his leader, ship, protection, faithfulness, and holiness. For victory.
Our hope comes from God. God is our banner of love protection and he provides never forget that.
Thank You God for your banner of love over top of us. And thank you that you’re teaching us not to complain but to trust in you in all areas of our life and thank you that you love us so much that you’re teaching us new things today about your amazing love. ❤️️
I love this song. It goes perfect with this chapter.
Thank you father God for leading me to this song. I love your banner of love over us around us.
God our banner
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord who is strong and mighty
You’re fighting for us you’re always fighting for us thank you. Love you, father God, Jesus, and your Holy Spirit.❤️️
You are the Lord Almighty
The Lord who is mighty in battle
You’re fighting for us
Lift up your heads O you gates
Be lifted up
Swing wide you ancient doors
Be lifted up
Lift up a shout of praise to the King
Lift up our voice so He may come in
God our banner
God our saviour
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord who is strong and mighty
He’s fighting for us
You are the Lord Almighty
The Lord who is mighty in battle
You’re fighting for us
Lift up your heads O you gates
Be lifted up
Swing wide you ancient doors
Be lifted up
Lift up a shout of praise to the King
Lift up our voice so He may come in
God our banner
God our saviour
Lift up a song of victory
Above the noise of the enemy
God our banner
God our saviour
For as long as our hands are lifted up
You’re fighting our battles
We don’t have to be afraid of the
Defeated foe
For as long as our hands are lifted up
You’re fighting our battles
We don’t have to be afraid of the
Defeated foe
For as long as our hands are lifted up
You’re fighting our battles
We don’t have to be afraid of the
Defeated foe
Lift up a shout of praise to the King
Lift up our voice so He may come in
God our banner
God our saviour
Exodus Chapter 17 Verse 15
And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord is my Banner;
~Under God’s Banner~
God Is Saying To Me:
My child, you are mine. I have called and chosen you. Realize whose cause you fight for on a daily basis. You wage war against the enemy, not for yourself but for liberty and freedom for me so that I might prevail in your life. I have set you apart to fight and you are a consecrated soldier fighting always for me. Be a clean vessel for me, enthusiastically confident, proclaiming victory in your thoughts and actions in complete obedience to my will for you.
What This Means To Me:
1. I must turn away from everything of the world and focus my soul and my hope on Father God.
2. Recognize spiritual warfare and cover yourself humbly to God’s commands and sufficient guidance, keeping victory and triumph at the forefront to give God all the glory and honor.
3. Give God all the glory and praise for his grace and mercy and build your own altar to God, honoring and glorifying Him for all He has done in your life.
4. You need no one except me. I am your Banner! ❤️