Isaiah 53:12 speaks of victory. It speaks of "dividing the spoil," which is a military term indicating a great conquest and triumph, and the ensuing enjoyment of the "spoil" of the battle. The basis for "dividing the spoil" in victory is that Jesus Christ was "wounded for our transgressions," "bruised for our iniquities" (verse 5) and was "cut off from the land of the living" when His Father "crushed Him," "put Him to grief" and "made His soul an offering for sin" (verse 10) on the cross.
Do you see and understand how important this subject is? Our victory over sin is directly related to what Jesus Christ did on the cross. When Jesus died, He both purchased our forgiveness and broke the power of sin.
I lived in grave, disgusting, and deceptive sin for many years. The O Holy Night lyric "long lay the world, in sin and error, pining" were right about me. But then something happened. "He appeared!" My eyes were turned toward the cross, and there I found both forgiveness for and freedom from my sins.
Yes, all of this victory and freedom happens at the cross. Sin and Satan are defeated; guilt and shame are removed. There is victory through the cross of Jesus!
Remember that whatever is taught in the New Testament is vividly illustrated in the Old Testament in story form. Today, and the following two days, we will examine some of these illustrations of victory through the cross.
The first Old Testament illustration we will consider is Exodus 17:8-13:
“Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.” Exodus 17:8-13
Question 5. How does Exodus 17:8-13 depict victory at the cross?
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Here we see the newly liberated Israelites facing one of their first battles as freed people. And God had some things to teach His people, the main lesson being that though they were to fight, the battle was the Lord's, and the outcome was up to Him.
For this reason, while Joshua took the fighting men into battle, Moses took two men, Aaron and Hur, to the top of a hill, to intercede on behalf of God's people. And as long as Moses' arms were up, the Israelites won, when Moses dropped his arms, their enemies gained the upper hand. The outcome of the battle was that "Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword." Wow! What an extraordinary way to win the war, right?
Are you wondering how this story applies to us? Or how it points to the cross and the victory we receive through it?
Well, first, we can see that, though Joshua and all the soldiers did the fighting, the battle was truly won by what Moses did on the hill. Exodus 17:11 said that when Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed, but when Moses lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed. So even though Joshua and his troops were engaged in combat, God made the outcome of the battle dependent on Moses’ intercession.
Secondly, we see that Moses took two other men to the top of the hill with him, so that there would be three men on the hill, but the one in the center won the battle for his soldiers below. The victory was won by what that one man did on the hill. Do you see Jesus now?
Now we can start to understand some critical things about this battle account and how it applies to us. Every day, we are like the Israelites, fighting the battle against sin, against wrong desires, against temptation, against the deceitful scheming of the devil.
But how do we fight against the devil, against wrong thoughts and actions, against selfish motives, against our very selves?
Well, can you picture this with me for just a moment? Joshua and the troops are fighting the Amalekites to death. They are in the heat of the battle; spears are clanging, blood is flying, people are dying. And just then, an Israelite soldier turns to a hill in the distance and catches a glimpse of three men on that hill, and the man in the center has his arms outstretched and upraised in victory. He understands that it is Moses, and he is interceding on their behalf and is praying for them.
Oh, friend, two thousand years ago, on a hill far away, three men were hanging on crosses. The Man in the middle had ascended the hill with his cross to fight a crucial battle, not for Himself but for us. He went to fight the devil (Hebrews 2:14) and win for us.
Similar to how the Israelite victory was won by what Moses did on the hill in Joshua's day, our battles are won by what that Man (Jesus) did on the hill of Calvary. Jesus Christ held out His arms and died on the hill of Calvary, but by His death, He defeated the devil and crucified our sin. His cross was a sword plunged into the heart of our enemy. Jesus defeated the devil's accusations against us, for what can the devil say about one whose sins have been washed away? He defeated the devil's power, for the devil's power consists in deception, and now the whole world sees that the devil's intention is not to give life but rather to kill. On the cross, as Jesus' arms were outstretched and upraised in victory, He won the battle for us.
My friend, do you struggle with the power of temptation and sin? Look to Jesus! Do you find yourself falling and receiving wounds at the hands of your enemy? Look up and see the Man, Jesus on the hill interceding for you, defeating the devil on your behalf, securing your full pardon, and victory over sin. The battle will not be won by your efforts, but by the work of Another. Your victory is in Jesus' death on the cross.
As we catch sight of the horror of that cross, the torture of that innocent and pure Man, of the blood He shed for our forgiveness and reconciliation, we are strengthened to fight, and energized for success in the battle.
When the battle was over, Joshua could have said as we can today, “thanks be to God, who gives us the victory” through that man on the hill (1 Corinthians 15:57); truly, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)
Question 6. Are you thankful for the cross? Do you see how God used it to bring you victory? What are your thoughts?
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"It is amazing how the Scriptures come alive in this Bible study. Through my years of being a Christian, I have always concentrated on the New Testament, as I thought that that was all that applied to me. I was missing so much by not studying the Old Testament, it amazes me how much it reveals the character of Christ, how it points to Christ. I have noticed since I began this Bible study, how everything in the Bible has an arrow on it pointing directly to one single event, the death and resurrection of Christ. That is so cool!! It also reiterates how important that one single event is. Without it, there would be no point to any of it."
"Wow-what picture you paint of Christians being in the battle and then looking to the cross to see Jesus' arms outstretched, knowing that war against sin was accomplished through Him and that if I am battle wearied I can look to the cross and know that my victory is secured. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that I can turn to the cross and receive fresh grace and strength to carry on in the battle, thank you that even though it will be a battle for the rest of my earthly life this is not the end but just the beginning and the cross gives me the strength to endure to the end! Blessed be the King of Kings!"