In Exodus 17, we read of a particular battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites in the valley of Rephidim. Joshua led the soldiers into war and Moses took two others, Aaron and Hur, and went to the top of a hill to intercede for the fighting soldiers in the valley below:
Exodus 17:10 (NIV) So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.
God made the outcome of this battle dependant on what Moses did on the hill, whether he lifted his arms up or not, rather than on the keen strategizing or the strength of the fighting soldiers:
Exodus 17:11 (NIV) As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
You can imagine the fighting soldiers becoming weary in the battle, growing tired and losing their strength, but as they turned and looked up and saw those three men on the hill, the one in the middle with his arms upraised in victory, they fought on all the more.
But Moses got weary in the battle, too. His arms grew tired, so he needed his brothers to help him:
Exodus 17:12 (NIV) 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.
This story teaches us two important things:
When we become weary in the battle, or if we get tired in ministry, we can turn to the hill of Calvary and see three men on a hill, and the One in the middle has His hands upraised in victory. This sight of our victorious Savior will renew our energy and give us strength for the day.
When we become weary in doing good, when our arms droop from exhaustion, we must allow our brothers and sisters to come alongside us and encourage us to look to the cross, upholding our weary arms. The body of Christ is admonished to “strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come...he will come to save you” (Isaiah 35:3-4). And He has come to save us in the person of Jesus and we strengthen ourselves and each other as we look to Him.
Exodus 17:13 (NIV) So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
Moses was relieved and encouraged to have Aaron and Hur to support him in his ministry. And the Israelite soldiers were strengthened and energized to look up to the hill and see the man in the middle with his hands lifted high proclaiming their victory. Similarly, when we feel the weariness of doing what is right intruding, we can turn our eyes to Calvary and see that Jesus “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15).